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TUAW makes Jisho better, version 2.1.1 out now
The other week, we posted about Jisho, a Japanese to English translator for the Mac, and James, the developer, sent us another notice today that he's since updated to version 2.1.1. I can't find a changelist anywhere (and the site still says version 2.1) but James says there's a new intro splash screen, and an enhanced interface and accuracy. So if you grabbed it when we mentioned it last week, make sure to get the upgrade as well.He wants to personally thank you, the readers of TUAW, for helping him make his software better, and we must echo his sentiments-- you guys rock. We are nothing but proud to bring developers like James a great audience like you, thanks very much.
Jisho: Japanese to English translator for the Mac
I've watched as much anime as the next guy, but even I need a Japanese dictionary to figure out what those crazy robots are saying sometimes. Enter Jisho, a Japanese/English dictionary for Mac OS X 10.4 and higher. You can search in the Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana forms of Japanese, and also in English, German, Russian, and French, and it will translate not only the Japanese characters out for you (in a bright, clean interface), but the Romanization as well.And the latest version features a completely rewritten Romanization engine, as well as Kanji "zooming" and more OS X integration. If you ever need to regularly go from English to Japanese (or back again), Jisho's got what you need-- it's just $15 from Sugoisoft. And maybe you'll pick up enough to actually learn the language.
Snoopy teaches English, despite inability to speak out loud
Talk about overcoming adversity: Snoopy, the lovable beagle from Peanuts, is getting his own English training game in Japan, despite being a dog. And despite the fact that the comic from which spinoff products would spin off no longer exists. English Lessons With Snoopy isn't all learning words and phrases from a cartoon dog, however; the whole Peanuts gang, including chronically depressed Charlie Brown, anxiety-ridden Linus, and Lucy, who is just a jerk, will join in the learning fun. Who's more qualified to assist a dog in teaching language skills than five-year-olds?The main game, "Event Mode," involves touching everything in a scene to see its English spelling and pronunciation. As you explore, you'll trigger animated events within the scene. There is also a selection of English training minigames, and a number of unlockable non-training minigames, including slide puzzles and a Charlie Brown dress-up game. Surprisingly, his clothing choices are not limited to hundreds of identical yellow shirts.We are impressed by the size and breadth of the Japanese DS market. We still have yet to get one foreign-language program for the DS, and licensed cash-in language training games are already being released in Japan.
Blizzard's forum policy against foreign languages
This post on the official forums, like many others in languages that aren't English, got closed down. Why? Because it's a policy of Blizzard that they do not "offer foreign language support" on the forums (although, in looking through the Forums Guidelines, I can't see anything that officially says that). At any rate, the rule is no language but English on the official forums, and Timbal is sticking by that policy.And it's not just Spanish-- I've seen this come up on the EU forums as well, when someone posts in French or German. Why is Blizzard so opposed to players posting in their native language? Of course, as Timbal says, not everyone can know every language, but Timbal knew enough Spanish to realize the original thread (called "server latino") was asking for new realms. And this is 2007-- is it too much to ask for one Blizzard forums employee that speaks Spanish, or in the EU, French or German? They may not know enough to actually answer the questions in that language, but they should know enough to police players who are speaking in that language, maybe in a special foreign language section of the forum.Now, also according to forums policy (but also not listed in the "guidelines"), you're also not supposed to request new realms, so even if the thread was in English, it would have been closed anyway. And if someone speaking a foreign language is somehow being obscene, that doesn't belong on the forums either. But it's unfair for people who have legitimate questions or requests and want to posit them in their native language to be shut down by Blizzard automatically. Nine million people play this game, and it's very likely a large number of them don't speak English as their native language-- for Blizzard to completely ignore them on the forums is a poor decision.Update: Our terrific commenters point out that there are French, Spanish, and German forums for the EU servers. But the fact remains that Blizzard closes, without second thought, any thread started in a foreign language on the US servers.
