delayed games/regional language versions. • Gaming • General Gaming • Eurogamer.net

clapton-is-God 26 Nov 2002 00:25:54 47 posts
Registered 20 years ago

i've visited quite a few european(forums)and have noticed that a lot of gamers would prefer games released in english language versions, than wait weeks> months for local language versions. especially when it comes to console games, nintendo and sony being the worst for releasing games after they come out in the states.
why not release limited amounts of pal/english version games across europe, to those who speak/read english as a second language, and local versions released as soon as they are translated ?

this applies to both pc and console games.

Edited by clapton is God at 01:22:45 26-11-2002

striker 26 Nov 2002 00:29:33 2,606 posts
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I completely agree with that, and that has been done with Morrowind in France. Here in Portugal I don't really have that problem, since nothing is ever translated. But I'm glad that's the way it is, I don't want no portuguese voices in my games, even subtitles I prefer them in english...

clapton-is-God 26 Nov 2002 00:45:27 47 posts
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wow, you were quick to reply striker

i should have said that the forums i have visited are dutch/french ones.
which 9 out of 10 times are given translated versions instead , not all european countries are given translated versions.
it would be good if games companies give all europeans a choice of an early english version, or the option to wait for a local language version.

jaa 26 Nov 2002 08:53:52 962 posts
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Being a very small market, most publishers don't include portuguese versions. So, we wait and then play the games in english. Most times (and that violates a law) we don't even get instructions in portuguese. Only a sticker on the back of the case saying how great the game is.

But some europeans need localisation. You could never sell a game in Spain without it...

Blerk Moderator 26 Nov 2002 09:01:29 48,222 posts
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The thing I can never figure out is when they release games in the US (hence translating into English) and then don't release them in Europe because of 'localisation problems'. What's that all about? They somehow think we'd prefer 'no game at all' to 'game in English only'? It's all bloody excuses. Half of the US speaks Spanish, half of Canada speaks French - they never release NTSC versions translated into those languages.

Grr.

Azule 26 Nov 2002 15:22:26 98 posts
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Some US games include some local languages. PSO does, obviously. Some sports games too, specifically soccer, er...I mean football. But it's just extra, not protocol.

You could never sell a game in Spain without it...

That's strange, it seems like the same attitude exists with Spanish speaking Americans, in terms of a lot of things, not sure specifically on gaming.

The whole world pretty much speaks English anyways, if not their first language, then their second, or a language they need in order to do business. Europe need to adopt English as an official (second) language and get going.
...sorry if this came out negative, or whatever, just spewing forth some thoughts.

terminalterror 27 Nov 2002 22:46:31 18,932 posts
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Whilst talking about people in Europe who want English language verions, you forget one core European Market, the UK! It is bad enough waiting for a localised version you may not want, but we must wait for localised versions that don't even get sold to us.

otto Moderator 28 May 2007 11:16:19 49,322 posts
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You want my opinion, I think localisation often gets blamed for delays that the publishers are going to slap on their games anyway. Localisation rarely takes six months to a year, does it? No, I reckon they delay it for commercial/other reasons and use localisation as a cheap/easy excuse.