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ArcSys Voice Acting [This thread has rules now]

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XBlaze had a few mistranslations but at least those were fixed quickly, and the dub often corrected the written dialogue in areas where it was wrong, and even vice versa.

I think the strategy for the dub if it were to happen is to see how many people buy it up front, then offer the dub as paid DLC down the road to squeeze some money out of the #nodubnobuy people. Only problem here is that by that point it might be too late. Hell, even now it feels like the game is already dead, and considering that it was released early to try and circumvent that, it makes the situation even more frustrating.

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13 hours ago, Zaiaku said:

Naoto calls Es a guy in her arcade mode.

This isn't necessarily an error as sadly the word guy has started becoming used when referring to womenfolk as well.

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On 10/26/2016 at 7:55 AM, Calamitus said:

People have really low standarts if they call CT-CS localizations "excellent".

CSE through CF are clearly the height of localization, and anybody who prefers CT and CS is a fool.  Clearly.

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1 hour ago, Orihalcon said:

CSE through CF are clearly the height of localization, and anybody who prefers CT and CS is a fool.  Clearly.

All of them are bad without exceptions. Aksys added too many unnecessary lines to the original script.
 

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Since it seems likely that we aren't getting the BBCF dub tomorrow. I was curious if anyone was willing to compile a list or video of what the characters say to each other during the start and end of matches.

I'd love to know exactly what Susanoo and the other new characters say to one another.

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They're not going to just magically patch a dub in with the next version update. It's probably just going to bring the US version up to speed with the JP version.

At best, we're most likely going to have to wait 6 months to a full year at minimum for Arc System Works to add a dub in an update. And such an update would be quite large, as in maybe several gigs large.

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9 hours ago, Calamitus said:

All of them are bad without exceptions. Aksys added too many unnecessary lines to the original script.
 

Define "unnecessary". Did it improve the experience or the nuances? You can't just do a 1 to 1 translation and call it good. Sometimes, you have to make things flow more naturally. And even some of the "extra mile" moves like changing the terms used (Archenemy doesn't make a whole lot of sense, anyway) can add some spark to it.

It is possible to go overboard. But, I don't think they did.

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3 hours ago, Vulcan422 said:

They're not going to just magically patch a dub in with the next version update. It's probably just going to bring the US version up to speed with the JP version.

At best, we're most likely going to have to wait 6 months to a full year at minimum for Arc System Works to add a dub in an update. And such an update would be quite large, as in maybe several gigs large.

Considering this will literally not make them any money either unless they charge for it(which is both a horrible idea and very unlikely)I think its safe to say that unless they do an extend version and actually give a damn about bringing the product up to par...that a dub is never happening.

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Patrick Seitz made another FB post, though it doesn't say much that we didn't already know.

Quote

As many of you probably already know, the English release of BlazBlue: Central Fiction comes out in the U.S. tomorrow.

The good news is that, thanks to your passion and zeal for BlazBlue, and your desire for Central Fiction to get the same level of English localization that all of its predecessors in the series have received, the petition that Christopher Snelgrove started just over two months ago now sits at nearly 5,100 signatures. When you’re dealing with a niche like import fighting games, it’s hard to gauge sometimes what sort of reach the dub of a particular franchise has—so to see that over 5,000 of you took the time to show your support and leave encouraging comments is a real shot in the arm.

The bad news is that, for all of our zeal, there’s been nothing from either Aksys Games or Arc System Works to suggest that we’re any closer to an English dub for the game than we were two months ago, when the former first tweeted that we weren’t getting one thanks to scheduling priorities. They softened their stance somewhat in the days following, saying that maybe it was still possible after the fact, and that it was up to the fan-community to let Arc System Works know what we want. I know they’re under no obligation to do so, but I really do hope Aksys has given Arc System Works a heads-up about all the passion the petition has generated.

Mori-san has already said that there won’t be an Extend version of Central Fiction, so our one hope of getting an English dub after the fact seems to lie in some sort of DLC offering—which brings us back to the fact that Central Fiction comes out in the U.S. tomorrow. I’m a big fan of voting with your wallet, but it’s hard in this instance to know what action will prompt what outcome. Will robust sales of this denuded Central Fiction release make a follow-up dub DLC more likely, or prove that such a feature doesn’t really impact sales either way? Will disappointing sales show that cutting the dub was a bad idea, or suggest that the franchise is losing steam, and that axing the dub was a wise business move? Honestly, it could go either way—and there’s nothing to say that Arc System Works hasn’t already made up their mind.

