Last Update 9/26/14: Added link to GREE announcement. After November 25th, all GREE related questions will be removed and replaced with PARTY related questions.

NOTE: Questions regarding any ongoing Be My Princess for GREE events are most likely answered in the event info posts I’ve made, which you can more than likely find on the Home page.

I can’t tell you how annoyed I get whenever I see questions LITTERED on Voltage Inc.’s Facebook pages that are either repeated or for some reason haven’t been answered yet, or have an obvious answer that apparently flew over their heads. I’m not a spokesperson for Voltage Inc. nor am I pretending to be, but I thought I’d try to help someone out and make it easier if they do a Google search and will add to it if I see more or if someone asks me. Edit: I’ll also try to include questions from our related search terms.

So, questions that will be answered below the cut are:

General:

• What is this? (Anime? Manga?)
• Where can I play this?
• How can I play on my computer?
• Why do I need an internet connection to play these games?
• Is it free?
• Where can I download Voltage games for free?
• I had to uninstall and reinstall my game because of X reasons, but now it says I have to repurchase everything again?
• Will I lose all my purchases if I uninstall or forget my Transfer Data? Will I have to buy everything again?
• Is this a Yaoi game? Make a Yaoi version!

English games:

• Do I have to pay with real money?
• Can’t you make the routes cheaper?
• Can’t you make some characters free?
• How much does each route cost?
• Do I have to pay again to play?
• What are Spin-Offs/Specials/Sub Stories?
• If I buy the Spin-Off/Special/Sub Story, will I be able to play all the characters?
• Can I transfer my purchases from iPhone to Android? Vice-versa?
• Why are you destroying the games and replacing their beautiful art with that new ugly art!?
• What happens in X game/route/spoiler question?
• How do I know which ending I will get?
• Why didn’t I get any e-mails after I finished a chapter?

GREE:

• What’s the difference between this version and the app version of X game?
• Can you transfer data?
• Can’t you make the event gachas easier?
• How can I get free GREE coins?
• How often do events occur?
• How do I upgrade from a Guest account?
• How do I know what my time is in UTC?
• I hear GREE is closing or shutting down?!

Japanese games:

• When will you make X game in English?
• I heard that Voltage Inc. isn’t planning on releasing X game?

Misc.

• You should make a vampire love story!
• How can I contact Voltage Inc. and Voltage Entertainment USA Inc.?
• I heard A Knight’s Devotion was cancelled!

My Sweet Bodyguard (App Version) And Later

• Why did Voltage change the UI?
• So now I can restore my save data, too?
• Why do I keep getting an error when I input a code for the Invite a Friend Campaign?

The ones with the * are questions related to recent problems.

General

Q: What is this?

A: Voltage Inc. is a developer of phone-based otome games, or dating simulation games, that originated in Japan in 1999 and began to expand to the English speaking audience in 2011 with their first English release Pirates in Love. Their games are pretty much about you being in the shoes of a woman who develops a romance with one man out of a group of men, in which you decide which man to pursue. Non-GREE versions of their games are straight Visual Novels where the Prologue is free to play, but each individual route must be paid for. A Visual Novel is, as it sounds, a story told using images and text. To progress through the story, the player is needed to make choices for the main character, whose point-of-view you play through, and these choices determine what ending you get once you reach the end of the game. In Voltage Inc.’s games, the choices you make determine what kind of ending you get with the guy whose route you are playing. The GREE versions are the same, but you are limited to the amount of story you can progress every day and Missions are needed in order to progress through the story when they are presented, which consist of either buying in-game avatar items or raising a stat. While the game is free, you also have the option to pass these limits by using real money to do so, though it is not mandatory.

TL;DR: It’s a game where you read a romance story in which you play a woman and attempt to get to the best ending in the route (Super Happy, Happy, or Good endings, depending on which game you are playing) by making choices that affect the ending you get as you progress through the story.

Q: Where can I play this?

A: These games are only available for Android OS and iOS mobile devices.

Games that utilize the new UI are the only ones that can work on a tablet. These games, at the time of this writing, are My Sweet Bodyguard (App version) and any game released after.

As of March 26, 2013, My Sweet Bodyguard is now available for Facebook mobile. The game content is the same as the GREE version but with Bodyguard on Facebook, you’ll can play and share Bodyguard with all of your friends on Facebook. Anyone with an Android/Iphone and a Facebook account can play! Please use Safari on iPhone and the standard browser on Android to play.

Q: How can I play on my computer?

A: VOLTAGE INC. GAMES WERE NOT MADE FOR PC.

