Thread:Nixerix/@comment-28935318-20161023211144/@comment-28935318-20161024015902

Basically Natsume's rights to localize the Bokujō Monogatari games expired but they kept the trademark on the name "Harvest Moon" and are making own games using the name. (that's why the Lost Valley and so on look and play different)

So Marvelous had to rename the series in order to release current and future games in the series and that is how we got Story of Seasons. So in other words the "Story of Seasons" games are the real games in Bokujō Monogatari series and the "Harvest Moon" games are a in a weird way are a spin off series

I hope that helped