Anime Play DVDs are the only English-language visual novels that are playable on standard DVD players; they can also be played on PCs with DVD-ROM drives or video game consoles that can play DVDs like the PlayStation 2 or Xbox. The restrictions of the DVD format mean that these games are missing many features present in most visual novels such as separate volume controls for music and voices; controlling the speed at which text is played; and ability to save the game at any point. The following games have been released in Anime Play format:
, part one of a three-part adventure taking place over three time periods
Hirameki International announced in 2003 that having released Phantom of Inferno earlier that year, they would be releasing fifteen more titles in AnimePlay format in the fourth quarter of 2003, and described all sixteen on their website; however, in summer of 2003 most of these titles were removed from the website. Phantom of Inferno, Amusement Park and Day of Love were the only games released in 2003. The full list of visual novels to which they apparently acquired the rights is:
Phantom of Inferno: released in 2003
Day of Love: released in 2003
The Sixteenth Night Love Song, a love adventure game: status unknown
The Bride of Ergeners, a marriage adventure game: status unknown
Lying on Yoshia Heights, a fantasy adventure game: status unknown
Koimusubi , a romance story: status unknown
Amusement Park: released in 2003
Snow Talk, a fantasy simulation game: status unknown
Separate Blue, a school love story: status unknown
Azrael, a ghost story: status unknown
Sweet Legacy, a cooking love story: status unknown
Five O One, an action story: status unknown
Canary, a school love story: status unknown
Hooligan, an action love comedy: status unknown
Tea Society of a Witch: released in summer 2004
Hourglass of Summer: released in summer 2004
In late 2005, Hirameki announced on their blog that after releasing the remaining two volumes of Exodus Guilty, the Anime Play DVD series will be discontinued, and all of their visual novel titles will be released on PC.
Anime Play PC
AnimePlay PC games are the visual novels released in the United States by Hirameki International. Currently, they include:
Hirameki has announced that all of their future releases will be on this product line. It is unknown whether any of the 15 titles announced for DVD release in 2003 are currently slated for a PC release. As of Jan 2 2008 Hirameki "has decided to bow out of publishing Interactive Visual Novels". The only retail store selling Anime Play products has also gone out of business. Because of this, no more Anime Play DVDs or PC games will be sold.
Anime Play was also a quarterly magazine published by Hirameki International. It featured a thin print edition, with the majority of its material on an interactive DVD. The magazine mostly reviewed the Anime Play DVD releases, but anime and manga as well. The magazine published its first issue in July 2003. It was announced shortly after the opening of the Hirameki Community Site that Hirameki will no longer publish Anime Play Magazine, choosing instead to focus on releasing PC titles.