VOLTAGE INC. GAMES WERE NOT MADE FOR PC.

VOLTAGE INC. GAMES WERE NOT MADE FOR PC.

Yes, there is a way to bypass the phone thing as I have mentioned before. However, after thinking long and hard on it, I’ve decided to not disclose how to do it. While I’m sure Voltage Inc. would be happy for their games to be played more, I don’t know where they stand on using anything other than a phone to play their games, and the last thing I’d ever want OR need is an unwanted legal e-mail from Voltage Inc. regarding that matter. My decision is also backed by the some of the changes from the recent maintenance on Be My Princess for GREE which, from what I can tell, now makes it impossible to play the story using a browser. So please understand if I don’t feel like I should share this.

Also, you really shouldn’t complain to Voltage Inc. about problems you’re having with any of their games if you’re not using them on an Android or iOS mobile device.

Because, you know, VOLTAGE INC. GAMES WERE NOT MADE FOR PC.

Q: Why do I need an internet connection to play these games?

A: From what I can tell, when you download the app games, you are not downloading all the game data. Instead, the data is stored on a server belonging to Voltage Inc. and can only be accessed from inside the app after you’ve made your purchases and selected a story to start or continue. Why Voltage Inc. decided to implement this with their games I don’t know, but the only reasons I can think of are 1. the game data itself takes up A LOT of storage space and this allows you to be able to play the games without having to be burdened with the data taking up so much phone space, and 2. to make sure that these games aren’t pirated in the same way as, say, Dandelion -Wishes Brought To You- needs internet connection to play.

As for the GREE games, it’s the same as playing Facebook games. It’s an online social gaming platform, emphasis on the online.

Q: Is it free?

A: Only the prologue of the app versions are free. Each individual route, sequel, epilogue, and spin-off need to be bought in order to play them.

The GREE versions are free with the options to pay to advance further in the story and buy special items.

Q: Where can I download Voltage games for free?

A:

Stop right there. You should feel bad for even trying.

Q: I had to uninstall and reinstall my game because of X reasons, but now it says I have to repurchase everything again?

A: You do not need to repurchase anything as long as you are using the same account and OS previously used to make the purchases.

If you are using an Android device, simply go to the buying page and tap “Buy”. This will send you to the purchase page in Google Play and you should receive a pop-up saying that you’ve already purchased that item. Tap “OK” and you should be sent back to the story selection page. Tap on the story you purchased and did the above to, and you should be able to play it again.

If you are playing a game that has the Transfer Data option, make sure that you do a data transfer if you want all your old saved progress back.

For iUsers, simply tap the “Restore Purchases” button.*

    *I am not an iUser and only know this from what I’ve read online from iUsers. If there are any more steps to take, please let me know and I will make the changes.

Q: Will I lose all my purchases if I uninstall or forget my Transfer Data? Will I have to buy everything again?

A: For Android users, I can safely and confidently say: No. As previously stated, you WILL NOT lose any purchases if you are using the same account and OS that you used at the time of the purchase. Your purchases are not connected to the app or game. They are connected to your Google account. You will never lose your purchases and have to buy everything again unless you change from Android to iOS or delete the Google account you used to make the purchase.

If you lose your Transfer Data for the new UI, you will still be able to play all your previously purchased games. You just have to follow the same procedure as the above answer states. The Transfer Data is only to save your Save Data and your progress. The only downside to losing your Transfer Data is that you will have to replay all the stories to get the CGs again.

I cannot confidently say if this is the same for iOS users, but I am pretty sure it works the same way.

Q: Is this a Yaoi game? Make a Yaoi version!

A:

English Games

Q: Do I have to pay with real money?

A: Yes.

Q: Can’t you make the routes cheaper?

A: Though I don’t know what goes into the pricing of the English version, I will say this: The English version prices for the main stories are, at the time of this writing, already cheaper than the original Japanese versions. The prices for the other stories (epilogues, sequels, spin-offs) are only a few cents cheaper in the Japanese versions than the English versions, so there isn’t much of a difference. Please remember that Voltage Inc. is, first and foremost, a business. If they make their products too cheap, they will not make a profit. Alternatively, cheaper priced products means cheaper games (in content) and we may not even get as many more games as we could. So while I can feel for those who think the prices are too high, I also understand that Voltage Inc. needs to make a profit so they can give us more games. And right now, more purchases in the English market will definitely show that we want more games. Though I will say that, if I remember correctly, there has been a sale in stories before in the Japanese versions. Whether or not the English versions will have a sale is unknown, so I would advise that you not hold your breath for it.

