Topic: Japanese Switch releases with English support?

I work in the field of veterinary medicine, so I know [removed] when I see it.

Localization isn't cheap or easy as many people think it is. It isn't just a matter of hiring some kid studying English in college to do a literal translation. It's having a translator, then hiring a bilingual copy editor for the translation, then someone who is familiar with both cultures to make sure that the language and metaphors used in the translation are both familar to foreign audiences and not going to cause huge scandals in the oversees audience, then having someone program the extra language option into the game, then changing the packaging to indicate the extra language option, and who knows what other necessary steps I've forgotten about because my very important work in the field of veterinary medicine does not in any way qualify me to oversee multilanguage options in video games.

All of these things require extra money, which increases your budget, which makes your shareholders ask annoying questions like "why are you spending this money on an extra language when this game is only going to release in Japan?" Which generally does bad things to project managers' career prospects.

_{Please mind your language - Octane}

@JasmineDragon and exactly what do you refer to as "B.S." ???

Come on over to Mobile, Al, and we can talk about our respective careers, it's good to know you think you are psychic because of my career, I never claimed to be a software engineer or a business exec., I mentioned my career because of my familiarity with financial nit-picking from the higher ups

I am a theoretical physicist, so I know that you are full of it, you're a secretary or nurse assistant at a vet clinic,
Hmm....presumption based on nothing kind of makes you look stupid doesn't it ???

I'm a veterinary nurse, I hope I'm allowed to speak in your presence.

And yes, actually, my career makes me more than qualified to detect when people are using a degree or a title to give unearned authority to a stupid argument. I've seen so, so, so many doctors and professors dropping a couple of bits of jargon into a conversation to establish that they are People of Substance when, in fact, they are totally clueless about the things we are talking about. It doesn't impress me in the real world, and it doesn't impress me here.

Look, this is a stupid argument and I'm not interested in comparing penis sizes over the Interwebs. You made a silly statement, and more than one person here has called you on it. Continuing to refer to your supposed authority is not going to help. It's wonderful that you have a degree and an interesting job, but literally nobody here cares if you're a theoretical physicist or the Queen of Wakanda. Unless your work involves video game production, you have as much credibility here as anybody else. And the longer you spend blustering like a macho man, the sillier you look.

@JasmineDragon
now, your comments tell me you either didn't read a single word I had said in my original post you so question or just don't understand.

been gaming for over 40 years, in a career where forensic accountants are hired permanently on campus for 27 years and just started investing in the stock market about 13 years ago, I never played high and mighty, but was citing evidence that I am more than familiar with the gaming industry and financial costs, anti, ret and post production

@JasmineDragon I am have to agree with you here so unless someone is working in the field of language translation business one shouldn't talk as if they know about this highly specialized field. As you mentioned it's not as simple as he makes it out to be when it comes to game translations.

@SwitchForce making an aweful lot of presumptions about what I do and don't know about, you act as if you are very familiar with the costs and procedures but claim I am ignorant, I have given many examples of how my decades of experience have given me familiarity and understanding, having to file financial reports as well as hiring people to translate data from foreign sources and/or making alternative language selections for excel and powerpoint presentations, so please, it is obvious you are directly involved in either the gaming industry and/or entertainment media and so have a more in depth experience with costs of language translations and integrating the files into software/games, so please, where do you (or did) work to gain this insight ???

@jhewitt3476 LOL okay, your sound arguments and impressive portfolio of achievements have convinced me. I have seen the error of my ways. If anybody needs me, I'll be over there in a corner being ashamed to have been so publicly humiliated.

I am, however, still curious about why more companies don't automatically do English translation for all their Japanese release games, since you have so convincingly demonstrated that it in fact costs next to nothing and is such a huge benefit to the company.

I guess all those video game makers know as little about making video games as I do.

@JasmineDragon why they don't was my original question to begin with, as Nintendo purposefully made the Switch region free, a relatively small cost of an additional set of text and script files would increase the sales tremendously, direct store sales aside, as I mentioned, retailers exporting these games have taken off like a rocket, their sales increase without them actually having to participate in the sales process, the foreign only release games are hot cakes, ESPECIALLY in the middle east and the UK, where because of some content, many games are direct import and sales banned,

it's not about knowledge of how to make the games, stop trying to twist it, it's about being motivated to easily double (or more) sales cheaply, (btw, my reference using the word "cheap", is not about a $5 cheap solution, but less than 1% of production costs), cheap is relative to cost not dollar store

What I like to hear on here is someone from the gaming industry that does translation programing the language and the final steps to tell us what it takes to go from drawing board to final product. Because I highly doubt it is easy as those whom makes it out to be. Just look for example in the field of business that competes globally if you know more than one language that is commonly used you get paid far more than someone knowing one language and familiarity with both cultures to make sure that the language and metaphors used in the translation(part from JasmieDragon) will get more pay and higher earnings. That's is just in the world of Business and your degree doesn't have to be this but it would help but they want the Language more than anything else-business is now global and the faster you can translate or communicate the better off your company is. EN is a starting point but goes so far only.

