localization
Latest
Black Desert's English client is being worked on by Pearl Abyss
Are you eagerly anticipating a release of Black Desert in the west despite the lack of an official publisher or anything similar? There's good news to be had if you're one of the hopeful. Apparently an English client is being worked on by developer Pearl Abyss, reinforcing earlier statements by the company that success and release in the US is very important to the game's long-term viability. The preview screenshots for this client still aren't complete, but it's clear that the game is taking some serious steps towards localization for a non-Korean audience. A global simultaneous launch is unlikely, of course, but if the client is already localized that clears a major hurdle for the game's release prospects. It's not a deal with an existing publisher, but lately that may not have been so reassuring to fans after all. [Thanks to WNxArcticwolf for the tip!]
Lime Odyssey to shut down in Korea... again
Lime Odyssey apparently cannot catch a break. The game's English version has been leading up to a launch that hasn't happened for more than a year now, with no updates on when that might take place. Last March, the game's Korean client was shut down. Then the game underwent a revival, and now... it's being shut down in Korea again, apparently due to financial issues. What does this mean for the game's English version? That's unclear, although official statements seem to indicate that Aeria Games plans to release the English version after the launch of Aura Kingdom. Whether or not that release will come to pass remains to be seen, but based on the game's history to date odds are not favorable. Our condolences to the players and developers affected by this shutdown.
Hartsman: ArcheAge getting substantial progression and economic tweaks
Well, there's good news and bad news with regard to ArcheAge's western release. And I know you, you want the bad news first, right? Well, here it is: the game's still quite a ways off. Trion hasn't said as much, but if you read between the lines of CEO Scott Hartsman's latest interview, it's hard to come away with any other impression. Hartsman spoke with fansite ArcheAge Source, and he said that "XL can only work on so many things at a time while they strive to constantly improve their live Korean service." This means that ArcheAge's partnered launches outside of Korea are worked on "serially," and the western release is a couple of spots down in the pecking order. The one piece of good news there is that the western release will benefit from all of the stuff XL has learned from launching the game in other markets. Hartsman also mentions substantial progression and economy improvements that will find their way into the sandpark game before it reaches western shores. "The economic game of ArcheAge is a big part of what attracted a lot of us to this game," he said. "XL will be implementing improved balance between crafting, farming, and trade, [with] the goal being to promote a more vibrant economic game that produces more valuable and more frequently used items than what the original version launched with." [Thanks to all our tipsters!]
RIFT shutting down in Russia [Updated]
The last rift has closed for Russia's version of RIFT. An announcement has been sent to the players of the game that (roughly translated) claims that the game will have to be shut down due to Trion Worlds' refusal to continue supporting the localized version. That shutdown will happen... well, today. So if you play on the game's Russian servers, we really hope you didn't have any major plans for the evening. Belver Online, the company responsible for the localized version, is offering former players compensation in the other online games it operates. Russia's version of RIFT had continued to operate on a subscription-based model for several months, with several Russian players migrating to Trion's European servers out of a desire to play the game's free version. There are no plans for Trion to produce a Russian-localized client of its own. Our condolences to players affected by the shutdown. [Update 6:00 p.m. EDT] - Trion contacted Massively to provide an official statement. We, too, are saddened by the shut down of RIFT in Russia, which was announced in September. In trying to effect the smoothest transition possible, we kept the service running well beyond the October 10th sunset period to make sure as many customers as possible would be taken care of. When a partner began charging its users nearly $100 each in unauthorized "transfer fees" as well as subscriptions that extended beyond the time they knew the servers were going to be closed, we can confirm that we did have to end the extended sunset period. We've successfully transferred over thousands of Russian players and will continue to help any others who want to continue playing on the Trion servers. Anyone who was previously on a Russian server and was impacted by this shutdown can reach out to our customer service team and we will assist in any way we can to get them in back into RIFT as quickly as possible. And it won't cost $100. [Thanks to Fredelas for the tip!]