As of September 17th, Voltage Inc. has begun to have sales in celebration of new releases and various occassions as well as holiday sales.

You can check out this tumblr response to a piracy post from an ex-Voltage Inc. employee to give you an insight on how much it costs to localize these games, where that money is going to, and the work that goes into them. In short, it is NOT cheap.

Q: Can’t you make some characters free?

A: Same as above.

Q: How much does each route cost?

A: Typically, each route costs:

Main Story – $3.99 USD
Epilogue – $1.99 USD
Sequel – $3.99 USD

However, some games can have different prices for their stories outside of the Main Story and Epilogue, so it’s best to see from the app itself to see how much a story costs.

If there are any that have a different price, please let me know so I can fix this.

Q: Do I have to pay again to play?

A: No. Once you have paid for a route, you do not need to pay to play it again.

Q: What are Spin-Offs/Specials/Sub Stories?

A: Spin-Offs/Specials/Sub Stories are like extra stories that you can read so you can see more of a character outside of the Main Story.

Q: If I buy the Spin-Off/Special/Sub Story, will I be able to play all the characters?

A: That depends on which spin-off you purchase. On the Buy page, before you make the purchase, you will be able to see which characters are available in each spin-off, as seen below.

Q: Can I transfer my purchases from iPhone to Android? Vice-versa? 

A: No. Purchase transfers are only available if you use the same account of one OS and transfer to another mobile device of the same account and OS previously used to make the purchases.

Q: Why are you destroying the games and replacing their beautiful art with that new ugly art!?

A: As I have mentioned before, I already gave my own opinion on this matter on tumblr and I feel that it should be reiterated. I will also add that this “beautiful art” is only “beautiful” to people who like the Japanese anime style of art. To those who do not care for this style or for the Japanese culture, they won’t have any interest in even downloading and playing the prologue to these games. (Heck, my mom calls the anime style “los monos feos,” the ugly cartoons.) There is, however, a better chance of them downloading the versions released by Voltage Entertainment USA Inc. and purchasing from there if they like it. So no, I do not think that Voltage Inc. should stop their Westernized releases. That is like saying that, where I live, all food should be spicy because everyone likes spicy food more than non-spicy food. Which, of course, is NOT true. (Okay okay, so that example was a bit extreme, but I think it still counts!)

Anyways, like I said in a previous post: If you feel that you still have a problem with the Westernized art, please let them know how you think they can improve. Don’t just tell them to stop. If you prefer the original art over the Westernized art, then you, like it or not, are NOT their target audience.

Q: What happens in X game/route/spoiler question?

A: As much as I understand someone’s need for spoilers, I also feel that if you really want to know a spoiler, then you should be able to at least look it up on Google or buy the game yourself, in which I wouldn’t see a problem in, say, telling someone the spoiler is in so-and-so route. One of the major problems I have with the Facebook pages is the insane amount of spoilers posted on there from Japanese releases that have yet to be brought over for the English speaking audience, or spoilers from a release soon after it is released. Of course, I can just ignore and skip the comment or text post that has spoilers and probably leave knowing only very little and enough to probably forget, but it is harder to get past image posts without first seeing it, calling out “SPOILERS!”, and then using Adblock Plus to block the image from showing again in the timeline. (Yes, those posts show up together on the Facebook page just as it shows in the screenshot.) And I find it harder to forget images than text. (Please don’t ask me to go to the related tags on tumblr. I think it’d be worse than the Facebook stuff . . . .)

Q: How do I know which ending I will get?

A: Unless you follow a legit guide OR you know for sure that you are picking the right answers for the ending you want, you will not know what ending you will get until you reach the final chapter, which is, or includes, the ending you ended up with.

Q: Why didn’t I get any e-mails after I finished a chapter? 

A: Chances are that you won’t get any e-mails for the first few chapters of a story unless you are playing a Spin-Off/Special. If you still do not receive an e-mail, try using a different e-mail address. If it still does not work, then try contacting Voltage Inc.

GREE

Q: What’s the difference between this version and the app version of X game?

A: Typically for Voltage Inc. games, the GREE version has an alternate story from the app versions of their games. For example: Be My Princess for GREE is the story of a woman fresh out of university whose dream is to be a fashion designer and is later hired by the princes as their personal designers. In the app version, the heroine is an average exchange student, still attending university, who finds herself mixed up with the princes for different reasons (depending on whose route you play) after having been invited to attend a ball with one of them.

