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ArcSys Voice Acting [This thread has rules now]

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I've lost half my hype for CF now. I know this is a business decision and all, but I somehow feel like this was also done in favor of the majority who don't support English dubs in general. Like, I don't think enough people give dubs as much credit as the JP cast automatically gets every single time just "for sounding better".

EDIT: Wait, I know why I feel this way.

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I never even understood why people say the Japanese cast delivers lines better or that the English cast doesn't have emotion or the like.  Kanako Kondo sounds so wooden and devoid of personality half the time, and most of the voices don't even seem to fit the characters in question.  The English dub for this series is something that other games should strive for, save for occasions where Strangely Compelling made other randomly swapped out VAs at parts (Spike Spencer as Terumi in those one CSEX arcade mode bits is hilariously jarring.)

That being said, it's a bit silly to be mad over a lack of a dub now.  It should've been obvious it wasn't happening the moment they announced the tentative release windows and how close they were to eachother.  I'm certainly upset about it, but it should've been easy to see coming.  And I'll probably still be buying the game anyways because even though having to deal with completely different voices than what we've had for the past seven years sucks and the Japanese cast is underwhelming, it's still a damn good fighting game.

EDIT: Holy shit are you kidding me with that twitter exchange there?  I wasn't aware having a game come out later while still being the most current iteration of the game made it 'outdated.'  Aksys should know better than to even give those people the time of day.

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TBH, I actually wouldn't mind if they did delay the game for that long to get the dub since I was going to import it anyway and later on get the ENG version. It worked out for me when I did it for CP/CPE and I wouldn't have a problem doing it again for CF. But now I don't really have a reason to get the ENG version. :/ 

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They are allowed to think that it would've been more detrimental to release it later with a dub rather than now with no dub. What they're saying about a dead online or possible update is pretty true. If I remember correctly, Dengeki Bunko came out in NA after the updated version was released in Japan, rendering it useless. (Which, again, is why I don't know why companies can't just code their games to allow for add-on updates from the get-go. It would certainly help their sales and perception.)

Now, if you're not so much an online warrior, your reasons for picking up the game and priorities would obviously be different and wouldn't care if the game was delayed.

I'd be curious to find out if there was something that could've been done so that the localization wasn't so misaligned schedule wise (clearly it wasn't too much of a problem when Aksys was in charge for the first 2 BBs). Because it does take away from the experience slightly if you can't understand the things being said mid-match. And it is "convenient" that they can cite time reasons, save money on not doing a dub, and still charge what they always do because people will still buy it.

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1 hour ago, werewolfgold said:

They are allowed to think that it would've been more detrimental to release it later with a dub rather than now with no dub. What they're saying about a dead online or possible update is pretty true. If I remember correctly, Dengeki Bunko came out in NA after the updated version was released in Japan, rendering it useless. (Which, again, is why I don't know why companies can't just code their games to allow for add-on updates from the get-go. It would certainly help their sales and perception.)

Now, if you're not so much an online warrior, your reasons for picking up the game and priorities would obviously be different and wouldn't care if the game was delayed.

I'd be curious to find out if there was something that could've been done so that the localization wasn't so misaligned schedule wise (clearly it wasn't too much of a problem when Aksys was in charge for the first 2 BBs). Because it does take away from the experience slightly if you can't understand the things being said mid-match. And it is "convenient" that they can cite time reasons, save money on not doing a dub, and still charge what they always do because people will still buy it.

When was the last time a BB game came out over here when there was an updated/re-released version overseas at the time of the NA release?  Even in the event of dub removal and closer release, there's still a window where we're stuck without it anyways.  BB's dead online scene is because it's an anime game and a fighting game that isn't Street Fighter or Mahvel in America.  That's why that twitter post is so laughable, especially given that the dub didn't hinder CT and CS's release at all.

That being said, I'm also curious what it is that suddenly made ArcSys have such huge delays between versions if a dub is involved.  Whether it's Strangely Compelling just being bad at what they do or something else, we had at least two releases where the JP and NA versions came out even closer together than this one is without the dub, and both were even higher quality than CSEX localizations onwards, which had much longer releases.  I'd bet my hat that if they had Aksys still in charge this would be a non-issue, but that's getting into speculatory territory and I'd rather not light that fire again.

