XB360 and PS3 download localisation support

[PARANOiA]

But I would like to have the option to buy the english versions of the games earlier and then have that patched to Swedish when it is finally made available. That goes for regular games to, but I can't see how localization can delay games that much since translations can be done in parallell with other tasks.

I agree with this - at least give those of us in PAL-land the option to buy the English version already available in other areas the option to buy a game when it's available without patching support if it's such a pain in the ass.

Reading a bit more into this, apparently the way the submission process works for MS is different from Sony. MS has one submission process, which normally requires games to be available in five languages - English, German, French, Italian, Spanish - and there is one submission globally. With Sony, you have to submit per region (SCEE, SCEA, SCEJ?) and each reason has its own criteria.. so you can successfully have a submission via some regions and be rejected in others, as was the case in BC:R.

I've actually read a suggestion on another forum that I agree with - grouping "regions" into countries via geographical borders doesn't make sense in the global market for electronically distributed games. Group regions by language, so Australia, NZ, UK (and others) get the same release dates as US and Canada. If additional work is needed and isn't ready for launch day in other regions, delay them without impacting the gamers who want the English version which is already complete. And as suggested above, I'd give the option for other regions the option of buying the English version if they choose.

Again (as a previous poster seemed to miss my point) I'm not against localisation. I am against delays for games that add no value to me - especially when the game in the finished form I'll end up playing is already being played by my friends on the other side of the globe.

It's FFVII PAL-delay hate all over again for me

 

[Dominik D]

IIRC even the trophies are translated.

Achievements get translations as well. That doesn't explain delay I think.

 

[manux]

If one doesn't want localised content what is there to stop from importing or buying from other regions stores? In general there is no area codes in ps3 games.

And I generally think if localisation causes a delay to publishing it is a fault in project management. Localisation should be done way before release and only QA is needed to verify all languages in final build. And even then you NEED to have separate people doing the QA to different languages as how many people are there that really can speak and understand all the different languages fluently...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I agree with this - at least give those of us in PAL-land the option to buy the English version already available in other areas the option to buy a game when it's available without patching support if it's such a pain in the ass.

IMO the sensible thing to do is delay all regions one week to release uniformly, or better yet make sure you do all the work up front and not need to delay!

...so you can successfully have a submission via some regions and be rejected in others, as was the case in BC:R.

Is the rejection due to an oversight on Capcom's part, or Sony being awkward? If it's a matter of including languages that Capcom knew about but forgot, that's easily remedied. If it's Sony moving goalposts, the finger of blame points firmly at them.

I've actually read a suggestion on another forum that I agree with - grouping "regions" into countries via geographical borders doesn't make sense in the global market for electronically distributed games. Group regions by language, so Australia, NZ, UK (and others) get the same release dates as US and Canada. If additional work is needed and isn't ready for launch day in other regions, delay them without impacting the gamers who want the English version which is already complete. And as suggested above, I'd give the option for other regions the option of buying the English version if they choose.

That makes sense on paper, but there's also billing systems to worry about. Still, it's all kinda irrelevant. If you know you're going to do localisations, do them all up front and have one release date for all languages world-wide. The only fuss is when one English speaking territory gets content before others. If everything's released at the same time, there's no problem, everyone's happy.

 

[inefficient]

If one doesn't want localised content what is there to stop from importing or buying from other regions stores? In general there is no area codes in ps3 games.

And I generally think if localisation causes a delay to publishing it is a fault in project management. Localisation should be done way before release and only QA is needed to verify all languages in final build. And even then you NEED to have separate people doing the QA to different languages as how many people are there that really can speak and understand all the different languages fluently...

I don't know about all the stores but I know for a fact that you cannot buy from the US store with a JP credit card. And likely visa versa. The card holders address needs to be the same as what you registered your PSN account with.

Additionally the US Video store is completely blocked when you access it from a non US IP address. You won't even see the tab for it.

 

[manux]

I don't know about all the stores but I know for a fact that you cannot buy from the US store with a JP credit card. And likely visa versa. The card holders address needs to be the same as what you registered your PSN account with.

