Meta Month 12: Getting Over The Pond
Dec. 19th, 2011 07:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wallwalker posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
personalapocalypse[So I just had a really bad week and it's taken me this long to recover. Only way I'm going to make it through this Meta Month goal thing is by spamming. We'll see how many I have time to do, but I'll have to plan my time carefully; SO and I are going to have to work on other projects today as well. I apologize in advance for the spam, and I do still want to answer your comments when I have time!]
The saddest thing about being a fan of primarily Japanese console RPGs is that you never know when a game that looks awesome is going to be released in the Western Hemisphere.
I'm still not entirely sure how they choose which games get ported and why some games never are. And yes, I know that the answer to "Why?" is always "MONEY!" (thank you Marillion) but I never really understood why they would choose to port one version of a game and leave the other (Brigandine vs. Brigandine: Grand Edition,) or why they bring over every single other game in a series and leave one behind (Seiken Densetsu 3, out of the Mana series - seriously, as far as I can tell every single other game in that series got an American release, and one got a remake, but SD3 seems to be destined never to be released here.)
It's slowly getting better, though. Older games are finding remakes, ports, and newer systems that they're being offered on; I was very happy when DQIV finally came out on the DS, when America didn't get the PSX remake years ago. And I know that game consoles are offering downloads of older games, including never-before-localized games, on their console networks. PSN has a few, although they mostly seem to be arcade-style shooters and beat-em-ups. Really, if they have the ability to do that, to release games wholly online, then IMO they are running out of excuses for not localizing some of these games for other audiences. Especially for the older games that aren't going to require massive VA casts or whatnot. Then again, I don't work in this industry, and I'd really like some insight from someone who does, because I really just... don't seem to be able to find a lot of non-contradictory information from searching.
Which is another thing - Japan! Look, we appreciate the time and effort involved in finding English VAs for voice-acted games, we really do. But it isn't necessary to do that every time. Why not just release games subbed, with the original Japanese VAs? Personally I'm still hoping for the day that it becomes possible to somehow offer both vocal tracks for players to choose - maybe make one of them a downloadable extra, to save space on the discs. That would make everyone happy! But even with today's available storage space, it hasn't happened yet.
(I am also vaguely amused by this article. It goes both ways!)
The saddest thing about being a fan of primarily Japanese console RPGs is that you never know when a game that looks awesome is going to be released in the Western Hemisphere.
I'm still not entirely sure how they choose which games get ported and why some games never are. And yes, I know that the answer to "Why?" is always "MONEY!" (thank you Marillion) but I never really understood why they would choose to port one version of a game and leave the other (Brigandine vs. Brigandine: Grand Edition,) or why they bring over every single other game in a series and leave one behind (Seiken Densetsu 3, out of the Mana series - seriously, as far as I can tell every single other game in that series got an American release, and one got a remake, but SD3 seems to be destined never to be released here.)
It's slowly getting better, though. Older games are finding remakes, ports, and newer systems that they're being offered on; I was very happy when DQIV finally came out on the DS, when America didn't get the PSX remake years ago. And I know that game consoles are offering downloads of older games, including never-before-localized games, on their console networks. PSN has a few, although they mostly seem to be arcade-style shooters and beat-em-ups. Really, if they have the ability to do that, to release games wholly online, then IMO they are running out of excuses for not localizing some of these games for other audiences. Especially for the older games that aren't going to require massive VA casts or whatnot. Then again, I don't work in this industry, and I'd really like some insight from someone who does, because I really just... don't seem to be able to find a lot of non-contradictory information from searching.
Which is another thing - Japan! Look, we appreciate the time and effort involved in finding English VAs for voice-acted games, we really do. But it isn't necessary to do that every time. Why not just release games subbed, with the original Japanese VAs? Personally I'm still hoping for the day that it becomes possible to somehow offer both vocal tracks for players to choose - maybe make one of them a downloadable extra, to save space on the discs. That would make everyone happy! But even with today's available storage space, it hasn't happened yet.
(I am also vaguely amused by this article. It goes both ways!)
no subject
Date: 2011-12-19 06:35 pm (UTC)Space isn't the only issue for multiple language options. Japanese games have fairly flexible prices, but if you try to suggest that a game should cost more than fifty/sixty bucks in the west, there will be a ridiculous amount of QQing. It's hard to make up for an expensive big-name JP voice cast without being able to increase the price of the game. Also time for implementation and testing (which also comes back to money).
So yeah, JRPG fandom is basically the worst fandom to get involved in. :v