localization
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Perfect World continues Southeast Asia business expansion
When "online gaming" and "Asia" are mentioned in the same sentence, it's a safe bet that either Korea or China are going to be mentioned. But the countries of Southeast Asia are also hotbeds of MMORPG fandom, a fact that's not lost on game companies operating elsewhere in the continent. Chinese game publisher Perfect World has struck a deal that will allow for greater expansion into Southeast Asia. The licensing agreement has been made with Malaysian online game operator Cubinet, which will bring Perfect World's title Chi Bi to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Cubinet will handle the localization of Chi Bi for the various Southeast Asian gaming markets, offering the game in Chinese, English, Vietnamese, and Thai. Chi Bi is a fantasy MMORPG based on the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The title's introduction to the SE Asian markets follows Perfect World II, Legend of Martial Arts, and Zhu Xian, and marks another potentially lucrative pairing between Perfect World and Cubinet.
Apple working on an "iSight HD"?
According to a recent MacRumors posting, Apple might be working on a "next generation" high definition iSight camera. This comes after a reference in the localization strings file for QuickTime shows "iSight HD" as one of the import devices. You can see the localization strings for "iSight HD" by opening the following file in either QuickLook (space bar) or by opening it in TextEdit: /System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/Localizable.strings Once you have the file opened, you can clearly see where Apple has placed the following bit of code: /* Next Generation USB iSight */"iSight HD" = "iSight HD";We should note that while this code has been found, it doesn't necessarily mean that Apple will release a new iSight product, but this does give us hope. [via World of Apple]
Case Closed: The Unexpected Localization
Here's a slightly random announcement: this September, those of us not in Japan will be treated to a Detective Conan (or, as it's known outside Japan, Case Closed) game, after publisher Nobilis snagged the rights to publish Marvelous' Meitantei Conan: Tsuioku no Gensou "all over the world."Case Closed: The Mirapolis Investigation will see pint-sized manga detective and bespectacled, precocious sod Jimmy Kudo return to locate clues, attend crime scenes, collect evidence, and tackle mini-games. His aim? To finally catch a shadowy figure who crashes the opening of a new theme park with a series of crimes.Truth be told, this is one for the kids (much like the Japan-only DS game), but Nobilis is doing what it can to keep the hardcore fans happy: the original Japanese anime voices, for example, will remain intact. Grab your magnifying glass and sleuth your way past the break for both a TV spot and trailer for the Japanese version.
Don't expect Spectral Force Genesis from NIS America
During his interview with NIS America president Haru Akenaga, Spencer Yip made a point to inquire about the company's plans for many specific games, including those from companies with whom NIS has worked in the past. Spectral Force Genesis, the new SRPG from Idea Factory, came up. With unexpected candor, Akenaga confirmed that a localization of that or any Idea Factory title was unlikely:"We have a relationship with them, but unfortunately our mission is to release quality titles. Their titles are good, but not good as we expected. That's our reason. They always ask us to localize their titles, but at this moment we answer with 'we're sorry'."Atlus, Mastiff, O3 (who did the amazing localization of Idea Factory's Chaos Wars) and other small publishers are still a possibility, but NIS definitely doesn't have interest in working with the company. Which is good, because that particular bridge is pretty well toasted.
Wii Warm Up: Do you want Resident Evil Zero localized?
We were talking about Capcom and the Japan-exclusive Wii port of Resident Evil Zero yesterday, so we figured the question is valid. Sure, we all would like to see Capcom's newest entry in the series, Resident Evil 5, ported to the Wii, but what about this GameCube remake?Do you want the game localized to your region? Big Resident Evil fan? We are, so we're usually quick to pick up a title even if it just has a new coat of paint on it. What say you all?
Apparently, Capcom is bored of making money
That's right: we've finally turned to lolgoats. We hope you appreciate this new direction.Anyway, any meager hopes we might have harbored for a western localization of Resident Evil Zero have just had the last gasps of air stamped emphatically from their shriveled lungs by Capcom's Christian Svensson. Writing on the company's message boards, Svensson stated that Capcom's U.S. arm had been "asked twice if we've wanted to bring it Westward and twice we've declined." Ouch, Christian. He did concede that "nothing is ever final," but surely Zero would have to tear up the Japanese sales charts to stand a chance of being localized.Although we're not exactly devastated by the news -- the GameCube edition is cheaply and widely available on eBay, and is pretty much the same game, sans Wiimote controls -- we are surprised. Didn't the Wii port of Resident Evil 4 rake in an obscene fortune for Capcom? Why, yes it did.[Via Go Nintendo]
Third time is finally a charm
We've got our hands on some kind of confirmation (after a scare) that Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations is actually coming to Europe. Despite bunging it up just a little bit, fans of the series still wanted to wait around for the conclusion of the original trilogy -- before enjoying the adventures of a new young hotshot attorney with everything to prove.In an official Nintendo interview, producer Minae Matsukawa stated outright that the team is "in the middle of localizing it right now." It's playable, and they just need to make some final adjustments on the text. After that, it should be all systems go for Europe, in multiple languages.The only problem? Still no release date, which is all kinds of suck. Non-English-speaking fans will have to put up with the wait just a little longer, while all others might be better off shopping around online. Then again, if you go through those channels, you've probably done it already. Good for you!%Gallery-3478%[Via Aussie-Nintendo]
Etrian Odyssey localization lead on 'The Naming of Stuff'
Nich Maragos, localization product lead for Etrian Odyssey 2 (and Gaming Intelligence Agency alum), has taken us inside the English naming process for Etrian's characters and items in a new Production Diary post. Like classic RPGs, Etrian has an 8-character restriction on all monster, character, and item names. This isn't so much of a problem in Japanese, in which a single kanji can express a very complicated concept, but in our phonetic writing system, it's a bit more of a restriction.This means that not only is Maragos and his team encouraged to be a bit creative with English names, they are required to be creative. They have to condense concepts like Fundo No Gankou-Nushi "Owner of the Malicious Glare" into something that can fit into eight characters: in this case, "Illgaze."A lot of work goes into translating text-rich RPGs like this. Mythological references, in particular, are trouble, as some random Japanese word could actually be a transliterated Old Norse name.
