Not arguing. Just sayin' that it's not some weird fringe craziness but actually the original official spelling on promotional shiznizzle and whatnot.
The day I trust japanese game designers to write the official english names is the day I believe Cefka is correct. They still write "It is a title screen. Something pushes a button." And they expect me to believe in Cefka?! I think not good sir!
From a language standpoint I also don't accept it. Cefka just looks really weird and I keep pronouncing it like Seff-ka. The Ce makes me think of pronouncing celery. Or celebration.
It would be similar to Tolkien's languages (and Old English, too), where "C" is always pronounced with a hard "K" sound, thus "Celeborn" is "Keleborn," etc. It's just that the hard C has fallen out of favor and thus it "looks" wrong to the modern reader.
In any case, I prefer Kefka.
Also, "Terra" is a far better name than Tina. Supposedly they chose Tina because Tina is such a "foreign" name in Japan, but "Terra" works better because it contrasts with "Celes"
I'm not sure I really agree with that, given that the symbolism would fly over the heads of 99% of the audience. Anyway, Terra is a bad name because the FF universe already had an established character with that name when FF6 was first released.
So wait, two people can't have the same name? What about Cid, Vicks/Biggs and Wedge?
Vicks/Biggs and Wedge is the same character. Cid is basically the same recurring character. Trust me, if Tidus' default name was Cid people would not be happy. Let's put it this way, if Terra's default name in FF6 was "Tellah", how would you feel about it?
I wouldn't give a shit because they're two completely different characters.
That's great. I want you to play my new FPS, tt stars a super-soldier named Gordon Freeman!
Super, looking forward to it.
Alright really from your first post in this thread you've come off as a class-A1 Superior-Nippon weeaboo and it's really hard to take people like that seriously
Not arguing. Just sayin' that it's not some weird fringe craziness but actually the original official spelling on promotional shiznizzle and whatnot.
The day I trust japanese game designers to write the official english names is the day I believe Cefka is correct. They still write "It is a title screen. Something pushes a button." And they expect me to believe in Cefka?! I think not good sir!
From a language standpoint I also don't accept it. Cefka just looks really weird and I keep pronouncing it like Seff-ka. The Ce makes me think of pronouncing celery. Or celebration.
It would be similar to Tolkien's languages (and Old English, too), where "C" is always pronounced with a hard "K" sound, thus "Celeborn" is "Keleborn," etc. It's just that the hard C has fallen out of favor and thus it "looks" wrong to the modern reader.
In any case, I prefer Kefka.
Also, "Terra" is a far better name than Tina. Supposedly they chose Tina because Tina is such a "foreign" name in Japan, but "Terra" works better because it contrasts with "Celes"
I'm not sure I really agree with that, given that the symbolism would fly over the heads of 99% of the audience. Anyway, Terra is a bad name because the FF universe already had an established character with that name when FF6 was first released.
So wait, two people can't have the same name? What about Cid, Vicks/Biggs and Wedge?
Vicks/Biggs and Wedge is the same character. Cid is basically the same recurring character. Trust me, if Tidus' default name was Cid people would not be happy. Let's put it this way, if Terra's default name in FF6 was "Tellah", how would you feel about it?
It would be a little odd but it wouldn't be a big deal. Tellah doesn't sound like a girl's name, though.
Also, I'm wracking my brain, but who was named Terra before...Terra? I don't remember.
Cameron_Talley on
Switch Friend Code: SW-4598-4278-8875
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
It would be a little odd but it wouldn't be a big deal. Tellah doesn't sound like a girl's name, though.
Also, I'm wracking my brain, but who was named Terra before...Terra? I don't remember.
I really hope I'm wrong about this but he might be saying Tellah and Terra are the same name because you see Nippon pronounces r as l.
I mean there was no one in the previous five games whose name comes close unless they were a minor character.
In Japanese R isn't pronounced as an L, it's actually a different sound altogether. But yes, the spelling in Japanese would be the same for either name (テラ).
It would be a little odd but it wouldn't be a big deal. Tellah doesn't sound like a girl's name, though.
Also, I'm wracking my brain, but who was named Terra before...Terra? I don't remember.
I really hope I'm wrong about this but he might be saying Tellah and Terra are the same name because you see Nippon pronounces r as l.
I mean there was no one in the previous five games whose name comes close unless they were a minor character.
In Japanese R isn't pronounced as an L, it's actually a different sound altogether. But yes, the spelling in Japanese would be the same for either name (テラ).
None of which has ANY bearing on the US Names, since in the US they are completely different. Japan can do whatever.
Cameron_Talley on
Switch Friend Code: SW-4598-4278-8875
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
The best localizations are when you don't even notice it at all or even think of it being translated/localized in the first place. Such as the Paper Marios or the Mario/Luigi RPG series.
They both have insanely good localization and it's not something that really gets much credit because I suspect that because it's so good people don't even realize or consider it.
L33T HAMMER BROS.
Worst thing I've ever seen in a game.
Oh please, I think it's hilarious, and I usually hate leet-speak. I thought it was a nice spin on "mind-controlled" speech, anyway.
The best localizations are when you don't even notice it at all or even think of it being translated/localized in the first place. Such as the Paper Marios or the Mario/Luigi RPG series.