More mallowy Marsh artwork
Even without knowing a single thing about Maya and Marsh, we would've fallen in love with the two companions anyway, just based on the character designs for Eigo wo Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh (Mysterious English-Eating Animal Marsh). "Love" is a strong word, you might say. Well, so are our feelings for Dimple Entertainment's pet-sim/English-trainer. We have some new art samples for the game in our gallery which you should really check out. The simple style is like a mix of Kurt Halsey romance and Kogepan charm; it's no wonder we can't resist it. So what if we'll never see this quirky title localized for the US? And who cares if its English isn't perfect? The minute we saw this scene of Marsh flopped next to its friend, Cocoa, our hearts were won over. %Gallery-5600%
TV-show-starring, plushie-appearing, and screenshot-posting Marsh
Our favorite English-eating creature, Marsh, promoted its upcoming DS game recently with a week-long series of five-minute TV segments in Japan. Sisters Manami, Kinuyo, and Mikako posed an English problem everyday which Marsh would then try to answer. These interstitials served partly as commercials and partly as educational pieces to help viewers memorize English.We would sell our souls to have one of those cute Marsh dolls that the sisters are posing with. We could probably make one of our own with a sharpie marker and a bag full of cotton balls, but, as we're sure all of you spoiled kids out there agree, it just wouldn't be the same! Don't look away! You know this to be true.Developer Dimple Entertainment has posted screenshots for the pet-simulation/English-trainer title which you can see in our gallery below. Eigo wo Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh (Mysterious English-Eating Animal Marsh) hits stores in Japan this September 27th.%Gallery-5600%
Marsh: The cutest game you'll ever import
Maya, 25 years old and a short-haired brunette, works as a waitress at a coffee shop. Single, she lives alone in her apartment, or at least, she used to live alone in her apartment before an adorable, English-eating creature came to stay with her -- that's English words, not English people. Maya named her new roommate Marsh, taking inspiration from its marshmallow color and fluffy consistency.Eigo wo Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh (Mysterious English-Eating Animal Marsh) plays like a cross between a virtual pet simulator and an educational game meant to strengthen English language skills. Using a series of menus to string words together, you can help Maya find out how Marsh is feeling, ask if Marsh wants to help clean the room, or enjoy other interactions with the mallowy critter. Should you decide to import the title when it arrives in Japan this September 27th, you won't have to worry much about any language barriers, as Maya insists on communicating with Marsh in English. We're in love with the artwork we've seen so far for the game, so much so that we're willing to overlook that almost everything seems to have been ported from Microvision's cell phone game. Check past the post break for a three-minute trailer. Doesn't your heart just melt when you see Marsh playing with the toy airplane?
Friday Video: Revenant Wings soars out of E3
Screenshot offerings were slim on the Revenant Wings front when it came to E3 media, but this trailer makes up for it, despite the lower quality. Obviously, we're Final Fantasy fans -- could you tell from the flood of FF-themed posts that occasionally inundates the site? -- but this game, along with Ring of Fates, is looking pretty good, even when we try not to be biased.Hey, speaking of, where was Ring of Fates? We could use some new media on that as well ....
English-speaking gamers can hunt witches, too
At least, we hope that the new English version of the Doki Doki Majo Shinpan site means we might see it in this part of the world sometime in the distant future. Though the site still only lists a Japanese date, there are at least two translated versions -- Chinese and this rough new English site -- so we'll keep our eyes peeled for any signs of a non-Japanese release. [Thanks, Ricardo!]%Gallery-3277%
The DS takes Kyoto, education style
Last fall, we wrote about a pilot program with the DS that was being tested in a secondary school in Japan. Eight months later, it seems that program bore fruit, because now it's being implemented in all the upper schools in the city of Yawata in Kyoto, Japan. Using Chuugaku Eitango Target 1800 DS markedly improved students' English vocabulary -- they showed increases that averaged at 40%. Now we want our language games just that much more.
English guide to Ouendan 2 menus
Among its other many virtues, Ouendan owed a lot of its overseas hype and success to its undaunting language barrier. Despite the menus and manga panels being filled with Japanese text, importers were able to follow the rhythm title's illustrated screwball plots and quickly pick up its self-explanatory controls. Ouendan's recently-released sequel, Moeru! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, likewise requires little-to-no familiarity with the Japanese language in order to enjoy the game.Even with these assurances though, there are still many import-shy gamers who hide behind their mothers' skirts at the sight of kanji characters. Fortunately for them, the Platformers has translated Ouendan 2's menu selections, providing a visual guide with an overlay of English text. Most of the buttons and icons are obvious, but having a quick reference like this would be useful for first-time importers. Now there's no excuse for avoiding the cheer squad!