Nanashi no Game getting localized outside Japan?
Spencer over at Siliconera has stumbled onto something interesting. A trademark by Square Enix for "Last Hope," he deduced that the long line of Dragon Quest remakes has been depleted, so what else could this possibly be for? Well, he's wondering if it's not Nanashi no Game and we're hoping he's right.Of course, this could all just be completely and utterly wrong, so we won't place any kind of verdict (not that we're qualified to, anyway), but know that we're hoping this game gets a release here in the States. How about you all? What do you think?%Gallery-21570%
New agreement locks in Polish version of AoC
No, not a polished version, although we hope for that too. Poland will be getting a fully localized version of Age of Conan under a new agreement with developer and distributor CD Projekt. The game's text and voice, website, in-game support and communities will be looked after by CD Projekt, with Funcom still overseeing the other parts of the game. Funcom's baby will be in safe hands with CD Projekt, as they have localized countless hit games over the last decade or so, and are also the developer behind the recent critically acclaimed PC RPG The Witcher. The Polish AoC is expected to be released in the second half of this year.
Nintendo Power: FFIV DS coming in July
Misdirection isn't just for magicians anymore ... apparently Nintendo Power practices it too. While everyone was focused on the hints of a U.S. localized Final Fantasy IV DS in the magazine's ten-page cover feature on the game, no one seemed to notice that the game was listed with a "July" release date in that same issue's "Game Watch Forecast."Well, no one except RPGFan.com, which then in turn got noticed by our own DSFanboy, which in turn got noticed by us so you fine readers can notice it for yourselves. This could just be a typo on Nintendo's part, but more likely it's a slip-up that reveals a release window a little earlier than Square-Enix would have liked. Either way, just another pebble on the growing mound of evidence that a localized version is coming.
Final Fantasy IV coming to North America ... maybe
Role-playing fans can slip on their dancing shoes and party like it's 1991. A new interview with Final Fantasy IV director Takashi Tokita in the latest Nintendo Power seems to point to the game's recent DS remake being localized for North American audiences. Oh sure, he doesn't come right out and confirm the localization -- where's the drama in that? -- but given that the article comes peppered with English language screens and the game itself is featured on the cover, we're certainly leaning towards believing that the RPG will soon be getting some domestic love.Tokita also toys with our emotions, speaking to the possibility of a remake of SNES RPG classic Chrono Trigger provided "the demand is great enough." Though like coming down hard off a caffeine high, he sends us crashing back down to earth by adding that he really wants to "create new titles and not just series installments and remakes." Yours is a cruel love, mon cher.[Via DS Fanboy]
WoW to be localized for Latin America
Blizzard has announced that World of Warcraft will soon be fully localized for Latin America. The new Latin American version of the game "will be based on the existing European Spanish version but will feature entirely re-recorded in-game speech." There will also be Latin American region servers. Latin American players as well as Spanish-speakers in the U.S. and Canada who have been playing on the North American realms will be offered character transfer opportunities.The Latin American region doesn't normally get its own official game servers even with huge releases, but as well all know, WoW is a groundbreaking global phenomenon. Adding support for this new region will expand upon its already colossal subscriber numbers.Oh, and Blizzard is hiring a whole new customer service team to offer 24/7 support for the region, so if you want to work for Blizzard y si usted habla español, this is your window of opportunity! Buena suerte! [Via WoW Insider]
In Russia, World of Warcraft page visits you!