All I know for certain is that I’ve so, so enjoyed voicing Ragna these last seven years, and I’m hoping we get to bring the band back together at least one last time for you guys. 2764.png

 

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9 hours ago, werewolfgold said:

Define "unnecessary". Did it improve the experience or the nuances? You can't just do a 1 to 1 translation and call it good. Sometimes, you have to make things flow more naturally. And even some of the "extra mile" moves like changing the terms used (Archenemy doesn't make a whole lot of sense, anyway) can add some spark to it.

It is possible to go overboard. But, I don't think they did.

Spoiler

cYOhe4U.jpg

There can be numerous examples, i will use this one. The original script has only the first sentence. Aksys decided to add Star Wars reference for unknown reasons. It does not even make sense there.

Hakumen-chan calls Rachel "rabbit" in Noel's bad ending. Yet i hear nothing like that from his Japanese voice. It does not even fit the character. In CT he says "Farewell, Red Devil", yet i hear something about Black Beast (Ragna appears after that). What's the reason of this change? Of course that's nothing serious but the entire game is just full of this "localization creativity". Some characters like Hazama/Terumi, Rachel or Jubei especially suffer from this. They transformed poor Hazama into an internet troll. At least i can give them credit that now I have motivation to learn Japanese.

 

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1 hour ago, Calamitus said:
  Hide contents

cYOhe4U.jpg

There can be numerous examples, i will use this one. The original script has only the first sentence. Aksys decided to add Star Wars reference for unknown reasons. It does not even make sense there.

Hakumen-chan calls Rachel "rabbit" in Noel's bad ending. Yet i hear nothing like that from his Japanese voice. It does not even fit the character. In CT he says "Farewell, Red Devil", yet i hear something about Black Beast (Ragna appears after that). What's the reason of this change? Of course that's nothing serious but the entire game is just full of this "localization creativity". Some characters like Hazama/Terumi, Rachel or Jubei especially suffer from this. They transformed poor Hazama into an internet troll. At least i can give them credit that now I have motivation to learn Japanese.

 

To be fair, there's a lot of references in the Japanese voice tracks as well, though I don't think they're as awkwardly placed as the localization.

 

Localization is a grey area for some people because you have ones that would prefer a literal 1:1 translation from the original script, but that's simply impossible simply because of how the Japanese languages works compared to English where some thing are simply awkward to translate (How many times have literal translations of common Japanese phrases sounded awkward to an English speaking tongue?)

But then you have other end of the spectrum when the original meaning is changed and nearly lost entirely when localized so it "makes sense" to English speakers. Jin and Tsubaki is one of the prime examples since I think there's some intimacy in their relationship that's almost completely lost in the Localization. 

 

So really, I'd say it depends on where you stand on the whole thing; personally, I think BB does an admirable job of trying, but some of the changes are simply not fitting for what the original was going for and most people don't understand or know this simply because they don't understand how the Japanese language functions. Having been learning Japanese for about a year now, it's made me really critical on localization in general and how developers go about it.

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I'll readily take an altered script over Dead On Translation puns, awkward sentence structure from direct translation, and references to Japanese pop culture I'll have to go on the internet to understand.  The benefit of not altering authorial intent with direct translations is kind of lost if the direct translation is weird sounding or incomprehensible after translation.

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The only issue with localization is if they censor things 4Kids style.

When BlazBlue kept in Rachel calling Ragna a pedophile in CS, I knew this series wasn't trying to go down that route.

Arguing localization as a reason against a dub is dumb because those references will make it in whether or not they're voiced. Try listening to a Japanese song with English lyrics. Some things are obviously gonna be changed to fit the timing and pacing, but that doesn't mean that the song itself is utterly misinterpreted as a result; that's a borderline fearmongering tactic.

It also doesn't mean that people who want a dub hate the Japanese voice performances, I like quite a few actually. But like listening to Japanese music, I can only take it at face value if I can't understand what is fully being said. Even if I was fluent, it would still be no substitute for the English voices, and that is the important takeaway that anti-dub people need to understand. It's not hating the inclusion of one thing; it's hating the lack of the other.

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5 hours ago, BlackYakuzu94 said:

Localization is a grey area for some people because you have ones that would prefer a literal 1:1 translation from the original script, but that's simply impossible simply because of how the Japanese languages works compared to English where some thing are simply awkward to translate (How many times have literal translations of common Japanese phrases sounded awkward to an English speaking tongue?)

But then you have other end of the spectrum when the original meaning is changed and nearly lost entirely when localized so it "makes sense" to English speakers. Jin and Tsubaki is one of the prime examples since I think there's some intimacy in their relationship that's almost completely lost in the Localization. 