Also, the GREE version is completely free to play. However, you are limited to the amount of story you can progress every day and Missions are needed in order to progress through the story when they are presented, which consist of either buying in-game avatar items or raising a stat. You also have the option to pass these limits by using real money to do so, though it is not mandatory.

Q: Can you transfer data?

A: As far as I know, there is no way to “transfer data.”

However, if you are attempting to use the same game data in another phone, all you have to do is login to GREE with the same account information you used to register your account. If you did not register your account and were, instead, playing as a Guest, then you cannot play on another phone until you get your account registered.

Q: Can’t you make the event gachas easier?

A: The gachas work like a toy vending machine where you put in some quarters and a capsule with a toy, sticker, or fake tattoo and such come out. And like those toy vending machines, you don’t know what you’ll get until it comes out. Continuing to use the toy vending machine will give you more chances of receiving a rare prize. However, this also gives you more chances of getting the same items multiple times. Depending on the rarity of the item, or how many of a rare item are in each machine, it may take a while and a few dollars to get that rare item.

The gachas in the GREE games work the same way, except that there is an actual control of the rare items being there, as opposed the the vending machines where you may be trying to get the rare item when it’s not even in the machine anymore.

So yes, it can be difficult to complete the event gachas because of the time limit of the event and the amount of gacha points each spin costs, but it IS possible to complete the collections. Whether or not Voltage Inc. can make the chances of getting all the items before the end of the event easier, I don’t know. Please also keep in mind that part of the process in completing the collections also depends on the amount of gacha points you yourself have. Voltage Inc. has made it so that, at least in Be My Princess, completing a mission in events gives you gacha point cards, which can be used for the event if you want. Right now, with having two Lucky 24hrs during the White Day event, you are given even more chances of playing the gacha and completing the collection. Event is over.

The gachas are also only to get bonus items when playing the event and are NOT necessary for the progression of the event stories or main stories. This also goes for the Ranking prizes, it is only a bonus item. It is not a race.

Q: How can I get free GREE coins?

A: There is no way to get free GREE coins. The only way to get GREE coins is to buy them using real money through the GREE app.

Q: How often do events occur?

A: There is no way to tell how often events will occur unless Voltage Inc. makes an announcement on it, which, up until now, they have not done. So far, events are released as they come or are ready and there have been no official plans on future events announced.

Q: How do I upgrade from a Guest account?

A:  This only works if you’ve only played one GREE game or have other GREE games under the same Guest account. If you have multiple Guest accounts for different games, then you will be unable to combine them into one account and will have to make separate GREE accounts for each game.

1. From inside the app, tap on the  Home button
2. Tap the Menu icon on the top left (blue with three white lines)
3. Tap on the grey user profile icon
4. Tap “Upgrade”
5. Follow the steps to signing up for a GREE account
6. Ta-da~!

Q: How do I know what my time is in UTC?

A: If you’re having problems figuring out what UTC time corresponds with yours, here’s an online Time Zone Converter. All you have to do is change the hour to the UTC time you want to convert and change the first location to UTC/GMT from the drop-down menu of locations (it’s the first one). Then either click “Time Zones…” on the second location to your own time zone or select your city (or the city that shares your time zone) from the drop-down menu of locations. Then click “Convert time”. The time converted will then show under the column “Local time” after the date on the second/bottom row (your location). (Ex. Friday, March 1, 2013 at 8:00:00 A.M.)

Q: I hear GREE is closing or shutting down?!

A: Due to the decision to discontinue overseas platform operations, the GREE App will no longer be available on Google Play or the App Store in Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Korea after Wednesday, April 30th, 2014.

Since the GREE App will be removed from the stores, there will no longer be version updates for it nor will it be available for download or installing through the stores.

*Android users only: If the GREE App is not installed on a smartphone, purchasing Coins will not be possible from most games. It is recommended that you use up all your GREE Coins before switching smartphone devices.

On September 25th, Voltage Inc. released an announcement in their GREE games that service will be ending for all users in all countries using their English GREE apps. You can read more here.

Japanese Games

Q: When will you make X game in English?

A: Voltage Inc. is unable to tell customers on whether or not a game can or will be brought over for the English speaking audience, though it does not mean that they don’t plan on doing so.

You can, however, see what Voltage Inc. has planned as far as stories to be released soon at their online catalog. (Best viewed on a mobile device.)

Q: I heard Voltage Inc. isn’t planning on releasing X game?

A: Same as above.

Misc.

Q: You should make a vampire love story!

