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XSEED localizer upset Japanese devs removed accidental KKK reference (Kotaku)

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Y

Yekshemesh

Member
chrominance said:
Independent of whether Lipschultz made the right call or not (but oh my god whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy), there's also this weird chain of events that appears? to go something like this:

Lipschultz: haha good KKK joke, let's keep that in
XSEED: uh, well, this seems kind of weird, let's ask Acquire if that's intentional
Acquire: ... (two weeks later) here's a new build of the game
XSEED: oh, it looks like the KKK reference is gone, I guess everything's cool
Lipschultz: I see that Acquire has removed the KKK reference, they totally wouldn't have done that if we'd just shut our mouths about it, please take me off the credits of this game

And it's like... what? This is what you consider "fighting the good fight"? Also, man, how do you let a guy like that keep working for you? Moreover, as that guy, how do you keep working for a company that has told you you will no longer be credited on any game you work on for the company? Like... what is even going on here?
Click to expand...

Future job prospect: So what translation projects have you been credited with?
Lipschultz: Well I worked on this game, that game, new game.
Future job prospect: I checked and you're not in the credits at all.
Lipschultz: Well you see it's a funny story. It started because I chose to die on a hill for a dumbass KKK reference.
Future job prospect: OK I see, well nice talking to you. Cya later alligator.
 
V

Ventara

Member
Why, Tom? Of all things this is what you chose to defend to the death? It's a non-issue, since Acquire changed it, and even if they didn't it still would be a non-issue as that is clearly not the connotation they had in mind.

Zaph said:
Yeah, dude knows he fucked up but cant swallow his pride.
Click to expand...

Better luck next time Tom. Maybe XSEED will change it's mind. Can't imagine this little fiasco didn't make things awkward at the office.
 
W

wrowa

Member
Vamphuntr said:
I knew who it was about only by reading the thread title :/
Click to expand...

Yeah, when reading the thread title I was immediately wondering what he had done today.

He always strikes me as a nice enough dude, but when it comes to "censorship" and "preserving the artistic intent" he pretty much goes batshit crazy.


That being said, XSEED's policy of never crediting people again who once requested not to get credited for one game sounds like bullshit as well. What's the purpose of that rule? Forcing people to be in the credits of Senran Kagura even though they don't want to be associated with it?
 
M

metsallica

Member
Yeah, really confused by the wording in this. Was he fired? "won't appear in XSEED's credits again" is just a "cute" way of saying that?
 
B

Basileus777

Member
Ventara said:
Better luck next time Tom. Maybe XSEED will change it's mind. Can't imagine this little fiasco didn't make things awkward at the office.
Click to expand...

This whole punishment sounds like a passive aggressive way of getting someone to quit so that you don't have to fire them.
 
L

L Thammy

Member
I don't think I understand this story. So there was a typo and it was removed, and the person was upset because of that?

I mean, I guess I'd understand if the appeal was terrible translation, like if someone were to release a properly translated Zero Wing. But I don't think that's what this is?


EDIT:
Wait, is this wyrdwad? I could swear I recall him posting something on GAF about how actual non-hentai child porn should be allowed to be distributed (not produced, to be clear) because censorship is never right. Guy has a really weird attitude to this stuff from what I can tell.

I found the thread where I thought this post was but I can't find it, so maybe I'm remembering wrong. Sorry about that.
 
S

Squire

Banned
chrominance said:
Independent of whether Lipschultz made the right call or not (but oh my god whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy), there's also this weird chain of events that appears? to go something like this:

Lipschultz: haha good KKK joke, let's keep that in
XSEED: uh, well, this seems kind of weird, let's ask Acquire if that's intentional
Acquire: ... (two weeks later) here's a new build of the game
XSEED: oh, it looks like the KKK reference is gone, I guess everything's cool
Lipschultz: I see that Acquire has removed the KKK reference, they totally wouldn't have done that if we'd just shut our mouths about it, please take me off the credits of this game

And it's like... what? This is what you consider "fighting the good fight"? At best, you're fighting for an obscure joke on the extremely small chance that someone on your audience will know exactly what's being referenced, as opposed to "holy shit this game is racist,"? Over the apparent wishes of the parent developer who presumably knows something about why the joke is in there and whether it's worth saving? Also, man, how do you let a guy like that keep working for you? Moreover, as that guy, how do you keep working for a company that has told you you will no longer be credited on any game you work on for the company? Like... what is even going on here?
Click to expand...

Yeah, this has to make the work place kinda awkward. Honestly reads like a first step out the door to me.
 
C

Corpekata

Banned
Wasn't Tom a driving force between a lot of their games getting localized in the first place? After this internally + the PR from this I'd have to wonder if we might see a shift in Xseed's output.
 
M

Mesoian

Member
Dandy Crocodile said:
But the Senran Kagura games actually do have great stories and well-written characters.
Click to expand...

grinb2r7e.gif
 
B

Basileus777

Member
Corpekata said:
Wasn't Tom a driving force between a lot of their games getting localized in the first place? After this internally + the PR from this I'd have to wonder if we might see a shift in Xseed's output.
Click to expand...

Most of their output is set in stone by being a subsidiary of Marvelous.
 
blu

blu

Wants the largest console games publisher to avoid Nintendo's platforms.
So what's next - localizers who insist bug patches get reverted? Since authenticity and all.
 
