In my experience, the market for niche games is pretty shaky territory whether you're a publisher or player. On the industry side, localization companies like XSEED, Atlus, Aksys, NIS, etc. basically bet the farm on every game they produce, and in most cases, they're probably lucky just to break even, apart from those oddities that shatter sales expectations like Catherine.
For players, it's a constant scramble to prioritize games, get what you can afford before it goes out of print (due to low print runs, limited distribution, etc.) and the prices skyrocket. Case in point: I desperately want a copy of Muchi Muchi Pork/Pink Sweets, but wasn't able to pick it up when it was still available. Now that it's relavitely tough to find in most import shops, I'm faced with trying to track down a copy for as much as $120 or more... which is more money diverted away from anything new coming out.
