Game Censorship & Localization General Thread

[SiccDicc]

If you want to see the state of American voice acting you should watch some of those dubbed live action Netflix originals. Some of the most dead pan voices you'd ever hear. I get wanting voices to sound normal but they never can manage to not sound like a bored child reading a passage out the book for the class.

I have, I don't understand how my parents can watch it for their Korean dramas, but they've slowly been shifting to the original voices.

 

[Hyperbolic Steroids]

they've slowly been shifting to the original voices.

Must be nice! Every time I have the displeasure of hearing American dubbed shows I immediately ask what language the show was meant to be in. It's funny that there's no happy medium. In anime it's like this shit and then in dubbed TV shows it's just the most deadpan voices. I feel like they should get better actors for voice acting.

 

[ZMOT]

Must be nice! Every time I have the displeasure of hearing American dubbed shows I immediately ask what language the show was meant to be in. It's funny that there's no happy medium. In anime it's like this shit and then in dubbed TV shows it's just the most deadpan voices. I feel like they should get better actors for voice acting.

that's why original voices are usually the best options (no matter the language), since the source is usually done by the actors who are already acting.

or just watch everything like this:

 

[Stab You in the Back]

Must be nice! Every time I have the displeasure of hearing American dubbed shows I immediately ask what language the show was meant to be in. It's funny that there's no happy medium. In anime it's like this shit and then in dubbed TV shows it's just the most deadpan voices. I feel like they should get better actors for voice acting.

The only thing I've watched dubbed recently was Pokemon Concierge, and they seem to do a good job with the dub.

 

[The Demon Pimp of Razgriz]

Must be nice! Every time I have the displeasure of hearing American dubbed shows I immediately ask what language the show was meant to be in. It's funny that there's no happy medium. In anime it's like this shit and then in dubbed TV shows it's just the most deadpan voices. I feel like they should get better actors for voice acting.

I will cut some slack on the actors in that a lot of the time, the bad "acting" isn't on them specifically, but on the voice director, who hasn't properly directed them on how they should say their lines or what emotions they are trying to convey, so even if the line is delivered well, it comes across poorly because the way its said doesn't fit with the scene, which is usually how you get those lines that it sounds like the actor is trying to force them out every other sentence.

 

[Hyperbolic Steroids]

I will cut some slack on the actors in that a lot of the time, the bad "acting" isn't on them specifically, but on the voice director, who hasn't properly directed them on how they should say their lines or what emotions they are trying to convey, so even if the line is delivered well, it comes across poorly because the way its said doesn't fit with the scene, which is usually how you get those lines that it sounds like the actor is trying to force them out every other sentence.

True. It's one thing for poor delivery it's another thing for it to make it into the final cut. It's probably in some cases just both parties being somewhat uninterested in the content though. Maybe that is their best delivery and it's just I who is disinterested.

 

[BananaSplit²]

Maybe if I knew Japanese I could more easily pick apart differences or regional accents or something, but I don't.

I'm unable to understand full Japanese conversations without the presence of subtitles in moonrunes at the very least, and the problem will persist for a while. Much like how it took me a long time to directly understand speeches in English, despite I was already proficient in reading texts back then.

To me, being able to tell apart voice actors is a matter of paying attention and an habit to consume medias in a specific language, and I have a principle to always go with the original voices. But the problems I have with modern English dub is that they not only sound pretty bad, they often lack the emotions to convey the scenes properly and immerse the player/spectator.

A personal example would be the JP voice acting vs the English dub in Earth Defense Force 5, specifically in this mission where soldiers are tasked to eliminate Araneas (giant tarentula spiders spitting threads to catch their prey and trap it inside their gigantic webs) in the residence area:

In Japanese, the soldier on the radio can be heard shitting his pants and begging for help, as he's slowly dragged closer towards the giant tarentula. Even if someone does not understand the language in itself, the absolute fear can be detected within the voice. In English, the guy sounds merely inconvenienced at best.

It makes me wonder how the English dub in the sequel EDF6 will carry out considering the plot of the game cranks up the despair by eleven. The sequel will feature dialogue subtitles for the first time btw.

 

[BananaSplit²]

Shameless double-posting but still related to the topic of localization

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/01/25/digital/yakuza-translation-video-game-localization/

From Japan to the world: how to translate a game​

Behind the global success of Japanese video games lies a delicate task: appealing to overseas players whose expectations on issues such as sexism are increasingly influencing the content of major titles.