Blizzard has released the Russian World of Warcraft webpage over at their European site. I can't read a darn thing on it, so I'm forced to rely on other's translations of it, and some good old Google Translator action on the press release. A couple interesting things. First, they'll be releasing the fully localized version of Russian WoW in a few months. The second interesting thing is that they're actually looking for some people fluent in Russian to work for them, and this is a good thing since the Russian version of the site isn't nearly as complete as other language's versions of the site. Finally, ignore the translator error given by Google: "Our list of frequently asked questions concerning the withdrawal of Russian version of World of Warcraft." There is no withdrawal, there will be a Russian WoW.The Russian version of WoW was announced back on December 10th, 2007. It's good to see that Blizzard is continuing the localization of the game. Many international users are forced to either play on the plethora of European servers or come play on the United States servers. This can be a difficult thing, in that the distance between the realm server and the player's computer is so great that very large and unruly ping times often result. This is not a good thing if you're trying to have any sort of skillful game playing.All and all a nice little present for our Russian friends.
Square Enix aiming for simultaneous game releases
One thing that we constantly gripe about is localization. There are many games that we'll never see translated, and the ones that do make it over often take (what seems like) forever. Our mothers always told us that patience is a virtue, but as far as we're concerned, patience can take a hike. Maybe we're natural born whiners, or maybe companies like Square Enix just like to torture us by releasing games in Japan so much earlier than they do in rest of the world. Take, for example, Final Fantasy IV and Dragon Quest IV, which have been out in Japan for months and not even announced for localization. We also have The World Ends With You, which is coming to America and Europe in April, although it was released in Japan last July. It's understandable because most Squeenix games are text-heavy RPGs, but it's still not fun to wait, nonetheless.The company is trying to cut down on its localization times, however, and Square Enix's president Yoichi Wada is aiming for simultaneous worldwide releases. In fact, he said that the company would be "making simultaneous releases the norm." While it's hard for us not to laugh out loud and praise Wada for making such a funny joke, we think he's actually serious.Does that mean it will happen? Probably not. But we appreciate any effort by the company to shorten the waiting time for those of us who don't live in Japan.[Via NeoGAF]
DS Daily: Localization blues
One great thing about the DS is that it's region-free. Without region locks to worry about, we can import games to our heart's content. However, there's also the little, teeny weeny issue of language.It's always a bummer when the only thing stopping us from playing games we covet is our inability to read Japanese. Yet, are we just "the grass is always greener" kind of folks, or are there some DS games out there that you're hoping to see localized, too?If so, which games top your list?
Valkyrie of the Battlefield gets western release
So we've previously said we were going to cry if we didn't hear a US release announcement for Valkyrie of the Battlefield: Gallian Chronicles; fortunately for us, and for you all as well, we won't have to break out the tears because both SEGA America and SEGA Europe are making our wish come true by bringing the game over to the west. Announced and renamed for the west as Valkyria Chronicles, this PS3-exclusive should be coming our way by autumn 2008. For the uninitiated, Valkyria Chronicles is a strategy RPG that incorporates the "BLiTZ" battle system. "BLiTZ" takes a unique twist on the traditional turn-based system by injecting bits of real-time movement and actions. As much of a paradox as that may sound, it really does makes sense once you see it in action. The game's gorgeous imagery is probably what gamers have noticed most about the game; the artistic style is brought out by SEGA's CANVAS engine which is said to take full advantage of the PS3's processing capabilities. The game is set in a fictional world, and follows the story of a soldier named Welkin. The major conflict is a familiar backdrop with two huge forces waging war: "The Empire" and "The Federation." A smaller neutral country named Gallia, has the most unfortunate position of being right in between these two huge factions. What will happen as a result of this? We don't know, but we're certainly curious. Be assured, we'll be keeping a close watch on this one.
Knock comrade and enter
Turbine announced today that The Lord of the Rings Online, already available in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, will soon be available in Russia and Eastern Europe. This is something they hinted at in last week's dev chat and will be part of a larger roll out of the game into new territories this year including the previously announced partnership in Korea. LotRO Russia will be handled by Moscow based IT Territory which develops its own games as well as publishes titles from other companies.
The localization of Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Gamasutra has an excellent interview up with Tim O'Leary, the man who heads Nintendo's North American localization team, and who helped prepare Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for the U.S. market.O'Leary reveals how feedback from western gamers was a major influence on the new direction taken by Days of Ruin, and describes the various thought processes behind the game's art direction and characters. This leads into a wider discussion regarding the art of localizing games to match different cultural sensibilities, with O'Leary using the likes of Animal Crossing on the GameCube and the Pokémon games as examples.Finally, there's also quite a lot of talk about the inner workings of the Treehouse, the name given to the Nintendo U.S. localization division. Turns out that the localization of Nintendo games is one hell of an intricate process, with every last pixel scrutinized so that it makes perfect cultural sense. All in all, it's a fascinating read, so hit the link below!
People of Europe to receive improved faces in Q2?
Remember Otona no DS Kao Training? Non-game. Free camera. Facening. Well, the folks at French site JeuxActu are just absolutely goshdarn convinced that Intelligent Systems' face training non-game is packing its bags and heading to Europe during Q2 this year.As Nintendo has yet to pass official comment on this, we're cautiously treating this as rumor for now, but the incessant popularity of training games in Europe makes us think there could be some truth in the speculation. If it does turn out to be correct, it also means Europeans will be getting that rather dinky camera add-on. As well as having totally awesome faces.