Reminder that there is an ‘off’ button for people, if arguing against those making baseless assertions and then constantly shifting positions gets too draining.

The dude is demonstrably wrong (professional J->E translation costs a lot; alternate texts don’t magically appear without significant time and money), and what’s more, nobody agrees with his wrongness. Literally nobody as of yet. And likely nobody hereafter.

Unless he can bring anything new to the table (and the odds of this seem incredibly slim), then his sorry backpedaling and forwardpedaling is likely to just get ever more pitiful.

Of the four options under a user’s name, the first two seem most likely to prolong things, and the third unnecessary (there are no rules against arrogance or wrongness), but the fourth may offer some respite.

If someone clearly refuses to listen to sense, then there is little sense in them being listened to. And at this point the replies are predictable enough that we could probably just make them if we wanted to.

@Maxz
again, I have exampled my experiences over many years, I make no vain or arrogant presumptions, however, I keep asking where others have gained their direct insight, but can't get any answers, but I also clarified that my definition of "cheaply"/"inexpensively" is in relation to the total cost of production
so, the ignorance, vanity and arrogance is not from my end, however there is a reference to some people being hardheaded and not willing to accept is indeed correct...

so.....where do you work/ed to gain the knowledge I have in business expenses, including translation costs for software and media presentations

@Maxz I usually give people a whole bunch of chances before I hit that ignore button, and I wouldn't use it just because a guy is wrong about something. I generally save it for people who are obnoxious trolls or people who insist on bringing hateful politics into every conversation.

Translating a game to a new language is not as easy as it may seem. There are cultural differences that have to be taken into account and so it takes really good translators to do it right. You also might need to edit game play based on how things got translated or what needs to be edited for removed. There are things that are OK in one culture but taboo in another. You have to sift through for these things and make them right. You can do a "poor" job with interns simply translating blindly, but then you will get raked over the coals for a sloppy translation.

Does atelier the alchemist of rorona have english language support in the japanese eshop. I want to import them physicly if I can play them in English.

That's the part alot of quarterback couches keep spouting nonsense but have no clue to translation. If for one listen to JPN anime voice and EN txt and you can spot clearly define emphasis in JPN voice gives more context then EN txt can do. Signs and Word translate to TXT from JPN to EN readers helps them understand the context but Voice emphasis never translate the feeling across correctly. And as another poster said it cost $$$ it's not simple as one makes it out to be as well as dialect from one to another isn't the same when trying to translate to grammer matching. If it was literal translate - I can guarantee you would be spinning your head left and right.

@Nemodius I can smell your self centered American ego through my monitor. Also, I fail to see what credibility your physics job has regarding marketing, but I'll let that one slide.

First of all, Nintendo and game makers are totally different parties. Just because Nintendo allows all games to be played everywhere, does not mean a game maker has to translate every game. Region free means you can play in a different region. That and translating games are two completely different things.

Second of all, you just blindly assume that the sole goal of a region free console is to get non-english games playable in english in english speaking countries. You can also import from countries that have the same language, you can import your switch, and you can also travel/move to another countries without having to buy a new switch there/import all your games.

Third of all, translating is not just a matter of language, culture also has an influence. Sometimes games itself have to be adepted.

Fourth of all, because an importer can make money, it does not mean its profitable for a company. An importer has way less costs, and can profit when he sells 50 copies of a game. A company that translated the game cannot. Why do you think stores exist and a factory does not sell directly to customers? Yes, that reason is probably because factories could sell as easily and effectively as stores while also making more profit because of higher sale prices and cutting out a middle man...

I can go on and on about the nonsense you say, but lastly: When it came to the Chinese dialects, Nintendo unified them to cut translation costs and to prevent the wrong use of terminoligy with Pokemon. That's the same culture, same language and a game as large as pokemon. Do you really think that some 20yo interns can properly translate a game for free for a small company that will barely sell overseas anyway?

Our ego has a smell?

Is it like a fart or is it sweet like berries?

Some of you complain that by localizing games that the cultural references are butchered and features need to be removed because it is taboo is some regions. Here is a solution if you don't like a game or its themes don't buy it and let those of us who want to buy it enjoy it for what it is. Capcom is a big offender in this, they won't localize Great Ace because of cultural differences yet the last game had s whole section on Japanese theater and udon/soba noodles!

I haven't touched my copy of Code of Princess EX since the first day I got it. Why you ask? While the gameplay is great and has a solid framerate over the 3ds original I can't get into it for lack of its stellar English dub. The Japanese dub lacks any sense of humor compared the the English dub, so after the disappointment of the exchange at Eludas tavern I stopped, the magic simply was not there.

@Nemodius That doesn’t sound like translation of localization to me? It’s almo like you have a totally different job that’s completely unrelated and doesn’t make you a authority on th other.