Laplacian, a Japanese visual novel studio that has recently transitioned from creating adult-oriented games to all-ages titles, has recently encountered criticism from its fanbase. Following the launch of the studio’s latest occult comedy visual novel, Kugayama Shiori’s Death Diary (which currently boasts an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam), Japanese fans of Laplacian noticed that the company no longer showcases its past adult titles on its official website. This led to sharp reactions on X, as users perceived the move as Laplacian attempting to distance itself from its adult game history or sanitize its public image.
However, the reality is far more nuanced than it initially appears, and the website revision wasn’t recent—it occurred two years prior. On July 30, Laplacian’s CEO, Wasabi Ono, released a detailed statement addressing the concerns raised by fans and the complex corporate restructuring the studio underwent to enable the development of all-ages games. Notably, his explanation provides valuable insights into the financial challenges faced by companies in the adult game sector.
Ono begins by emphasizing that Laplacian “absolutely does not consider its adult game titles a source of embarrassment.” He maintains that the fervent enthusiasm of the adult game community represents “the most captivating element remaining in the industry” and that Laplacian remains grateful for the support its games have received.
The modifications to the company’s website were implemented for purely practical reasons. Ono clarifies that Laplacian was initially a game brand, not a corporate entity, owned by Chikanikai, a company established for publishing adult games. Conversely, the development team, referred to as “team Laplacian,” belonged to a separate entity called HitoMemori.
When “Laplacian” was restructured into an independent company in 2022, it was HitoMemori, not Chikanikai, that transitioned into Laplacian. Consequently, the website previously serving as a platform for the game brand was reconstructed into a corporate website representing the newly formed entity.
According to Ono, this restructuring was essential due to Laplacian’s pivot toward all-ages games. Unlike developers of adult games, who typically secure funding by pitching concepts to distributors, all-ages developers usually obtain financing from banks. However, small-to-medium-sized companies require third-party guarantees to secure bank loans. The challenge lies in the fact that Japanese credit guarantee organizations enforce a strict “no adult content” policy, making it nearly impossible for companies in the adult game sector to secure bank loans.
This explains why the developers did not simply convert Chikanikai (an adult game publisher that continues to generate revenue from Laplacian’s past adult titles) into Laplacian. In this context, HitoMemori, which functioned as a contractor for the games, had a track record of successfully obtaining bank loans and possessed a higher level of corporate credibility.
Consequently, to ensure their new company could access bank financing, the developers retained the rights to all their previous games under Chikanikai (with the exception of Cyanotype Daydream) and, logically, removed all adult games from their website, as it would serve as a reference point for banks and business partners.
Ono acknowledges that Laplacian’s older titles are still marketed under the “Laplacian” name, despite technically belonging to a different company, to prevent confusion among fans. He mentions that the team had contemplated rebranding those games under a separate label but ultimately decided against it for the time being. He admits that they had avoided publicly explaining the situation in hopes of not drawing attention to the issue.
Likely in response to the backlash from fans, Ono also clarifies that his team’s decision to explore other genres was not driven by a pursuit of greater profits. “Personally, I believe that from a business stability perspective, we would have been better off simply continuing to produce adult games. The notion that we abandoned adult games for financial gain, or shifted to all-ages titles solely to capitalize on trends, is far from the truth. Perhaps people are overly influenced by the image of major companies achieving success with gacha games.”