Are we killing the language, or creating a new one?
As I've said before, we have a rule in our guild prohibiting leet speak and excessive abbreviation in guild chat. That being said, I've thought a lot about the use of abbreviations in WoW and how they are affecting the language. This might come from my days as an English teacher, but I think of the language as a fluid, breathing thing. The formality that people used when speaking 100 years ago doesn't exist now, and I doubt we would ever hear in game "pardon me, good sir, could you wait a moment?" instead of "one sec AFK" unless we were on an RP server or feeling particularly silly.
Using World of Warcraft to teach English
There's a story on Gamasutra today about using games, specifically WoW, as a way of exposing Asian youth to English. As an author of English-language textbooks for students in Japan and Taiwan, this particularly caught my attention. I'll let you go read the article to understand what's been done, but I'd like to share some thoughts here on the subject. First and foremost, I think that using a game like WoW to teach casual, conversational English is a fantastic idea. With in-game chat, as well as Teamspeak/Ventrilo, you can really expose non-native speakers to the language in all its forms. Granted, you're not going to learn high-level business English, but you are going to be able to come away with a grasp of the language and some of its conversational nuances. I also firmly believe that language is not as severe a barrier in WoW as it may be in other games. I know that many of us have come across a member of the opposite faction, and have been able to communicate through emotes or movements, or even through how we interact with the mobs in the situation. With less of a barrier to communication from the get-go, there's less of an intimidation factor involved for someone who wants to get something across. However, through my experience, I've definitely seen some roadblocks to using WoW as an educational tool. I think it may be less prevalent on the European servers (please let me know if this is so, or I have a misperception), but on the North American servers I've played on, there seems to be a solid amount of intolerance for people who can't perfectly communicate in English. A lot of this may stem from gold farmers who don't speak the language, but there are also French and Spanish speaking players on these realms who may have had to endure a certain amount of ridicule before finding acceptance in a given guild. My question to the WoW Insider community is this - if you were aware that your server was being used for cross-cultural and cross-lingual training, would you accept this and would you put forth the time and energy to help non-English speakers be a part of your guild or your party and learn the language? If not, why not?
Laws in translation: Playable, English Wright demo
English-speaking fans of the Phoenix Wright series got a bit of bad news when they heard the Japanese version of the upcoming fourth installment would not feature native English-language support, as previous releases have. Capcom added insult to injury with a tantalizing web demo of the game that is similarly Japanese-only. Oh, how those foreigners love to taunt us and our lack of multilingual skills!Fear not, though -- a band of intrepid Wright fans over at court-records.net have taken the case, translating the demo bit by bit and posting the results for the English-speaking world to play. The translation only goes a few minutes deep so far, but you can follow along with the progress on the project blog. This is probably as close as most of us will get to enjoying more Wright until the likely localization is released months from now, so enjoy it while it lasts.[Via DSFanboy]
Gyakuten Saiban 4 hates English speakers
Previous Japanese incarnations of our beloved Gyakuten Saiban series, a.k.a. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a.k.a. the greatest courtroom drama in the history of mankind, have included an English language option for those who wanted to get their fix early. In fact, savvy importers were able to play the superlative Phoenix Wright 2: Justice For All back in October, months before their blissfully ignorant counterparts.Alas, it appears that the next installment of the series, Gyakuten Saiban 4, will not contain an English language option for importers. However, we would like to note that GS4, though the third title in the series to be released on the DS in Japan, is precluded by the currently GBA-only Gyakuten Saiban 3, which has not yet been localized in any form. According to preliminary reports, the storylines of GS3 and GS4 are not directly related (GS4 doesn't even star our man Phoenix), but you never know with those crafty writers.For people not completely obsessed with Phoenix Wright, please rip out your own colon please ignore the above paragraph and simply know that you won't be able to import GS4 from Japan.>.>[Via Siliconera]
More English Training helps you order a cheeseburger
The sequel to English Training: Have Fun Improving Your Skills -- also known as Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Zuke in Japan -- has a new commercial demonstrating its usefulness. The television spot shows a Japanese woman attempting to order lunch at an American fast food restaurant, only to find her effort stymied by the language barrier. The resulting burger is enough to leave everyone's mouths agape.Set to hit Japanese stores later this week, More English Training is filled to the brim with over 400 "conversation situations" that will help users with everyday tasks like phone calls and customer/clerk dialogue. As the non-game's lighthearted commercial can attest, a little training can go a long way in making sure that your cheeseburger doesn't have any avocado in it.