Forsaken World adds its first new class since launch
New classes are kind of a big deal, especially as a game goes for a longer time without adding new ones. The longer the gap between new classes, the more time players have to get used to the existing balance and get thrown off by a new addition. So Forsaken World's new class is going to shake up the game's structure pretty thoroughly, as the game has had the same core lineup since it first launched. The new class is dubbed Blood Reaper (possibly not the final translated name) and focuses upon crowd-control. It's exclusive to the Lycan race and appears to be part of the game's next major expansion, which will also increase the game's level cap to 90. Given Perfect World Entertainment's track record, it shouldn't be a significant delay before Western players can begin exploring this new addition to the game.
Dragon Nest Europe gets an Academic update
Games have some strange ideas about what certain professions entail at times. You've probably known a lot of academics in your life, and few if any of them carry enormous guns and hit things with wrenches. But the Academic class in Dragon Nest does precisely that. This new class has just been added to the game's European version, patched in alongside a major localization update that allows the game to be played in full German or French versions. Assuming you speak neither of those languages, the big update is the new class. Academics can damage dealers or healers, with a specialization coming at level 15; Alchemists focus on support while Engineers deal out exceptional amounts of damage. The class also features a choice between cannons and bubble guns for damage, with the former hitting hard but slowly while the latter is quick but weak. It should be an interesting addition for EU players, although it still raises the question of what's so academic about shooting people. [Source: gamigo press release]
Final Fantasy Agito localization will 'definitely happen'
Mobile RPG Final Fantasy Agito will be localized, Square Enix recently revealed. Speaking with USGamer at the Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix's Hajime Tabata said the game "will definitely be localized." He quickly clarified that while the game will be translated to other languages, that doesn't guarantee its release in North America. A trademark for Final Fantasy Agito was recently filed in Europe, so some hope for a full localization exists. Final Fantasy Agito will launch as a free-to-play iOS and Android game in Japan this Winter. The game is set in the world realized by Final Fantasy Type-0, a Japan-exclusive PSP game, and offers equipment obtained via microtransactions.
Report: Xbox One regional delays due to Kinect localization issues
The Xbox One launch was delayed to 2014 in eight territories – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland – but it wasn't because of a "volume issue," Microsoft Senior Director of Product Management and Planning Albert Penello told OXM. The delay came down to localization with the new Kinect, the site reported. "People assume there's a volume issue which in fact there isn't," Penello said. "You're actually seeing pre-orders pop back up now because we're able allocate the countries' volumes back in. It's there; the problem is localization. And once people see the system and how integral it is – it's not just text integration." The new Kinect doesn't work like the Xbox 360 Kinect, and its new features make localization more difficult, Penello said. "I think people are using the way [voice] works on Xbox 360, which was an accessory we built five years after release, as how it's going to work here," he said. "But it's so much more elegant and so much more integrated, and in many ways it's a lot faster and more convenient, whereas on Xbox 360 it's a lesser version of doing the thing you're used to doing on your controller." The Xbox One will launch as scheduled this November in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the UK, the US and New Zealand.
