The Mechs of Xenoblade Chronicles X Are Named "Skells" in its Western Release

I shall name my Skell... etor.

Skells? This reminds me of how the Japanese Pokemon region Isshu sounds tons better than the English version: Unova.

Because "doll" is way too childish for us "mature" gamers, amirite? We don't play with dolls! Haha. Ha. Ha. Childish. (Hugs amiibos and figmas)

Yes "Skells" is much better. I am very excited for this game now, the footage looks awesome: large world with lots to do and very appealing looking.

When you have over an hour of live gameplay footage and the only thing worth mentioning is changing the name of "Dolls" to "Skells" you know they are not doing a very good job w/ their video.

Meh, I really liked the ironic title of 'Doll' for the GIGANTIC FREAKING HUNK OF METAL COVERED IN HEAD TO TOE WITH WEAPONRY! Skells feels like it's trying too hard to be scary.

Imagine going into a "death duel" with somebody, and their weapon of choice was a "Doll". You'do laugh until he decapitated you. I loved the name Doll. 😩

I like skells better does anyone think we will get a release date before E3?

The only Xeno game I've played as been Xenogears back on the PSX. That was a fun game. Not so sure about this one though. Only really ever seen cut scenes.

It was fun to watch, i guess now it's waiting for E3 for a possible release date... If we are lucky enough to get one than.

@rjejr

That might be the only new thing. And that overhead camera. That looks awesome.

Short for skeleton I'd guess...
Either way the hype can not be contained...do bad I got stuck on a bad client issue halfway through and had to stop watching.

@Fearful-Octopus I'm thinking they are saving it for E3. Later this year makes sense since they need a big title for the holidays.

I prefer this name tbh.

@Smashy_Link I don't think it's terrible myself, but I've just been thinking of them as dolls for a while now, hard to undue a term like that in my head.

@sinalefa - I left "later this year" out of my poll yesterday Sin, it should have been 5 and I could have chosen E.

I guess after an hour and 12 minutes they decided "later this year" was their big announcement.

Skell definition per Wikipedia: Skell, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to a person who is homeless, vagrant or derelict. It is often used to connote such a person who is habitually engaged in small-time criminal activity, especially by one working as a con artist or panhandler.

This is as bad as "Wigger Wedneday."

^^
In that Case I'm naming my Skell Jack Marrow

@Tsurii897 - If you go back and look over all the comments you'll see I did watch the stream. And my son was here w/ me watching so I have a witness.

But you tell me, what was the point of this? Over an hour of gameplay. We already knew it was coming out, this didn't really tell us anything all that new or dfiferent or great. If they had a normal ND first w/ the date and maybe amiibo support or whatever, then an hour of gameplay, ok, but this just out there for no reason. What was the point?

Oh, and @Ryno can vouch for my watching the stream as well.

So some marketing morons got together and decided 'Doll' wasn't masculine enough. Typical of most western localizations. It doesn't matter what they're called as long as they play well.

Think I'll call mine Wing 0.

@Yorumi Yeah I was convinced it wouldn't be changed, since the original Japanese game specifically used an English term in both text and spoken dialogue. Like you said, I could see if it were some Japanese term that didn't have a good translation in English, but doll broadly speaking just means a human shaped figure.

Better than dolls.

@rjerjr

I find it amusing that your son is your witness as if he is gonna get on here and vouch for you. Although......he could....

I'm with @rjejr (watched it with him online), what was the point of this gameplay footage on a random April day.

Sounds okay, although I feel I may end up thinking of them as 'dolls' anyway.

@Blast Maybe it's me, but I think Unova sounds magnitudes better.

Can't wait to pilot my homeless criminal mech!

@Ryno that's hilarious. I never saw that NOA tweet before.

The word sounded right in my head until I came accross the comment that explained it's meaning (not a native speaker, and I admittedly never heart it before). I don't know... Sound is right, but I feel that they could have named them in a number of different ways that would also be right, but without the unintended awkward/comical element. Still - much better for western audiences than "Dolls", that was just awkward IMHO.

@rjejr

My guess is that this is directed to NA players who did not bother to catch the Japanese videos.

My second guess is that Nintendo is trying to broaden the appeal of this to people not normally interested in this game. Even the time was odd for a Direct. That would also explain the language used.

And this would fuel my hunch that this may be released as one of (hopefully not THE) Holiday 2015 title. Maybe Nintendo will start to advertise all of their titles, that sounds good to me.

