Re: Compromise of Standards
Patrick Arakel (otakun@HOTMAIL.COM)
Mon, 6 Sep 1999 23:48:30 PDT
X-Originating-IP: [209.160.23.213]
Message-ID: <19990907064843.61871.qmail@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 23:48:30 PDT
From: Patrick Arakel <otakun@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Compromise of Standards
>From: terrence huey
>Reply-To: Sakura Taisen Mailing List
>
>To: SAKURATAISEN-LIST@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU
>Subject: Compromise of Standards
>Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 13:02:12 -0700
>
>First of all, I want to say that I have been busy this week so I couldn't
>contribute to the thread. Also, I wanted to mention that I was pretty
>upset that many of you just didn't get the point of the things I was
>saying. But since so much time has elapsed, the raw emotion is gone and
>thus, my writing won't be as hmm... passionate. Still, I wanted to bring
>this up because I feel it needs to be said.
>
>I'm a purist. I didn't start out that way. I watched Ranma dubs like
>most of you... then got sick of Sarah Strange's horrible acting. I
>watched Tenchi dubs... then was horrified at Tenchi's annoying voice.
>It's because of dubs that I am a purist. That being said, my purist views
>can often be seen in my arguments. But in this case, it's not a driving
>force- only an aspect in an entire equation.
>
>I'm still bitter at this nonchalant attitude that is prevalant among
>Americans.
>
>"Who cares if they change the translation? If it's in English, then
>that's all that matters. At least they brought it out."
>
>I think this attitude is a bunch of crap. I think it compromises
>everything I believe as a gamer, heck as a person. So if I had bags of
>money and decided to buy the rights to all Sakura Taisen games, make the
>translation like writing a South Park script, cut out episode 5 because I
>didn't like it that much, took out Iris cuz I hate her, sing all the songs
>personally... despite the fact I'm a guy.... it'd all be ok, right? JUST
>BECAUSE IT'S IN ENGLISH. Yes, you should all be thankful. Because I had
>the wealth to buy the rights to it.
>
>Lemme say that I am not criticizing Working Designs. Vic does what HE
>wants to do. I just wish he would stop saying he's for the gamers, as I
>agree with ZFP and the like who think he's not. He's for himself. He
>likes what he does, and you know what? In some ways I respect that about
>him. I just wish he wouldn't cower behind certain false statements like
>that(oh whoops, i guess I am criticizing WD now ^_^). But anyway, this
>post isn't about WD. It's about game companies in general. It's about
>America business in general. It's about the American attitude. But I
>will focus on WD only because they choose games in which they need to do a
>lot of dubbing.
>
>Let's take this outside of Sakura Taisen for a sec and look at similar
>attitudes.
>
>"The dubbing of Lunar wasn't that great, but it's good for an English
>'dub'. Not that good as 'acting', only 'dubbing' ". It's the same
>attitude all over again. Never mind the fact that I wish for a well acted
>game that was well-acted in the original. I'm going to now throw that
>expecation away just because WD brought it out here at all? I'm going to
>throw my expectations away just because "although it's not good, it's
>better than most"?
>
>Is it really too much to expect a game which came out 3 years before(i'm
>talking the saturn version, or 2 years for the mpeg which is pretty much
>PSX version) to be equal, heck... BETTER than the original?
>
>But no, that's not how it works. The sheer fact that it has roman
>characters supercedes any flaws a game has. It's not the game we're
>after, it's the language it's in.
>
>Thus this brings me to what I'm trying to say. People are compromising
>their standards. I am pretty darn sure all of you agree with me - you
>want a game as close as possible to the original. But somehow, little by
>little, people overlook flaws in US ports just because it's in English.
>People don't care if entire meanings in dialog are changed. People don't
>care that the mediocre acting is affecting how convincing the game is to
>you. (Btw, I was nearly in tears playing the import Grandia. Somehow I
>don't think Sony could do as good as a job, but we'll see). People don't
>care about the game as much as they care about what language it's in.
>
>The ONLY difference between me and some of you is that I stand for what I
>believe in. I have the originals right in front of me and I fully expect
>a port which comes out later to be just as good. Heck, they *should* in
>fact be better. But worse? I don't give into this "Well, they did
>something good(ie put it in english) so that's all that matters" kind of
>attitude.
>
>Or what about another game example? Some of you, i'm sure, have played
>the Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon SuperS game for the PSX/SS. It is
>absolutely the worst 2d fighter I have played. (the super famicom
>version is actually pretty good though). I tell others not to buy it. I
>warn them. Tell them what's wrong with it. ANd you know what? Nine
>times out of to ten, they buy it anyway. Why? "Because it's Sailor
>Moon!". It's absolutely disgusting. I'm upset becaue I actually LIKE
>Sailormoon. I think it's horrible that companies can buy licenses and
>make crap games out of them. But you know what? They sell. They sell.
>I tell others not to buy this game... because as fans we should show the
>companies that they can't just produce crap. Buying crap only encourages
>more crap-production.
>
>That's really the bottom line. I think as fans, you should care what
>happens to a license when it gets picked up. I think as fans, you should
>care what you buy.
>
>The moment you start compromising is when the company has got you. You
>buy their stuff. They keep doing what they're doing with no regard to how
>you may dislike what they're doing. But sales figures don't lie. We'll
>keep getting our Sailormoon SuperS's as long as we keep asking for them.
>If the fans don't care, then tell me... who will?
>
>-Terrence
>
>btw, i'm very interested in feedback. This is a topic I am very
>passionate about. Am I the only one who feels this way? Sometimes it
>seems so. if you want to private email too, that's fine as I'm sure Paul
>will be much happier. But i wanted to say this and I'm glad I did.
>
I agree completely. Subtitled is the only way to go.
Patrick Arakel
Otakun@hotmail.com
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