ArcheAge gives import progress report
Wondering what's going on with ArcheAge and when-oh-when will we ever see it in North America and Europe? While Trion Worlds is still being cagey with its time frame, CM James Nichols gave a progress report to give us some info as to what the team is doing. Nichols reported that the team is tackling several hurdles, including connecting the game to Trion's billing system, setting up the server architecture, and translating over a million words for those of us that don't speak Korean. He said that players should expect any changes to the Korean version to be "very minimal," so players shouldn't expect huge new features or differences. He urged patience for those looking to beta test ArcheAge: "We're just as excited to get to the point where we can invite external testers, but expect the closed testing period to last at least a few months." [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Three quirky Japanese imports coming to PS Vita
PS Vita owners can look forward to a trio of new localizations bringing fresh weirdness to their handhelds. Up first is Holy Sorcery Story, a dungeon crawler and roguelike focused on curry preparation, due later this year in North America from developer Compile Heart. Aksys announced the localization during Anime Expo (via Siliconera) on Saturday, revealing Compile's game will be released here under the title Sorcery Saga: The Curse of the Great Curry God. The other two localizations are coming courtesy of NIS America, which announced early 2014 launches for Demon Gaze and DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc in both North America and Europe, Kotaku reports. Demon Gaze is a quirky RPG about Oz, a vagabond with a magical eye that can be used to capture demons. The even more bizarre DanganRonpa is about a black-and-white mystical bear named Monokuma, who traps kids in their school and won't let them leave unless they "graduate" by committing a murder. And to think, our parents complain about what their high school was like.
Report: Tales of Xillia 2 coming to NA and EU in 2014 [Update]
Tales of Xillia 2 will come to Europe in 2014, Namco Bandai reportedly announced at the Japan Expo in France. A Namco Bandai representative told Gematsu that the game will also see a North American release in 2014. The game first launched on PlayStation 3 in November 2012 in Japan. Its predecessor, Tales of Xillia, is still on its way west too, as its English-localized version is slated to appear in North America on August 6 after it first launched in Japan in September 2011. We've reached out to Namco Bandai to confirm Tales of Xillia 2's 2014 localization ourselves, and will update as we learn more. Update: The official Tales Facebook page notes that Tales of Xillia 2 is coming to the west.
PlanetSide 2 launches in China to surprising numbers
Bringing a game to another nation always prompts certain questions. There's no way to be sure a title that makes perfect sense in the US will hit upon the same level of success when it launches in China. And in the case of PlanetSide 2, that's exactly what's happened. John Smedley tweeted earlier today that the launch in China is not going as well as it did in the US -- it's going significantly better. Smedley's tweet claims that the game is already seeing bigger numbers than it has in the US after only eight hours of launch, although what exactly those numbers are isn't specified. Whether this is a result of a serious hole in the shooter market in China compared to the US or just a matter of marketing is up for debate, but it seems that both Sony Online Entertainment and The9 made a good call to bring the shooter over.
Sony to begin manufacturing PlayStation 3 units in Brazil
Sony has announced plans to build PlayStation 3 systems locally in Brazil. The consoles will be manufactured in Manaus by Sony Brasil Ltda., with the 250 GB version costing 1,099 Reals. Major upcoming games The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto 5 are getting localized releases in Brazilian Portuguese as well. A PlayStation 3 bundle featuring God of War: Ascension will hit stores in the region as part of the "Viva Em Estado Play" ("Living in a State of Play") marketing program in South America. Sony says it's committed to investing in the local gaming development industry in Brazil, and Sony President Andrew House claims the manufacturing setup will "infuse the Brazilian economy with approximately $300 million over the next 12 months." As one more gesture of goodwill, the first ten consoles manufactured in Brazil will be given away to local gamers.
Mother 3 translator offers localized files to Nintendo for free
With the recent announcement that Earthbound will be making its way to Nintendo's Virtual Console service, confirming that the publisher hasn't totally forgotten about the series, Mother 3 translator Clyde Mandelin saw an opportunity to extend an offer to Nintendo. Mandelin recently took to the Mother 3 fan translation blog to express his interest in seeing the Game Boy Advance game officially localized for North American audiences."I realize that localizing a game this size can cost a lot, so if it'll help in even the slightest, I'll gladly offer to let Nintendo use my text translation files for any use at all, completely for free," Mandelin wrote. "I'll even edit the files to fit whatever new standards are necessary (content, formatting, memory size, etc.), completely for free. I'll even retranslate everything from scratch if need be. Just whatever it takes to get an official release out."Mandelin, along with a team of devout Mother 3 fans, launched a patch for the game in 2008 that translates the entire Earthbound sequel to English. Mother 3 was originally developed by Brownie Brown, a Nintendo subsidiary now known as 1-Up Studio."In the end, if localizing Mother 3 should ever come up in a Nintendo business meeting or whatever and someone brings up budget concerns or it costing too much, my hope is that someone will at least mention this offer too, even if it isn't accepted," he added.