Maybe the reason why they showed this now is because Japan is getting it next week and just wanted to rub it in our faces that we're not getting it till later this year...or early next year XD

It's still nice to have an english direct tho since as others have said, not everybody is following the japanese announcements.

This was the only thing worth talking about from the most pointless direct ever.

Thank the Lord. Skells sounds 100 times better than "Dolls".

Awww, I liked the doll thing! damn you, insecure focusgroup tweens! (j/k ...sorta)

@Tsurii897 - No problem, we're good. And lets face it, even if I hadn't watched the vid I'd still be sarcastic/cynical, that's just who I am.

@BieberBlows - I thought you would just be happy it finally ended

So people didn't really like Dolls, huh? Worked for me, all I kept thinking of was this:

I actually prefer Dolls, hoping they'll include the Japanese voices in the EU release...

I liked "Doll" however I've played enough jrpgs and watched enough anime that it didn't strike me as odd.

I like Skells more than Dolls. Dolls make them sound like toys.

@rjejr seriously, seeing this as the only bit of news worthy of its own article doesnt really give much hype lol. At work so havent watched the stream myself, but still, not too hyped to hurry home and watch immediately

Ghost in the Skell...

....Why?

Denied. I'll keep calling them Dolls. Skells doesn't sound really good.

So I guess that in an entire Direct they couldn't drop a release date. Oh well.

@Tops
It worked with Angels, maybe that was the point!

The "doll" terminology has been used since at least as far back as the debut of the anime "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing", back in 1995, where many of the mechs were referred to as "mobile dolls". Xenoblade X using this term is simply a throwback which the mecha genre audience has long been familiar with.

"Doll" was probably originally used as a metaphorical term referring to humanoid inanimate objects being used by people to their own ends, especially for war, in the same way as "puppets" being directed at an enemy. They may have went for "Doll" instead of "Puppet" back then, though, since the term "puppet" often has a distinctly negative connotation.

However... the "dolls" in the Gundam series were essentially their version of our Drones. They were not piloted by people, like the Xenoblade X mechs are. So, the name was inappropriate to begin with, anyways. If they're going with the term "exoskeleton", though, then "X-Skell" or even just "X" might be a more appropriate name, seeing as how the name of the game is Xenoblade "X".

...Then again, the term "X" would turn into a stupid sitcom joke pretty quickly: "Hey, I'm going to pilot my X (ex) now..." "Wait, you have an ex (X)?" "Of course I do, it's right there!" "You dated your mech suit???" "WHAT! What gave you that idea!?" "Well, you just said it's your ex (X)..." "Not that kind of ex, pervert!" "You're the one who keeps going inside it's abdomen, calling it your ex..." "stamps foot Baka Baka Baka!"

@Shiryu

...Awesome. Just awesome.

I agree with some people though, Skell sounds a lot cooler than Doll. They probably changed it because the English conotation for "Doll" wouldn't exactly make the cut for an American military machine...so it's actually a good localization choice because this is supposed to be Neo LA. If it were Neo Tokyo, then yeah, they should have kept it Doll to keep the reference Plywood Stick was talking about.

I will still call them Dolls, I like it better and Skells sounds like it trying to hard to be edgy.

I think I like Dolls more, but the name doesn't really matter.

Knowing that Xenoblade Chronicles X is a "spiritual successor" to Xenogears, I must say those are some...

...MAD SKELLZ!

(Sorry.)

Daheq is a Skell? Hope it will still be Dolls in the PAL version...

@JakeOfAllTrades Welcome to Treehouse, where things are changed for the sake of changing.

@DarthNocturnal The point probably was to have an uncool name, but that has been scrapped by Treehouse, cause Treehouse.

Sigh, Dolls made sense. Both normal dolls and these mechs are humanoid objects that we are meant to manipulate or control.
Now though, it seems that NoA wants us to ride into battle atop homeless drug addicts.

@rjejr give this man a gold star

They are called "Skells" because they are armored exoSKELLetons. Makes sense to me.

@whodatninja
From Dictionary.com: a homeless person who lives on the streets, sleeps in doorways or subways, etc.; derelict.

From Urbandictionary.com: Any lowlife drug addict on welfare. Can usually be found in s*** neighborhoods drinking beer all ****ing day. Identified by missing teeth, bad skin, being crack-thin (like a skeleton, hence the word: skell), and stinking of booze.

