Devil Region!
I mentioned a while back that I was involved in localization, and here’s the proof: Book of Dread has now launched in Japanese!
It was a fairly grueling translation process, but the end result is fascinating to me. It’s a very interesting feeling to see something that you created presented in a language you don’t speak. I can still play it pretty well, though!
Have a look: http://game.goo.ne.jp/premium/game11.html
| Print article | This entry was posted by garin on July 26, 2010 at 8:52 pm, and is filed under Monsters' Den. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |
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about 1 year ago
wow, some incomprehensible language you got there!!
i know a little of japanese; i watch animes too!
about 1 year ago
i hope this will inspire the japanese to make a “manga” out of monsters’ den so i can watch its full anime..woohooo!!!
about 1 year ago
Why am I not surprised that Japan was one of, if not the first to get a translation for this very Japanese-like game (it really is IMO).
Just wait, a Touhou version will come out for it, you just waaaait. (Maybe I’ll make it myself eventually, bwahaha)
about 1 year ago
I dont think so Ghaleon, JRPGs are very story driven and have deep and developing personalities (or at least are supposed to). You make the characters yourself (you even choose which characters you have) and they have next to no personality. It’s much more a WRPG imo.
about 1 year ago
I didn’t say JRPG, Just Japanese. I know it’s considered an RPG. But I mean in terms of gameplay mechanics and whatnot.
about 1 year ago
…why does it seem japanese to you?
about 1 year ago
The way combat is done using your party with its fairly “deep” stats. It’s more than just hp, damage, armor, hit%, and crit% (and elemental resists which this game doesn’t have I guess). But how you can build your characters numerous ways and still end up with a viable party. The fact that the game is also combat oriented also does it. I mean you say JRPGS are focussed on stories, but it’s kind of the opposite. In western rpgs, the attraction is the whole “player gets to choose their own path” business. MD is clearly about the battles and pretty much nothing else.
Anyway, I really can’t say exactly what to my own satisfaction but I tried, despite knowing you think I’m bsing either way, so whatever.
about 1 year ago
I know what you mean, Ghaleon.
Japanese-designed RPGs evolved from early Western RPGs like Wizardry, and that design DNA is still kept alive in Japanese games like Etrian Odyssey. Monsters’ Den has more in common with a game like that than with the genre called “JRPG” OR modern WRPGs.
about 1 year ago
Yeah thanks Garin. MD has that “old school” flavor to it, and Japanese games IMO tend to also be “old school” as well as (especially when it comes to”Nintendo hard”) more often >=P.
I’m actually interested in Translating Japanese/English games myself. But still need to learn more Japanese. I finished the project with TPW EVO as I posted in the forums. It was a good experience overall, I had another guy acutally tell me the translations though.
But anyway did you have to pay someone to do it? Or did you get payed to do it? Do you think the demand for this sort of thing is high for other games?
about 1 year ago
The “deep” stat issue reminds me more of D&D kind of games
(Commonly called RPGs today)
You just play japanese old school games, there are still western ones. Those are though either IFs (Zork for example) or Roguelikes (like, Rogue, yeah). Dungeon Crawling IMO is a western thing.
It’s kind of a stupid issue anyways, there are japanese games that are like western games and vice versa.
about 1 year ago
I play a large variety of both Western and Japanese games, fact is I don’t ever come across an “old school” style western game that’s not actually old anymore. Japanese games still have this feel fairly often even if they are brand new.
Zork or Rogue are hardly new.
about 1 year ago
There are fewer old style RPGs… but you should check out Eschelon Book 1 and Book 2. Very old school style. Reminds me of the original Divine Divinity, cept it’s turn based.
about 1 year ago
Never heard of it…Looks like Exile,which is good. Have you tried Exile?
I’m wanting to get into Elona (not the shooter one), but it’s awfully slow starting and complicated, and the tutorial doesn’t really help at all (It merely screws you over for listening to it)
Do you mind these thread thingies here going kinda off topic Garin?
about 1 year ago
Haven’t tried Exile. Looks pretty cool though, might give it a shot.
Sorry about going off topic. We have to sort through these old games until Godfall comes out
about 1 year ago
Yea i havent tried exile either and i play elona occasionally
whoops whent off topic there so keep up the good work garin!
wermlord out *whoosh*
about 1 year ago
I don’t mind if you go off-topic, it’s worthwhile discussion.
about 1 year ago
Maybe you should think about the language files for the Godfall? I’m sure, that if translation process would be easy, like copying file and change english words to translations, game will be translated to most of languages in 1-2 weeks after release. Or you can check some classic mechanisms like i18n.
about 1 year ago
I don’t understand why all the monster names are spelled phonetically, instead of being translated. For example, “Skeleton” is “skeretonu” instead of “gaikotsu”. I’ve worked in game localization, and it would NEVER be done this way, and retaining the English names of units and monsters, just spelling them out phonetically, would count as a botched translation. Then again, I am not familiar with the Japanese localization market – maybe that’s what the gamers expect.
about 1 year ago
That’s interesting, I hadn’t realized that. Localization was done by a Japanese company, so I assume that’s just the way they want it.
about 1 year ago
Garin: I have a API library that allows for games to handle multiple languages, the only snag is that all text fields have to be dynamic and should be modified to to implement my api object.
The benefit is that textfields then can handle any language.
Requirements are a server, which provides: 1. the appropriate font for download,
2. the translations.
Anyways, just to say, i did code something like that, for fun.