 

So really, I'd say it depends on where you stand on the whole thing; personally, I think BB does an admirable job of trying, but some of the changes are simply not fitting for what the original was going for and most people don't understand or know this simply because they don't understand how the Japanese language functions. Having been learning Japanese for about a year now, it's made me really critical on localization in general and how developers go about it.

I would much rather read a proper English translation instead of some awkwardly worded literal translation. (which fans of Fire Emblem Fates really loved doing before the game was officially localized and released...)

On the topic of Jin and Tsubaki, I rather dislike how she calls him "Jin-nii-sama" in Japanese because of how out of character it is for her. It's better she doesn't, to be honest. That's one thing I wouldn't have kept in the localization.

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1 hour ago, Zaiaku said:

I would much rather read a proper English translation instead of some awkwardly worded literal translation. (which fans of Fire Emblem Fates really loved doing before the game was officially localized and released...)

On the topic of Jin and Tsubaki, I rather dislike how she calls him "Jin-nii-sama" in Japanese because of how out of character it is for her. It's better she doesn't, to be honest. That's one thing I wouldn't have kept in the localization.

How is it out of character? The entire basis of their relationship is how much Tsubaki looks up to Jin, which is exactly the type of intimacy I was referring to that's lost in localization. 

 

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14 hours ago, Calamitus said:

cYOhe4U.jpg

There can be numerous examples, i will use this one. The original script has only the first sentence. Aksys decided to add Star Wars reference for unknown reasons. It does not even make sense there.

Hakumen-chan calls Rachel "rabbit" in Noel's bad ending. Yet i hear nothing like that from his Japanese voice. It does not even fit the character. In CT he says "Farewell, Red Devil", yet i hear something about Black Beast (Ragna appears after that). What's the reason of this change? Of course that's nothing serious but the entire game is just full of this "localization creativity". Some characters like Hazama/Terumi, Rachel or Jubei especially suffer from this. They transformed poor Hazama into an internet troll. At least i can give them credit that now I have motivation to learn Japanese.

I'll give hive of scum and villainy a pass just for being pretty funny. But, I'd have to fire up my PS3 and go through the CT story modes to double check those other differences. Maybe it's still somewhere on YouTube.

Spoiler

...Did you really just say "Hakumen-chan"?

 

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14 hours ago, BlackYakuzu94 said:

How is it out of character? The entire basis of their relationship is how much Tsubaki looks up to Jin, which is exactly the type of intimacy I was referring to that's lost in localization. 

 

I don't feel it's out of character, but it would be pretty weird to call someone "Lord Brother" in English.  So it's more like it's "out of language," because in English (which the previous commentator is likely used to), people don't express affection that way.  It would feel weird or obsessive to do so, which is NOT the point of that honorific in the Japanese version.

I feel that the English version did well enough in characterizing her, even if it is different than the Japanese version.  Honestly, there being some nuanced differences between characters in different languages is cool to me.  The only risk in that is losing a character's cultural identity, but honestly despite Jin and Tsubaki having Japanese names (and many parts of the NOL seeming very Japanese despite Japan being a forsaken wreck) Blazblue's world seems far enough removed that I don't actually perceive them as Japanese.  Not in the same way as XBlaze or Bloodedge Experience characters.

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On 11/1/2016 at 11:33 AM, Calamitus said:
  Reveal hidden contents

cYOhe4U.jpg

There can be numerous examples, i will use this one. The original script has only the first sentence. Aksys decided to add Star Wars reference for unknown reasons. It does not even make sense there.

Hakumen-chan calls Rachel "rabbit" in Noel's bad ending. Yet i hear nothing like that from his Japanese voice. It does not even fit the character. In CT he says "Farewell, Red Devil", yet i hear something about Black Beast (Ragna appears after that). What's the reason of this change? Of course that's nothing serious but the entire game is just full of this "localization creativity". Some characters like Hazama/Terumi, Rachel or Jubei especially suffer from this. They transformed poor Hazama into an internet troll. At least i can give them credit that now I have motivation to learn Japanese.

 

None of this is bad.  The "hive of scum and villainy" line fits in decently enough without being a really obvious "GEEEEET IT?!" type reference.  It doesn't hurt anything, it falls in line with the way Jubei talks, and honestly I didn't even know it was a reference until you pointed it out.

The game does not once try to turn Hazama or Terumi into an internet troll; that's internet fans running away with somebody saying that because they're characters who focus on pissing off others for story reasons (and just being dicks.)  And I'm glad things like Tsubaki saying "Jin nii-sama" (which feels super out of character for her anyways; there are better ways for her to express her fascination with Jin that don't sound so clashing) weren't present in the text.