Smallbone remote controlled cabinet lock fends off hungry invaders
Chances are fairly high that you've perused the foodstuff located in your pal's cupboards a time or two whilst hanging out at his / her domicile, but if you've swiped a few too many precious cookies in your day, the next bash could leave you high and dry. Giving stocked cabinet owners a right to maintain their non-perishable goods when dozens of roaming individuals are scouting out free food, Smallbone of Devizes is offering up a remote-controlled cabinet lock to keep that Cheetos stockpile away from grubby hands. The system installs a steel prong within the cupboard doors that can be automatically locked and unlocked in much the same fashion as a keyless entry system on modern vehicles, and aside from a general lock / unlock all function, it can be programmed to work with multiple receivers for selective locking in case you're willing to give your contracted chef unadulterated access to the Ginsu drawer. Still, the confines of your kitchen cabinets better hold some seriously valuable delicacies, as each installed lock will run you just about $650 on new Smallbone cabinetry.[Via ShinyShiny]
Japanese are getting more English training on the DS
The Japanese must love their English Training titles as the region is set to be given yet another DS game focused at doing just that: training the public how to read and speak English.The previous installment, Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training Eigo Zuke (translates into DS Training For Adults Who Aren't Good at English: English Language Trainer), was one of the region's most successful "non-games," warranting a sequel (natch).The sequel will come, bursting at the seams, with over 400 conversation situations (phone calls and customer/clerk dialogue) and even accent variations to help the user in a more practical sense. Dubbed Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training Motto Eigo Zuke, the sequel will release to the Japanese public on March 29th.
Fan-translation of Kojima's Policenauts nears completion
While most American gamers know Hideo Kojima as the man behind the blockbuster Metal Gear Solid franchise, the two games he worked on before breaking out with MGS are considered forgotten masterpieces. One, Snatcher, saw a limited U.S. release on the ill-fated Sega CD. The other, Policenauts, has never been available in English. That seems poised to change, though, as Kojima fan-site Junker HQ has just announced the completion of a five-year project to translate the game's text. Only some technical work remains before the translation is released as a patch on the newly relaunched policenauts.net, currently targeted for the second half of 2007. Theoretically, the patch will require a CD-R, an official Japanese version of the game and a modded PlayStation to work, but emulator-compatible ISOs are sure to leak out for the less scrupulous among us. While you wait, check out the game's Wikipedia entry to get some idea of what made the game so special. [Via MetalGearsolid.org]
Casio electronic dictionary / translator talks back, recognizes handwriting
While we English speaking folk may prefer our pocket translators to start in English and convert to some other foreign tongue, Casio's latest rendition helps those fluent in Japanese order tickets to the Space Needle, haggle at the Chevrolet dealership, and of course, pick up the correct ingredients for warm apple pie. Aimed at middle / high school students, the XD-SW4800 lineup of handheld dictionaries reportedly house the denotation and correct pronunciation for over "85,000 languages," which ironically enough, probably translates to "85,000 words" when not read through a broken translator. Nevertheless, these handy gizmos come in a variety of colors, and aside from supporting keyboard input, it can recognize stylus-written characters and toss back definitions while pronouncing the word to you via headphones. If America isn't your final destination, it also comes with five other major languages on CD that can be loaded on the 50MB of internal space or on your SD card if necessary, and while these things won't last forever, the approximate 60 to 130 hours of battery life should be more than enough to get you acclimated. So while you're waiting for your passport to show up, make sure you pick up Casio's latest travel necessity -- if you can manage the admittedly steep ¥47,250 ($394) to ¥52,500 ($437) price points, that is.[Via Impress]