E

Eila

Member
L Thammy said:
I don't think I understand this story. So there was a typo and it was removed, and the person was upset because of that?

I mean, I guess I'd understand if the appeal was terrible translation, like if someone were to release a properly translated Zero Wing. But I don't think that's what this is?
Click to expand...

No, it's a pun on a company called NKK Switches (KKK Witches). The developers were not aware of the american connotation of the KKK acronym until XSEED emailed them about it so it remains in the Japanese version but changed it in the localized release.
 
A

Alucrid

Banned
L Thammy said:
I don't think I understand this story. So there was a typo and it was removed, and the person was upset because of that?

I mean, I guess I'd understand if the appeal was terrible translation, like if someone were to release a properly translated Zero Wing. But I don't think that's what this is?
Click to expand...

no. there was a reference to some company named NKK switches which ended up being "KKK witches" on a sign in game. the devs apparently didn't know about what the KKK was, so when XSEED inquired about it and i assume explained a bit about the KKK the japanese developers went and changed it. then this dude flipped shit about devs changing their own work.
 
R

ramoisdead

Member
I like Tom's work but man he's been having to put his foot in his mouth as of late. Like everyone said, this was not the hill to die on especially when Acquire found out what KKK means in the west and voluntarily changed it. I don't blame XSEED for doing what they had to do; Tom got his wish alright.
 
T

thepenguin55

Member
Two things:
A. This localizer sounds like an ass hat.
B. Maybe I'm oblivious to the point being made with this move but what's the point of taking your name off of a game when the very next thing you do is tell a bunch of people you worked on said game and requested to have your name taken off of it? Am I missing something?
 
B

Basileus777

Member
thepenguin55 said:
Two things:
A. This localizer sounds like an ass hat.
B. Maybe I'm oblivious to the point being made with this move but what's the point of taking your name off of a game when the very next thing you do is tell a bunch of people you worked on said game and requested to have your name taken off of it? Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

It seems to have been meant as a symbolic temper tantrum except it backfired as XSeed basically told him to go fuck himself.
 
C

Cleve

Member
Pyrrhus said:
Is "hill to die on" the only metaphor we have to fall back on in these situations?
Click to expand...

I think everyone's just in shock at how surreal his decision making is that it's like showing up to a crowd with nothing to add but "huh, I guess that happened".
 
L

L Thammy

Member
Eila said:
No, it's a pun on a company called NKK Switches (KKK Witches). The developers were not aware of the american connotation of the KKK acronym until XSEED emailed them about it so it remains in the Japanese version but changed it in the localized release.
Click to expand...

Alucrid said:
no. there was a reference to some company named NKK switches which ended up being "KKK witches" on a sign in game. the devs apparently didn't know about what the KKK was, so when XSEED inquired about it and i assume explained a bit about the KKK the japanese developers went and changed it. then this dude flipped shit about devs changing their own work.
Click to expand...

So the people at Acquire or wherever were just going for a meaningless name that would be recognized as a reference to NKK Switches and didn't realize that there would be a meaning over here?
 
S

ShockingAlberto

Member
thepenguin55 said:
Two things:
A. This localizer sounds like an ass hat.
B. Maybe I'm oblivious to the point being made with this move but what's the point of taking your name off of a game when the very next thing you do is tell a bunch of people you worked on said game and requested to have your name taken off of it? Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
You are missing that he's trying to claim virtue but also wants all the attention possible for it.
 
A

ar4757

Member
Glix said:
It IS censorship, but come the fuck on, man.

Its not even like you were making a political statement, you changed the name of a company to KKK for "comedic shock value".

Nothing of value was lost by the "censorship"
Click to expand...

the original japanese game had KKK witches because it was funny, the localizer wasn't proposing that

also bandwagon hate inbound on this localizer as per the usual here, even though it's not like he was supporting the KKK or something extremist
 
M

Makonero

Member
ShockingAlberto said:
If you try to change it I swear to god I will cry loudly.
Click to expand...

what a weird hill to die on about "a hill to die on"

Brakke said:
Christ, Tom. Christ.
Click to expand...

what, you're saying his precious teenage japanese adolescent girls should have their dreams of dressing skimpily (not for sexual attraction of course, but because the outfits are cute!) stomped on by imperialistic american localizers who disrespect the original japanese sexism? how dare you take away the spark in their eyes! baka!
 
B

Baliis

Member
I generally like Tom and reading his insights on localization, but this is such a bizarre thing to go crazy over.
 
S

sanhora

Member
I usually agree with the dude when it comes to companies censoring/self-censoring, but this is just silly.
Pick your battles better, Tom.
 
E

excelsiorlef

Member
ar4757 said:
the original japanese game had KKK witches because it was funny, the localizer wasn't proposing that

also bandwagon hate inbound on this localizer as per the usual here, even though it's not like he was supporting the KKK or something extremist
Click to expand...

No but he's the only one who wanted the KKK reference in the Western version
 
J

jstripes

Banned
XSEED: "Um, do you know what the KKK is?"
Aquire: "No we didn't. It doesn't mean that. We'll change it to something else. Sorry."

End of story. (Or so it should be...)
 
V

Ventara

Member
L Thammy said:
So the people at Acquire or wherever were just going for a meaningless name that would be recognized as a reference to NKK Switches and didn't realize that there would be a meaning over here?
Click to expand...

Yup, that's it. Really stupid thing to do on Tom's part.
 
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