A: Voltage Inc. already has a vampire themed game titled 恋人はヴァンパイア (crappy translation: My Vampire Lover). However, this game has already been cancelled.

Q: How can I contact Voltage Inc. and Voltage Entertainment USA Inc.?

A: You can check my post How To Contact Voltage Inc.

Q: I heard A Knight’s Devotion was cancelled!

A: Okay okay, let’s get one thing straight here. Voltage Inc., as they have ALWAYS been with any other app, is vague on the future of A Knight’s Devotion. The English game is currently on an undecided status.

愛を捧ぐ伝説の騎士 (Ai wo Sasagu Densetsu no Kishi, the original Japanese game), according to Japanese otome players, has been cancelled on the original platform due to low sales. The Android and iOS app version are just ports, meaning that there can still be releases as long as there are still stories that haven’t been ported yet and there is still demand. The same goes for the English releases.

You can support Voltage Inc. by buying the stories (and staying off of Youtube), and sending them an e-mail telling them that you still want to see their games being translated and updated.

Please be aware that this is not the first time any of their games have been cancelled due to low sales. Some never even made it to an Android or iOS release. Remember that the best way to tell them you want these games is with your wallet and e-mails telling them so.

My Sweet Bodyguard (App Version) And Later

Q: Why did Voltage change the UI?

A: While I can’t speak on behalf of Voltage on this matter and I don’t know the legit reason for the UI change, I do believe that since Voltage is wanting to change to this new system, they wanted to expose their English customers to it as soon as possible. Along with the release of 復讐のキスをあなたに in Japan, which also uses the new UI, I would say that this is the way that Voltage plans to release their future smartphone app games. As such, they probably think it’s a good idea to expose their English customers to it so that we have an earlier transition to the new system. So if you’re not a fan of the new system, the best thing I can tell you is to e-mail Voltage about what you like about the system, what you dislike, and what you think Voltage can do to improve the system without telling them to trash it. The good thing we can think about is that along with this new UI, it gives us an idea that Voltage might be planning to release their future releases to the English speaking audience. ~~If we’re allowed to dream, we even be able to see English releases not too soon after a new Japanese release. Heck, who knows? We might be able to able to get simultaneous releases!~~

~*~ – I said if we’re allowed to dream! I honestly don’t know what Voltage Inc. is planning for us in the future, but whatever it is, I am looking forward to it.

Q: So now I can restore my save data, too?

A: Yes! Along with the new UI, you now have the option to not only restore your purchases, but to also restore your story data. To do so, just follow the steps below:

FIRST! Before you uninstall, make sure you copy down your transfer IDs.

• From the Home page, go to “Settings”
• Go to “Transfer Data”
• From here, copy down your Transfer IDs (App ID and Sub ID) or tap the E-mail button to get them sent to you

Once you’ve got them copied down, you can uninstall and reinstall the app. Then:

• Go back to “Transfer Data”
• Tap “Enter transfer IDs”
• Enter your App ID and Sub ID that you copied down
• Tap “Transfer”
• Go to your desired story page
• Tap “Buy” on each story you have bought. You cannot regain your past progress unless you do so.

And that should do it! Invite a Friend Campaign images will not be saved to your Transfer ID’s, so make sure you saved them before uninstalling! Please remember that this method currently only works with all apps EXCEPT Pirates in Love, Seduced in the Sleepless City, and Love Letter From Thief X, since they are the only games that currently use the old UI.

Also note that, recently, Voltage Inc. has changed the way we use Transfer ID’s. Instead of keeping the same Transfer ID’s regardless of how we use them, we are now given a brand new set of ID’s each and every single time we use them. Once you’ve done a data transfer with one set of ID’s, you will no longer be able to use them again. Please write down, e-mail to yourself, or save these new ID’s every single time you do a transfer, or else you will lose all your progress and save data. Your purchases will still be intact.

And HOLY CRAP does this mean we might get 社内恋愛★２人のヒミツ?! AKJSDFHAJHGAJKNHEAG AHA IT HAPPENED!!! /shot

Q: Why do I keep getting an error when I input a code for the Invite a Friend Campaign?

A: If your problem is not internet connection related, then it can be one of two things.

• The code you are attempting to input is incorrect, in which you should make sure the cases are correct and check back with the owner of the code.

OR

• You are attempting to input another code after you have already input one previously. You are only allowed to input a code once.

I’m open to answering any more questions if I’m able to. Again, I’m not a spokesperson for Voltage Inc., so please take all this in with a grain of salt. I’ll add to this if I feel I should in the future. I hope this helped!