LegatoB said:
So what we've established from all this is that as long as you're not an RPG, Namco knows how to localize you. Great! But it doesn't solve the problem or excuse being lazy/cheap bastards when you're at work on RPGs.
I established that the actual translation/localization is great, I thought. The script for Legendia is top notch, the voice acting that
is present is easily near the top of the barrel for American VA... the
only problem (and it's a huge one) is the unacceptably low budget for voicing. If ToL had been voiced all the way through, it would've been one of the
better localized RPGs this generation.
Oh man, I can't believe I forgot about that. :lol And you people still defend Namco Hometek!
Look, I'm sick of the ZOMG ONE-SIDED VIEWPOINT LOLS attitude. I said that the localization team at Namco Hometek do a great job (which they do) but they're constrained by Namco Hometek corporate, who are huge dickholes and second only to SCEA in the "ruining my chances to enjoy Japanese gaming goodness" category. It actually annoys me more because the team can do a good job when funded properly.
It hasn't worked yet. Why would it work now?
Because as time goes on the pressure to localize games effectively gets higher as information gets better distributed and other companies raise the bar. Chopping out actual game content was SOP for almost every company in the PSX gen but now reviews are far more likely to call a game out for doing so. Chopping voice acting is the way to cut costs this generation but as voice acting becomes the standard that's also becoming harder to get away with.
Basically, at some point the option Hometek will have will be, actually fund a full localization of their RPGs (which'll be good, since the actual team does a great job), or just stop bringing them over. I'd prefer it if they see solid enough sales on the RPGs Namco Japan produces (which are pretty consistently good, IMO) that they make the first choice and not the second. How likely is that? Not very, maybe, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Namco just give up on Western releases of RPGs; but if I buy Abyss, I get to play it, and maybe see more RPGs later too; if I don't, I
don't get to play it and also help guarantee that I won't get to play anything else Namco Japan puts out later on. The latter is, to me, a self-evidently dumb choice.
But the additions weren't a big deal and Kingdom Hearts sucks anyway. I don't see what we're missing! :lol
The additions in FFX were a huge deal. I would've dropped $20 without thinking twice for a second copy of FFX to play with the International Sphere Grid.