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6 hours ago, Orihalcon said:

When was the last time a BB game came out over here when there was an updated/re-released version overseas at the time of the NA release?  Even in the event of dub removal and closer release, there's still a window where we're stuck without it anyways.  BB's dead online scene is because it's an anime game and a fighting game that isn't Street Fighter or Mahvel in America.  That's why that twitter post is so laughable, especially given that the dub didn't hinder CT and CS's release at all.

It hasn't happened yet with BB. It has happened with other games though, which they probably don't want to risk, as Aksys probably can't know what all ASW has planned at any given moment. And it's precisely because the America scene isn't huge that people would want the game at a time when at least a good number of Japanese people are actively playing it. It's one thing to release it a month after the Japanese version, but 7+ months? Yeah...complete ghost town online.

Why the localization became so different after CS they'll probably never say.

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The best clapback was on the PlayStation reveal of the CF Limited Edition

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/08/24/blazblue-central-fiction-limited-edition-announced-dlc-details

The reporter basically asked whether they would have the game now or wait for a dub. Guess what everyone said? 

The actual news isn't nearly as troublesome as the random acts of reassurance that it was the right thing to do. 

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12 hours ago, BlackYakuzu94 said:

I have to wonder how some of these people are going to react if they do release a dub as a later DLC and charge money for it. 

Considering I'll buying the game much cheaper and not new, I'll gladly bring the cost up to $60 total if it means the dub is in. 

Ideally they'll just do a Kickstarter, since money could be an issue here. It worked for Skullgirls and that's way more niche than BlazBlue. 

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Patrick Seitz posted this a few minutes ago on Facebook (It's a long post):

 

"Aksys Games put out a few tweets yesterday that confirmed what I’d been dreading more with each passing month of silence—that BlazBlue Central Fiction would not be receiving an English dub, and would go to market in the U.S. sub-only:

"@aksysgames Basically boiled down to- game now w/ no dub. Game 6-8 months later w/ dub. We made a tough decision, but stick by it."

"@aksysgames For clarification- We're doing one release this Nov, not multiple for BBCF, no dub. No plans for a dub release or DLC atm."

I’m disappointed by the news—and I’m especially disappointed to be getting it via tweet. Reaching out to the cast would have been a simple enough courtesy for Aksys to extend. Maybe they think we don’t much care either way, but many of us do. I know I do.

I’ve been Ragna from Calamity Trigger onward. I served as script-adapter and VO director on Continuum Shift Extend. When BlazBlue: Alter Memory got licensed for a U.S. release, I coordinated with Funimation to adapt and direct it out in Los Angeles, so that we could retain practically the entire cast and give longtime fans of the series a dub with the voices they’ve known all along. Granted, my experience with BlazBlue might be a bit more “behind the scenes” than most—but at the end of the day, I’m a fan, too.

Optimists are making a lot out of that “at the moment” distinction in Aksys’s second tweet, hanging their hopes on a dubbed release or at least English dialogue DLC down the line. Sadly, I am not. Aksys has literally nothing to gain by saying, “Nope, it’s never gonna happen,” except inviting a lot of disappointment and ill-will upon themselves in a moment when some folks are already fairly salty—even if they know it to ultimately be the truth. “No plans for a dub release or DLC atm” is the easy let-down, wherein everybody loses hope at their own staggered, gradual pace—or, ideally, just forgets about it with the passage of time.

If the sub-only BBCF sells well in America, it’ll be seen as proof that an English dub isn’t essential—that it’s an expensive frippery, as it were, and that they were right to release a pared-down version. At that point, why commit funds to a dub after the fact when they’ve already got your cash in hand? And if BBCF doesn’t sell well, no one’s going to want to throw good money after bad by dubbing something that under-performed in its initial U.S. release.

All this said, I’m not working with any privileged information here. If Aksys approaches us to dub Central Fiction later on, I will happily eat crow—and do it publicly, when we’re cleared to discuss the dub. But as of right now, faced with a reality I’d never thought to consider—that after the release of a multitude of dual-language BlazBlue titles from 2008 onward, they’re just nixing the English voices altogether—they’re not giving me much reason to hold my breath.

