An Open Letter To All "Professional" Translators

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Unforgiven

An Open Letter To All "Professional" Translators

Post by Unforgiven »

This is a message to all the "professional" translators and localizers in the game industry:

I don't want or need to take your shit anymore.

I've suffered through casting "pearl" spells instead of "holy", staying at a "cafe" instead of a "pub", and having "Aeris" instead of "Aerith" on my team.

I've had enough of your censorship, removing blood from Rockman Zero and Xenosaga Episode III, removing respectable crosses from the Castlevania games, covering the 2d breasts with a cloth, replacing beer with coffee. Imagine that! America, the land of gun-obsessed Nascar-watching drunkards taking offense to 2D nipples and beer in video games!

I've also had it up to here with your "American bastardization", sanitizing the game of any Japanese influences, because you assume I am not interested. Guess what? I am going to play Yakuza, a very Japanese game with very Japanese characters in a very Japanese setting (i.e. Japan) with... Japanese voice acting! English voice acting? Shove it up where the sun don't shine thanks.

English translators and localizers, you treated me like a child. Well this child has grown up, become fluent in the Japanese language, and have ran away from home.

I can now play Japanese games in their original form with no censorship or unnecessary alterations. I can even play games that will never be released in English.

Before anyone makes the claim that I am a Wapanese, I assure you I am not. I'm just a normal American who just happened to learn a second language, and who appreciates playing games/watching movies/etc in their original form without needing an "American-o-Vision" goggles. THE GOGGLES, THEY DO NOTHING! EXCEPT MAKE ME SEE THE WORLD THROUGH AN UNEDUCATED REDNECK'S POINT OF VIEW!

My message to the "professional" English translators and localizers: Fuck you, I am no longer paying $$$ for your inferior product. Grow the fuck up, because I did.
grinvader
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Post by grinvader »

Not sure your message will reach your intended audience here... oh well.
I mostly understand, since I learnt both english and the little japanese I know for video games.
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Unforgiven

Post by Unforgiven »

I was expecting you to flame me after the things I said about you in a different thread, but if you HAVEN'T read it yet, but can still retain your composure after having read it, then more power to you.
I.S.T.
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Post by I.S.T. »

The problem with your post is that a lot of it just isn't true. It's not the translators that decide what must be censored a lot of the time, it's company regulations.

Not only that, but it's 15 years too late. Aside from one or two things that happen every five years, things aren't censored much at all anymore.

Plus, the americanizing comments are pretty much false as well. That just doesn't happen anymore. Hell, many games sell on the basis that they're so incredibly Japanese! Have you not heard of Mr. Mosquito, Katamari Damacy or Chulip?

So, I have only one question for you: Have you actually played a japanese game other than Megaman Zero or XS3 lately? I figure if you had, you'd notice how all of your complaints... well, they just don't apply anymore.
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Post by blackmyst »

lol oh jesus


hmmm


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Unforgiven

Post by Unforgiven »

I.S.T. wrote:The problem with your post is that a lot of it just isn't true. It's not the translators that decide what must be censored a lot of the time, it's company regulations.
I realize that but the post is long enough as it is without taking into account everything. However, I have expanded upon these issues:

Dear friends, here's a list of reasons why America and other Western countries fail.

1. English translators: They don't do their fucking job and take liberties, diverting from the original script. They also think it is fun to "spice up" the writing.

FUCK YOU ENGLISH TRANSLATORS.

2. Localizers: They have to appease the average consumer, that is, stupid "I DUN LIKE FOREN KULCHA DURR HURR" people. In other words, they sanitize the game of any Japanese or other foreign influences. You can also blame them for bad cover art.

FUCK YOU LOCALIZERS.

3. The average consumer. They are dumb, have short attention spans, and in the majority. Which means (American) companies have to alter the games for THEM.

FUCK YOU AVERAGE CONSUMER.

4. Pressure groups/organizations: They are the reason censorship exist. Due to them, blood is censored, "controversial" scenes are deleted, and anything sexual gone.

FUCK YOU PRESSURE GROUPS.

5. Company policy/quality control: The American branch of Japanese companies (Capcom, Sony, etc) dictate which games come to America and which stay in Japan. Long story short, our game library are only a fraction of Japan's. They are also probably the reason most games MUST have inferior English voice acting, but no selectable Japanese dubs.

FUCK YOU AMERICAN BRANCHES OF JAPANESE GAME COMPANIES.

6. Europe: Games don't get released there or take a long time, suffer shit PAL conversions (black borders, slowdown), and game/consoles are overpriced when compared to America.

FUCK YOU EUROPE.

So, in conclusion...

Japan:
-99% of games are selectable and don't give me the "JAP GAMES R SHIT ANYWAY LAWLZ". At least Japanese gamers have the choice.
-Uncensored and fully playable as the director intended.

So my advice is: Learn Japanese, buy Japanese.

Simple.

That's what I'm doing, my own personal "fuck you" to the above people. Thanks for reading!
I.S.T.
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Post by I.S.T. »

Dude, you overstate everything so much, and this is coming from a guy who regularly screams at Hasbro on a fucking Transformers forum!

You're imagining half of the problems, overstating the other half and putting the blame on the wrong people most of the time. Do a google search for once in your life!
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Post by Deathlike2 »

Realizing these minor change have so minimal impact in the game, it is simply a pedantic rant.
Continuing [url=http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?board=13.0]FF4[/url] Research...
Unforgiven

Post by Unforgiven »

Deathlike2 wrote:Realizing these minor change have so minimal impact in the game, it is simply a pedantic rant.
Well here's the fallacy.

If these changes are as insignificant as you say they are, then why even change them?
Deathlike2
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Post by Deathlike2 »

Unforgiven wrote:
Deathlike2 wrote:Realizing these minor change have so minimal impact in the game, it is simply a pedantic rant.
Well here's the fallacy.

If these changes are as insignificant as you say they are, then why even change them?
Simple. Those changes are primarily cosmetic in nature, to correctly identify with the intended audience and other issues that exist at the time.
Continuing [url=http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?board=13.0]FF4[/url] Research...
I.S.T.
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Post by I.S.T. »

Unforgiven wrote:
Deathlike2 wrote:Realizing these minor change have so minimal impact in the game, it is simply a pedantic rant.
Well here's the fallacy.

If these changes are as insignificant as you say they are, then why even change them?
Because people might not get it? because maybe the original developers decided to change it(This has happened before.)? Because maybe the original line was not that well written so it's being rephrased to not suck ass?

There are far too many legitimate reasons why. Now, there are also unlegitimate reasons, like NoA's censorship bullshit back in the day, but that doesn't really happen anymore aside from a little bit here and there(Such as the blood bullshit in XS3. BTW, how come you bitched about that and not the massive editing done to XS1?).
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Post by badinsults »

This argument has been done many times, no sense continuing it, since you are doing it just to get a rise out of people. As others said, the problems you are bringing up are no longer relevant, and thus this thread is pointless.
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