Apple opens Chinese support forums, asks devs to localize apps
In another move to capture consumers in the world's largest market, Apple has opened a Chinese language version of its Apple Support Community forums. First noticed by AppleInsider, the forum's Chinese speakers help each other in their own native language. AppleInsider notes that the forum posts are sparse as of now, but that's to be expected when a forum is only a few days old. Apple also sent letters to developers this week, asking them to localize their apps in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish and Arabic. Apple told developers that greater localization could have a positive influence on sales. Apple also asked developers to advertise the fact that their apps are localized.
Age of Wushu gets a UI and localization overhaul
North American players and fans of Age of Wushu are in for a treat. In response to player feedback from the closed betas, the development team has been working on a major overhaul of the game's localization and UI. The localization and UI changes are among the updates that kept the game from its original February launch date, but Snail Games is placing more emphasis on a smooth experience at launch than pushing the game out the door as quickly as possible. These updates are in their final testing stages and will make their way into the ongoing beta soon. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Nintendo to help Japanese companies bring their 3DS games West
In order to boost the number of new games coming to the 3DS, Nintendo plans to work with Japanese third parties to bring their games to the North American and European markets. "Among those third-party titles both developed and published in Japan, there have been some games which Nintendo published in Europe, including the Professor Layton series," president Satoru Iwata explained in a presentation today. "We will increase the number of such games for the U.S. market as well as in Europe. We are also willing to flexibly assist third-party developers in distributing their valuable games overseas." In other words, Nintendo will outright publish more games from other companies, and assist in the distribution of others.It's a simple plan, one that could result in the localization of games that third party publishers would find too expensive to localize and market on their own. Ideally, this would involve games like Bravely Default and Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney; Nintendo's generally reliable curation means we're still safe from humiliating cheesecake ninja game Senran Kagura.
Google adds localized screen shots and video to Play store
Devs have been able to localize their apps and the text that accompanies them in the Google Play store for sometime. But until recently they've had to recycle the same images and video content regardless of country. That's finally changed, and developers can customize everything from the lead graphic to the icon and even swap in different YouTube clips when localizing listings for one of Google's 49 supported languages. That means graphics can be customized for local holidays and video demos won't need to rely on YouTube's subtitles for translation. For more check out the source link.
Harada is pretty confident he can get Project X Zone localized
Katsuhiro Harada, producer extraordinaire of the Tekken series, is pressing Namco Bandai to localize Project X Zone, the SRPG 3DS collaboration among Capcom, Sega and Namco Bandai, set to launch in Japan on October 11.Harada is not only pressing Namco Bandai for a localization – he seems to think he can get the deed done."I proposed localization of Project X Zone," Harada tweets. He follows that announcement with, "Not decided yet, but It will be realized if I continue proposing."Everyone likes a man with confidence.
Motorola trying to patent smart ads in navigation apps
There are few places left in this world safe from advertising. Your apps have em, your train is plastered with them (inside and out), even your premium video subscription service pelts you with sales pitches. So, why should getting from one place to another be any different? Motorola (and, we suppose by extension, Google) doesn't see any reason it shouldn't feed you ads while you're navigating about, using your phone's turn-by-turn directions app. Of course, all these ads would be tailored specifically to your tastes and locale. Obviously, there might be something to the idea of popping up small and unobtrusive alerts for nearby businesses -- maybe even ones you didn't known existed. But, when you're trying to navigate a busy roundabout or a confusing set of on-ramps (we're looking at you, New Jersey), perhaps it's best not to crowd your vision with popups for Mabel's MuumuuMart.