Some fans just play BlazBlue to whup ass, and that’s fine. But for a lot of folks, the story mode—which has just grown richer with each iteration—is a major draw. The mythos and the relationships between characters have been fleshed out in loving detail, and many among you would rather hear those thousands upon thousands of lines being acted out in English than have to read them.

And what a cast we’ve had…! I think our BB English cast is one of the best fighting-game ensembles in the genre, frankly. I’m not saying that as a self-aggrandizing actor, or as one who’s bummed over the loss of a paycheck. I’m saying that as someone who, like you, has spent the last eight years with these characters—cheering their victories, mourning their losses, and understanding the world of BlazBlue more (or sometimes less!) with each new revelation.

TL;DR version: BlazBlue Central Fiction isn’t getting dubbed. I’m sad about it, irate about how impersonally I found out, and not putting any particular stock in a dub happening after-the-fact (though I’d love to be wrong on that front).

After all this time, it hurts to be told that we’re not so central to the fiction after all."

 

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Hearing how involved Patrick really was when it came to dubbing the BB as a whole really twists the knife on the whole deal. The whole thing doesn't suck simply for the fans, but for the actors as well.

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Wow. And suddenly that one twitter exchange got me more upset and annoyed than the whole "no dub" thing...

Also, looking at how even one of the voice actors seems disappointed actually makes it even worse.

EDIT: Holy crap, when I first posted this, I only skimmed through Seitz's post and was like "So he's disappointed too, huh", but now that I actually took the time to fully read it... Scratch what I've said before - now this is the thing that makes me feel upset.

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It's great seeing all the support for the dub in this thread, in the comments of Mr. Seitz's carnaaageFacebook post, and in the responses to the PlayStation blog reporter. It makes me happy, honestly.

Most others have simply brushed this off and assured Aksys of their decision, but if only Aksys would pay attention to us instead and reconsider their decision.

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2 hours ago, Zaiaku said:

It's great seeing all the support for the dub in this thread, in the comments of Mr. Seitz's carnaaageFacebook post, and in the responses to the PlayStation blog reporter. It makes me happy, honestly.

Yeah Patrick's Ragna is just everything I want in my ASW protagonist. I honestly can't really imagine anyone else voicing him. Much like how Robert Downey Jr. seems to have been born to play Tony Stark, Patrick Seitz is easily the voice that I'd say suit someone like Ragna the Bloodedge. It's what I fell in love with back in 2009 when I first saw the trailer for the console version of Calamity Trigger.

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You heard it here (and on Abyss' tumblr page) folks!

I think it goes without saying the in addition to twitter, those interested in the dub should also use the contact form in ArcSys' website to (politely) voice their complaints.

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9 hours ago, edscissor said:

 

You heard it here (and on Abyss' tumblr page) folks!

I think it goes without saying the in addition to twitter, those interested in the dub should also use the contact form in ArcSys' website to (politely) voice their complaints.

The funny thing is that Aksys is acting like they have nothing to do with the decision of the dub not being there, yet they kept including the word "We" when it came down to the decision of not having the dub in one of their posts . They are just as responsible for the dub not being there as Arc System Works. I don't see why they are acting like Arc is the only one responsible now  when it was a group decision between both of them.

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It may have been a group decision, but keep in mind that Arc System Works has all rights to the localization now, and Aksys have been demoted to just the games' publisher. They no longer have a say in how things are done. Aksys are pretty much nothing more than mouthpieces now. I'm sure they're just as bummed as the fans are, but they can't openly say it because then Arc System Works might just cut off support for the US market like what Konami has started doing.

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25 minutes ago, Solhunter said:

Well, here's a dose of hope offered by Aksys: https://twitter.com/aksysgames/status/769315786175361024

So, people: We need to start being loud if we want our dub.

Until Arc System Works says something this is nothing but lip-service to calm people down. What they are saying now is exactly the opposite of what they were saying a couple of posts ago about the dub not being possible unless the game was delayed 6-8 months. I want Arc System Works answer to this since at the end of the day they are the ones who determine if the dub is going in the game or not. As long as they are silent about the issue no matter what PR Aksys says it means nothing in the end if Arc System Works doesn't acknowledge it.

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