04-05-2003 01:34									#1
	Localized versions Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Just curious about how the generel opinion on this is...

Personally I hate localized versions of games... Games translated into danish, sounds so childish

	04-05-2003 02:12									#2
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My opinion has changed as I've grown. When I was a child, I love translated games because my english was even worse than today. In Spanish, the localized versions sometimes s*cks and sometimes doesn't s*uck. But I prefer now the games without localization, so I can read a little more of englishs text and, hopefully, improve my level

	04-05-2003 02:45									#3
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The suck. Not only do they ruin the gaming experience, sometimes patches don't make it or come out like years after the US versions. Localized versions should be a capital offense.

	04-05-2003 03:33									#4
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"I'm an American, so I don't have an opinion on this"

Not really fair, since Americans do in fact play games translated from other languages. The phrase "all your base are belong to us" ring any bells?

	04-05-2003 03:43									#5
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...but do Americans play games in other languages than English? I don't think so, so Americans have to get it translated to english, if it's not an American game...

	04-05-2003 03:52									#6
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quote: Originally posted by ADG ...but do Americans play games in other languages than English? I don't think so, so Americans have to get it translated to english, if it's not an American game...

So the fact is that America is the largest consumer of localized games. We're the biggest locale. We certainly have opinions about bad/confusing translations.

	04-05-2003 04:36									#7
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I hate localised games too. And I hate localised films. Especially when jokes have been translated I'm happy to play any game in (American) English, and in some cases I'd prefer it. And we're still waiting for Civ3PTW v1.21 in Germany

-Jam

	04-05-2003 06:02									#8
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Localised versions , but then again I do applaud companies making translations availaible for download --> CM4.
Not everyones english is good enough to enjoy or even understand the game, same goes for kids.

	04-05-2003 14:05									#9
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well I am an american who can care less . I can't think of any games not originally English made that were worth a damn. I just can't get into japanese gaming. most of it is console anyways, and I don't currently have a console system.

	04-05-2003 14:34									#10
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quote: Originally posted by Static Universe So the fact is that America is the largest consumer of localized games. We're the biggest locale. We certainly have opinions about bad/confusing translations.

But what choice do you have if a game is made in Germany? I don't think many Americans understands German, so you have to get the game localized anyway, to be able to understand the game...

...or am I mistaking here..?

	04-05-2003 15:40									#11
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Localised games... Dubbed films...

I.e. I like to have the games in their original language, if I can understand it. E.g. Rally Trophy is better in its original Finnish version. Also localised Scandinavian manuals are boring as EA Games has now included ones with all their new games.

	04-05-2003 15:49									#12
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Loacalized games? I remember "assasin" was translated as "OTCOCuH" to Russian. So the localizations sucks in both meanings of the word "suck"

	04-05-2003 19:20									#13
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Surely sometimes the game has to be translated from it's original english to a foreign language if the game is to be popular in the target country?

	04-05-2003 19:33									#14
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Nah - everyone speaks fluent colloquial English these days - at least everyone who can afford computer games, and everyone who wants to buy games (Young European males on the whole)

-Jam

	04-05-2003 19:37									#15
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Not in China it isn't.

Though games translated into Chinese suck bad as usual. They could have hired me as a translator, but they are too cheap and employ high school dropouts.

	04-05-2003 19:40									#16
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China is a tiny unimportant country though. Most people haven't even heard of it Isn't it something to do with Japan???

-Jam

	04-05-2003 19:46									#17
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Bah, just to get even, we will export 1/10 of our population to your country.

	04-05-2003 19:51									#18
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I live in Germany and they tend to translate everything and anything but then they turn around and use english words to sound cool .

I hate translations/localisations of games and movies. I even stay away from translated books as much as possible.


So long...

	04-05-2003 20:04									#19
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quote: Originally posted by War of Art China is a tiny unimportant country though. Most people haven't even heard of it Isn't it something to do with Japan??? -Jam

	04-05-2003 20:50									#20
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I hate localised versions of games. They usually do a lousy job and the game loses any trace of humour it might have.

But I have to say that it depends on the genre. Grand Prix 3 was entirely translated into Portuguese, not only the manual, and it doesn't suck, because the technical nature of the game keeps things at a believable level.