With the majority of sales for big games now outside Japan, everything from slang words to characters' costumes must be carefully considered for a global audience.
It is a complex process that has come a long way since the "Wild West" of the 1980s and '90s, according to one high-profile "localization" team.

"There were no rules, no 'industry standards', and the quality of localization could vary greatly from one title to the next," says the SEGA of America team who worked on Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth — the latest title in the hit Yakuza series, releasing on Friday.

Back then, translators faced constraints including too-small text boxes, and sometimes game developers did the job themselves in less-than-perfect English. It also meant that many games from the era, especially dialogue-heavy ones, never made it out of Japan.

"Thankfully, the industry — and perhaps more importantly consumers — have changed a lot since those days, and we are now able to be more faithful to the cultural and emotional content of Japanese games than ever," the SEGA team says.

Localization is now integral to the design process, with international gamers in mind from the start.
One key example is "how Japanese game developers dress their heroines" as the #MeToo movement changes mindsets, says Franck Genty, senior localization manager at Japanese game giant Bandai Namco.

"We tell them that the cleavage is a bit too exposed, or the skirt is a bit too short," he adds. "Before, they weren't very flexible, but they've become more proactive on such subjects."

No longer acceptable​

A better understanding of Japanese culture among players means adaptations can be more subtle — the Yakuza series is now called Like a Dragon, closer to the original Japanese. LGBTQ caricatures and sexist cliches have also been axed.

"Many representations which were normal in Japan in the first Like a Dragon games are no longer acceptable today," says Masayoshi Yokoyama, the series' executive producer. "We ask our teams in the United States and Europe to read the game's script, and they tell us if they see things that wouldn't be acceptable in their country."

Changes often focus on "alcohol, politics or religion," Froget adds, while cultural reference points also differ.

"When there are people dressed in black boots and big leather coats, in Europe that could bring to mind a Nazi uniform," he says.
With global release dates now the norm, these decisions must be made under tighter deadlines than before. And despite improved communication between developers and localization teams, challenges remain — especially when translating a game into a language other than English.

"Efforts have been made to understand the needs of the English-speaking world," Froget says. But for German, which has longer sentences and other linguistic quirks, localization is sometimes "seen as an extra difficulty" by design teams.

Even so, Froget believes in his mission: "To create connections to Japanese culture and help Europeans discover its depth, while respecting both the game and the player."

The joys of global market (globohomo edition)
Totally not racist or imperialist to sanitize medias from another culture for anything you don't personally approve of.

 

[Celebrate Nite]

I mean, its SEGA. They took the homo cock a long while now

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

The joys of global market (globohomo edition)
Totally not racist or imperialist to sanitize medias from another culture for anything you don't personally approve of.

Time to learn Japanese and exclusively play obscure, unlocalized, lower budget Japanese games from low profile publishers, I guess... Until, of course, this inevitably seeps into every facet of their culture too.

 

[whatever I feel like]

This shit has seeped thoroughly into Japan over the past 20 to 30 years. Shit sucks, yo.

 

[Pissmaster]

I still played the two Bioshock games fully in English anyway, but I may do a new full playthrough fully in moonrunes the next time.

Report back if you do, it's always interesting to hear about how games were translated into Japanese. I loved how flattened GTA5's script got with Lamar's dialog that really couldn't be translated directly.

 

[ZMOT]

I'm unable to understand full Japanese conversations without the presence of subtitles in moonrunes at the very least, and the problem will persist for a while. Much like how it took me a long time to directly understand speeches in English, despite I was already proficient in reading texts back then.

that's always the case, reading and listening are different thing. now, to speak it...
same reason learning a language "dry" without conversation training is usually harder.

 

[BananaSplit²]

https://archive.ph/FQyKr

In an independent translation obtained by Kotaku, we have confirmed the Japanese audio presents the scene the same way. So this isn’t a Persona 5 Royal situation in which the localization alters scenes for the English version while the Japanese version maintains a trope-ridden, homophobic scene—this appears to be a universal change. So if you were considering replaying Persona 3 Reload but did not want to encounter this scene again, you can rest assured that it didn’t survive the remake process. We reached out to Atlus for comment and didn’t hear back in time for publication.

This shit has seeped thoroughly into Japan over the past 20 to 30 years. Shit sucks, yo.