@Jayvir
In that case, "Exos" would be a FAARRR better term.

@AVahne I agree with you, but the name still makes sense to me so it's fine either way.

Fine Skells whatever. When can I by it?

Liked "dolls" better. It was a way more deceptively cool name.

@AVahne Well, technically, everyone who uses an automotive vehicle (or in this case, an automaton/automated vehicle) is a fuel addict. Always will more be needed to satiate our hunger for fast-paced travel. At least the name gets that part right.

If they're trying to cater the name for a western audience, it should be 'dudebots'

@PlywoodStick
That's.....a really big stretch....

I do like Skell better myself, especially after saying it out loud a couple times to get a feel of it.

@AVahne Yeah, it is... Maybe "metaphorically" would have been a better term than "technically"... Even then, it's a loose association.

I'm good with "skells" I can show everyone how good I am. Har har har.

I liked dolls come on guise

"Dolls" sounds like a Google Translate mishap, but "skells" just sounds cheesy. Then again, that kinda sounds like a lot of actual British slang.

well its been a very long time but werent the mechs in gundam also sometimes called dolls, probably a japanese thing.

Can't they be Metallionettes or something? (Marionette reference.)

Anyway. If it was the kind of dolls you'd have to inflate. Or blow (up). The game would be a big tribute to balloon fight?

@AVahne The actual definition of the word skell actually makes the name fit somewhat. After all, they are made and controlled by the humans, who can be considered homeless and are forced to take refuge on an alien planet where everything is foreign to them (and they are foreign to the natives). It's completely possible that the humans are seen as criminals in a way by some of the natives.

Skells work's. It will grow on us when it gets here and we all throw our lives away in it because we know this game is amazing.

Is it just me or did we not learn anything new from this excpet for the fact that they are Skells and not dolls for the English release?

@Gelantious

Is there even going to be room on the disc for a duel audio?

I almost prefer "dolls."

So... No release date huh?

@AVahne That's a dumb thing to call a mech suit. Why not change the K into an H. Shell! Still doesn't beat Doll, but much better than Skell!

@whodatninja See post #50, lol
But yeah, it would have made more sense. With the movie just around the corner, though, maybe they wanted to avoid any unneccessary lawsuit.

@ikki5
They could add it as a downloadable pack, like the ones that will improve load times.
One Naruto game on 360 did this, had English on the disc and then a free pack with the Japanese voices.

@Gelantious
I hope that is so. I really want the game to be dual audio like the original Xenoblade.

"Skells" doesn't really sound so bad, sort of like "shells" or "skell"-eton. I didn't mind "Dolls" either, was a fitting name in my opinion.

@andrea987 I kinda hope that movie wont get past the developing stage. An American remake is a dumb idea all around.

I don't think they would have any issues calling them Shells for that reason, it's not like it's in the title.

American Kirby is hardcore.

@rjejr
What the hell do mean what was the point? All those Japan videos were just long trailers. This actually showed the game in action and was much more exciting to me anyway.

Did you really expect something besides a release date? The game isn't even out in Japan yet. What new info would they the share with North America they wouldn't release to Japan first? The only other option was just translate the Japanese videos which has already been done unofficially. That would have been horrible.

Man all that info and the highlight chosen to make an article for is what they were named? Anyway those Naviballs and marked quest monsters are gonna make my life much easier

I liked them being called Dolls. Oh well.

@DarthNocturnal Megas is the perfect name! I loved that show.

Can't say "skell" with a straight face. I'll just call them mechs

@Antiginger Well if you've been keeping up with the Japanese presentations you would know that this was one of the only new pieces of info. The rest we've known for quite a while now.

I think the only thing I'm not comfortable with is the name Skells. Sounds negative, not edgy.

Should be Exo Mechs: gotta catch "EM" all!

Okay, that's bad.

Better than dolls imo

I much preferred "dolls". I have to assume that the change was made because there is the impression that western males are afraid of being emasculated and playing with "dolls" would somehow do just that. I'll probably continue referring to them as dolls because I'm comfortable with my masculinity and sexuality.

I don't really care for how they'll re-name or re-brand the names. I just want the original JP voice-overs in the western release!

Does anyone else miss the days when we just called them mechs?

@wisdomsprince - I'll only accept a gold star so I can pin it on Eliza Dushku.

If that doens't make any sense and you were replying to a different post, apologies, I've been on here way too much of late.

I will continue to call them dolls, anyway.