But yes, usually those localised versions are awful... Age of Mythology, for instance, is a well-made translation, very professional, but... the voices are too lame and everything ends up being a little cheesy to me.

	04-05-2003 21:43									#21
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translating games into anything but english should be punished with death penalty, except when it's some sort of a childish game such as bobby goes fishing or something..

Nowadays nearly all games are English, for example Divine Divinity, a belgian product was made in English, because frankly, it would be hilariously stupid in dutch, czech gamedesigners, Hungarian, etc etc, also make their games in English.. They don't need to be translated because they were already finished as an "English" product!

	04-05-2003 23:04									#22
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quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger Not in China it isn't. Though games translated into Chinese suck bad as usual. They could have hired me as a translator, but they are too cheap and employ high school dropouts.

I've heard that Chinese movie titles are just as bad...

If I recall right, I once heard the title for Batman and Robin:
"The hero in black clothes, with his tiny little helper Robin"

...or something like that...

	05-05-2003 04:53									#23
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quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger Not in China it isn't. Though games translated into Chinese suck bad as usual. They could have hired me as a translator, but they are too cheap and employ high school dropouts.

It always puzzled me how translations are almost universally terrible. They spend a large amount of time and money writing the actual code for the game, and then stuff up their image by having their text translated by someone who "almost" knows 2 languages.

Its like spending a month building a car, but then paying a colourblind drunk to paint it for you.

	05-05-2003 07:06									#24
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Games in Dutch just suck, translated or not.

Standard Dutch sounds too gay to be used in games (from Dungeon Keeper: "Opgepast, je dondersteentjes zijn aan het sterven")

And if that phrase would be translated to "middle language" (the language I normally use, iit's between Standard Dutch and dialect), you would get something like this: "Allee joeng, ge zijt uw dondersteenkes ier aant late crepere", which is incredibly silly.

	05-05-2003 07:27									#25
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ADG,

They might have messed up Batman and Robin, if Batman hasn't been around the block a few times. At any rate, I can't vouch for the translations in Mainland China and Taiwan, because we all do our own independently, but the local translation was all right.


Skanky,

Translation is a black art, probably worse than programming in C++ for Windows.

	05-05-2003 23:10									#26
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The funniest case of bad translation I've ever seen was with Icewind Dale. The game was still in English ( ) but they tried to translate the manual into Portuguese. Guess how they did it? Using a translation software, kind of like those you use to translate a web page into another language. Simply awful. Some words were not even translated, probably because the program could not find a correspondent word in Portuguese.

	06-05-2003 14:42									#27
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quote: Originally posted by Alexnm The funniest case of bad translation I've ever seen was with Icewind Dale. The game was still in English ( ) but they tried to translate the manual into Portuguese. Guess how they did it? Using a translation software, kind of like those you use to translate a web page into another language. Simply awful. Some words were not even translated, probably because the program could not find a correspondent word in Portuguese.

Nice


The worst case I've seen, is with The Settlers IV, where Weaponshop and toolshop is called exactly the same... oh, and it still sounds childish...

...also in the SimCity 4 manual, they mentioned something... I had no clue whatsoever that was... after a long research I found that this "thing" was the same thing as the quiery tool...

	06-05-2003 14:43									#28
	Re: Localized versions Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

quote: Originally posted by ADG Personally I hate localized versions of games... Games translated into danish, sounds so childish

Btw... as I was 8, I also hated translated games... and back then, I didn't understand much english...

	06-05-2003 18:01									#29
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quote: Originally posted by August Borms Games in Dutch just suck, translated or not.

Heh, 'A2 Racer' rocks!

But yeah, translated games are the spawn of satan. I kinda got used to the Dutch version of Dungeon Keeper though, even grew a liking for it in the end. But that's just the exception that proves the rule...

And if they'd translate any game to Flemish or some other dialect, I bet they wouldn't sell two copies if they pressed a double CD

	06-05-2003 22:17									#30
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident well I am an american who can care less . I can't think of any games not originally English made that were worth a damn. I just can't get into japanese gaming. most of it is console anyways, and I don't currently have a console system.

SimCity? Tetris? Pacman?

I voted, banana, because I didn't really understand the question. The patching problems with PTW are related to copy protection, not the actual translation.

Unlocalised games would not sell. They are simply not an option in the capitalist world.