I argue to say this has slowly evolved within the last seven or eight years, namely thanks to the spread and popularity of digital marketplaces (such as Steam, etc.). Harada-san from Bamco said something of the sort during a conference talk at the TGS 2023 and the recent Sega article also confirms as much, where the worldwide releases are more and more common over the separate regional versions (which used to have a long delay in-between).

I also noticed they're the same huge Japanese companies (Sega, Square-Enix, Bamco and Capcom) that have been downplaying their home audience due of the Playstation brand being a shadow of its former self in the Japanese market, throwing a wrench in their game projects relying on graphic fidelity. Reminder the CEO of CyberConnect2 claimed on Twitter that the Japanese game market was doomed because only a negligible portion (of customers + new developers fresh out of school) in Japan was truly interested in a Playstation 5.

Meanwhile, localizers are taking advantage of this ongoing situation to be malicious and spread the idea to the Japanese that the English audience is populated by nothing more than over-sensible manbabies. Can't have characters wearing arm-bands because muh allegory to the Third Reich for example.

I mean, its SEGA. They took the homo cock a long while now
View attachment 5669775

Sega just updated today its harassment policy, probably due of backlash from the recent info we got in the case of Ryu ga Gotoku 8 and Persona 3 Reload.

https://www.sega.co.jp/customer_harassment_policy/

https://www.sega.co.jp/en/customer_harassment_policy/index.html

https://archive.ph/OmrEz

In line with our Group Values of "Creation is Life x Always Proactive, Always Pioneering" and Group Mission of "Constantly Creating, Forever Captivating", SEGA CORPORATION aims to become a "Game Changer" in the industry and meet the expectations of its stakeholders by continuing to provide inspirational experiences that exceed customers' expectations. Against this backdrop, our company always receives warm encouragement from our customers. We also receive honest feedback on our products and services, which we gratefully refer to on a daily basis.

However, following some recent harassment-related incidents towards our employees (“Customer Harassment”), we would like to take the following measures to ensure that our company employees and representatives (“Our Employees”) can carry out their duties with peace of mind.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Harassment is a human rights issue that undermines the dignity of employees and leads to a deteriorating work environment. Our company will never tolerate harassment and has set the following guidelines to respect all employees and protect their human rights.

If our company determines that there has been an action against Our Employees that exceeds the socially accepted norm, we may refuse to carry out or suspend transactions, provision of customer service, or any/all other services. Furthermore, if our company deems such an action to be malicious, we will contact our legal counsel, the police, and those involved in the action as necessary, and take appropriate measures including legal and criminal proceedings.

My favorite part are those three specific points considered as "harassment"

• Defamatory words or actions, or those that damage economic credibility
• Online libel and slander on social media or elsewhere, dissemination and spread of false information about our company or third parties
• One-sided and excessive communication directed at our company's official social media channels

Sega? More like Sega-y.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

Sega? More like Sega-y.

Sounds like they're begging to be trolled.

 

[Brain Power]

My favorite part are those three specific points considered as "harassment"

• Defamatory words or actions, or those that damage economic credibility
• Online libel and slander on social media or elsewhere, dissemination and spread of false information about our company or third parties
• One-sided and excessive communication directed at our company's official social media channels

This is because of the "Yongyea as english Kiryu" shitshow isn't it? They're just proving that there definitely was something more fishy in the voice swap than just "Kurylo whitey and Yong azn". Someone at Sega REALLY has a massive boner for that guy, since supposedly he even missed the deadline for the audition and they still gave him the role.

 

[Mossy Trash Panda]

Sounds like they're begging to be trolled.

Bro, if they call the cops on someone for talking on Twixer, the shitshow will effectively damn Sega in the eyes of the internet.

 

[Mossy Trash Panda]

This is because of the "Yongyea as english Kiryu" shitshow isn't it? They're just proving that there definitely was something more fishy in the voice swap than just "Kurylo whitey and Yong azn". Someone at Sega REALLY has a massive boner for that guy, since supposedly he even missed the deadline for the audition and they still gave him the role.

I was gonna say they were defending Katrina, but that could be true as well.

 

[SuperShibuyaFighter]

Sega? More like Sega-y.

I prefer to call them Gayga. Segay looks better but Gayga sounds better.

 

[X Prime]

Gentlemen, it's time to admit it: the last time Sega was good was the Genesis.