Honestly it just sounds like the only reason you're upset is they didn't do a 100% direct translation, which is almost always a horrible decision anyways.  But knowing you you'll just hate on anything that deviates ever-so-slightly from what Glorious Nippon gets.  I never understood this mindset of "any change from what Japan does is bad."

 

Also on the topic of Central Fiction, the lack of English voices are really making Story Mode so much more of a slog this time around.  Not worth waiting for the characters to finish their voice clips, the voices are very meh (except for Nine and Izanami so far), and half of the characters feel like they lost their personality with the emotionless voice-acting that goes with it.  Between this and how Arcsys screwed up the English release like XRD all over again, I'm done supporting them until they get their heads out of their asses in regards to the western audience.

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Well, over a month later and the verdict is in. The story mode just isn't as compelling without a dub. No one is really feeling like talking about it because there's not much to discuss.

Hope they already are making plans for an Extend version with a full English track, because it's been quite an underwhelming experience without it.

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I still wonder if Aksys really cared about listening to us about the English dub. I feel like they just played us for fools because they would've still made money on a dubless Central Fiction anyways, and they did. They kept mentioning that devs needed a "little extra push", but they must have just been leading us on.

The petition has as many signatures as it could get, but that still isn't enough, isn't it?

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On December 4, 2016 at 9:16 AM, Zaiaku said:

I still wonder if Aksys really cared about listening to us about the English dub. I feel like they just played us for fools because they would've still made money on a dubless Central Fiction anyways, and they did. They kept mentioning that devs needed a "little extra push", but they must have just been leading us on.

The petition has as many signatures as it could get, but that still isn't enough, isn't it?

Aksys cared, otherwise they would not be so responsive or voice their own opinions.

It wasn't their final call to make, all they could do was soften the blow as much as possible.

That said ARC System Works has been struggling overseas for a long time now, just to get recognized.

Maybe titles like Double Dragon or River City Ransom will help, but it's hard to get out from under Capcom's Shadow.

Maybe the Nintendo Switch will help.

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On 2017-02-18 at 11:52 AM, Blade said:

Aksys cared, otherwise they would not be so responsive or voice their own opinions.

It wasn't their final call to make, all they could do was soften the blow as much as possible.

That said ARC System Works has been struggling overseas for a long time now, just to get recognized.

Maybe titles like Double Dragon or River City Ransom will help, but it's hard to get out from under Capcom's Shadow.

Maybe the Nintendo Switch will help.

Well, I think Aksys shouldn't have passively agreed with others who let their decision slide just to justify not doing an English dub. And if they were really responsive, I think they would've given a final yes or no answer to the petition instead of saying they needed a "push", then falling silent on the matter completely.

If ArcSys wants to get recognized overseas, then at least with BlazBlue they should've continued with the dub to make it more accessible to the western audience. Maybe they'll do the right thing if Central Fiction gets a Nintendo Switch port.

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3 hours ago, Zaiaku said:

Well, I think Aksys shouldn't have passively agreed with others who let their decision slide just to justify not doing an English dub. And if they were really responsive, I think they would've given a final yes or no answer to the petition instead of saying they needed a "push", then falling silent on the matter completely.

If ArcSys wants to get recognized overseas, then at least with BlazBlue they should've continued with the dub to make it more accessible to the western audience. Maybe they'll do the right thing if Central Fiction gets a Nintendo Switch port.

What part of "it wasn't their call to make" didn't you understand?

It isn't that they passively agreed, they told ARCSys about their objections to the idea almost as soon as they heard there wasn't plans for a dub.  And Aksys has an inside track on how ARCSys does things in-house.  They said and did all they possibly could!

Aksys can only work with what ARCSys gives them , that's how it's always been, sometimes at the last minute.

Lack of budget on ARC's end isn't the fault of Aksys, and unless they bled money, they couldn't have helped it anyhow.

If you're going to point fingers, point them at ARC System Works, Aksys Games did the best they could with a bad situation.

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I'm not going to point fingers, but its not Aksys fault to begin with, they're just the messenger, and yes, while I've read their tweets stating to support the dub, they've stopped mentioning it, and only lately just post their games just to advertise (obviously, since they're a company, after all.)

Either way, I'm going to point attention to this old tweet which I've probably used in this forum before, but may be of significance.

Be aware that they've stopped localizing both GG/BB since BB:CS Extend and onward. And all localizations have been done by a third party. (That a few dustloop users know who it is.)

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