Additionally the US Video store is completely blocked when you access it from a non US IP address. You won't even see the tab for it.

Videostore is out of bounds and my posts were strictly on games.

If foreign card works on usa store depends on the card. Some work, some don't. Not all credit cards need the right address to verify transaction. I know few people who can buy games from usa store with finnish credit card.

If the card doesn't work one can always buy a moneyticket from ebay to ps store and use that. The tickets can be bought with any credit card and then you just type the code to ps store. So no problem buying.

 

[PARANOiA]

Shifty, you make some good points - however I do feel that if the US PSN version was delayed for the Euro certification while 360 owners were playing, there would be even more noise on this issue.

It would be interesting to know exactly what SCEE needed to approve the game above and beyond the major languages that should be available for the XBLA release.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Yes, but I meant delay everything. Why does the XB360 launch have to be a week earlier? I can understand staggered releases on disc based titles where you want to recover costs ASAP, but does a week or so on a download title make that much difference? In this case, BCR is coming out Wednesday 13th on Live!, probably Thursday 21st on PSN. What Capcom should have done is, when they were deciding what release date, thought to themselves 'we can make the 13th, but not with all the localisation we have to do for PSN. Let's delay it a week. And let's provide that localisation to XB360 owners too.'

Everyone gets it same date, same features, everyone's happy.

 

[aselto]

IMO the sensible thing to do is delay all regions one week to release uniformly, or better yet make sure you do all the work up front and not need to delay!

Is the rejection due to an oversight on Capcom's part, or Sony being awkward? If it's a matter of including languages that Capcom knew about but forgot, that's easily remedied. If it's Sony moving goalposts, the finger of blame points firmly at them..

If Capcom "forgot" about additional languages (which is absurd, because the list of supported languages would have to be in the TCR list, something that I'm sure developers and publishers constantly peek at), translation would take waaay more than one additional week. I also doubt that Capcom would translate their game into more languages for one SKU... doesn't make sense at all. It is more likely bugs in localised versions IMO.

Also, delaying 360 and American PSN versions is also not a option. Release schedule for Live Arcade is set several weeks (or more) in advance, developers cannot change it at will.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Well, it depends on what the hold-up is, which we don't know. But bugs in localised versions ought to affect the XB360 version too, no? It's not like the engine has to be tweaked to support Dutch on PS3 whereas it doesn't to support Dutch on XB360. Or at least, it shouldn't! All we've heard is Sony's platform localisation has caused a delay, after a pre-arranged release date. Best guess to date has been regards translation, which, if true, sounds like disorganisation.

As for translation taking longer than a week, we're talking Bionic Commando Rearmed here! I doubt there's much text to worry about. Again though, a lot would depend on how they've implemented UI elements.

 

[aselto]

Well, it depends on what the hold-up is, which we don't know. But bugs in localised versions ought to affect the XB360 version too, no? It's not like the engine has to be tweaked to support Dutch on PS3 whereas it doesn't to support Dutch on XB360. Or at least, it shouldn't! All we've heard is Sony's platform localisation has caused a delay, after a pre-arranged release date. Best guess to date has been regards translation, which, if true, sounds like disorganisation.

No, best guess would be either bugs or a delay at SCEE with certification process. It's highly unlikely to support a different number of languages for different platforms in the same game.

As for translation taking longer than a week, we're talking Bionic Commando Rearmed here! I doubt there's much text to worry about. Again though, a lot would depend on how they've implemented UI elements.

I don't know if there's much story text in Bionic Commendo, I didn't play the original. However, many NES games had some text boxes with some cheesy dialogues in them, so it could be the case here as well, I don't know. Still it's not an easy process. A translator should learn all the backstory, play the game at least a bit, then carefully translate it, then someone else must proofread the translated transcription, correct all misspellings, grammar mistakes etc. send it back to the original translator, then someone else has to approve that, then incorporate the translation into the game, then someone has to play the game extensively to see if everything is right and probably some more steps. Perhaps in case of Bionic Commando the entire process could take less than a week nonetheless, but if they realised too late that they have to support 5 more languages for the sake of it, arranging people to do that ASAP might be impossible as they might be busy with something else!