They both have insanely good localization and it's not something that really gets much credit because I suspect that because it's so good people don't even realize or consider it.
L33T HAMMER BROS.
Worst thing I've ever seen in a game.
Oh please, I think it's hilarious, and I usually hate leet-speak. I thought it was a nice spin on "mind-controlled" speech, anyway.
It's a hoot, but even today it seems a little dated.
I really wish I could've played those games, they look great.
None of which has ANY bearing on the US Names, since in the US they are completely different. Japan can do whatever.
Also, "Terra" is a far better name than Tina. Supposedly they chose Tina because Tina is such a "foreign" name in Japan, but "Terra" works better because it contrasts with "Celes"
Looks to me like you criticize the original script here, by explicitly stating that Terra is a far better name than Tina because it contrasts with Celes. I agree with Terra as a localization choice, on the basis that video game characters should have names that are detached from reality. To give another example form the same game, Matthew became Sabin.
The Japanese naming scheme is based around the same principle. To give the game a bit of a European flair they gave the characters western names.
None of which has ANY bearing on the US Names, since in the US they are completely different. Japan can do whatever.
Also, "Terra" is a far better name than Tina. Supposedly they chose Tina because Tina is such a "foreign" name in Japan, but "Terra" works better because it contrasts with "Celes"
Looks to me like you criticize the original script here, by explicitly stating that Terra is a far better name than Tina because it contrasts with Celes.
Whos to say he would be wrong? Original intent =/= equal the best. Look at music, there's the rare occasion where a cover song was better than the original. The original script isn't inherently better than the localization for any particular reason. If the Fan translations are at all close to what the japanese actually got then I'd actually wager we came off far better in that deal.
Well we're running in circles here because you seemed to be saying that Terra was a terrible name because it was the same name as a previous FF character. Which it's NOT in the US, so that's a moot point....
I DO think Terra is better than Tina because of the symbolism of Celes and Terra. Perhaps that symbolism wouldn't translate to Japan very well, but perhaps that is an example of a localisation effort adding more to the game that wasn't there originally.
Cameron_Talley on
Switch Friend Code: SW-4598-4278-8875
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
The whole names thing is pretty interesting to me. I can't think of any non-recurring characters, even if we consider multiple series instead of just FF where 2 characters have the exact same name.
jclast on
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited September 2009
Okay, so a thread at NeoGAF popped up showing love to all the crazy Working Designs localization content.
It's somewhat relevant, and besides, I'm all for getting WD's efforts more positive attention.
Victor Ireland also posts there, and continues to share insight into what set a Working Designs localization above the rest.
(More on this after the awesome)
Magic Knight Rayearth, the last Saturn game ever released in the US.
It's not nearly worth as much as it should be today.
Victor, on MKR:
I'll answer a few from the thread all in one here:
If you thought the final text in Albert Odyssey was wild, you should have seen the FIRST draft of Albert Odyssey. My initial plan was to only edit that text and have someone else do it all, but the first draft was SO out there, I had to heavily edit and rewrite just to get it down to the "crazy" version that was released.
The girls of Rayearth were renamed for the US to be more friendly, to Marine (Umi), Anemone (Fuu), and something else for Hikaru that I forget. They were RIDICULOUS changes and we flatly refused, especially since SEGA didn't bother to tell us until the game was almost done (and audio recorded). It would have been a DISASTER to use the terrible "improved" US names.
Personally, I feel it's apparent that only the most devout would have bought MKR(considering the Saturn was already flatlined by then), and they deserved something special, and received it. The original dialogue was reportedly very kiddy, and WD made it interesting.
There's only been one scene in a game that we ever had to edit out and re-do because the console manufacturer wouldn't approve it as-is. It was in Alundra, and I thought it was a GREAT double entendre, but it dropped jaws at SCEA and amongst some of the press who got it in the review copies. SCEA made us take it out of the game before they'd publish it. I have a screenshot somewhere of the first version. I'll see if I can find it.
We're still plugging away at Gaijinworks. RPG's, I promise. And lately some other stuff that should make some very happy people.
^Very good news.
And he went and found that scene from Alundra SCEA made him remove.
Suffice it to say... O_o
Okay, found it. This is the puzzle where you have to stand on Meia's head and let her carry you across a gap.
Here's the part where she's carrying you:
And this is what she originally said when she dropped you off on the other side:
We literally got calls from almost all the reviewers cracking up and saying "are you REALLY shipping with that in?" I was happy because I knew they actually were PLAYING the game they were reviewing to the end (becoming a rarity, even back then). We intended to leave it, but SCEA made us take it out. Only time that ever happened (besides the other exchange in this same game that was axed at the same time).
Some other comments of note:
They weren't translations. They were localizations. We NEVER aimed for translation, and that's what set our work off from everyone else, and I think, showed other companies how to do a jRPG for US audiences. Console packaging, localization, manuals, pack-ins, pre-order premiums - ALL of that came in or up after Working Designs.
Lastly, an interesting bit from Arc the Lad's instruction book, c/o the GAF thread:
Good lord. We did more than sexytime explosion jokes, but if you were reading this thread you'd never know it. There was a pretty good concentration of straight up funny and a fair amount of literary references to balance out the pop culture and sexy stuff!
(That Diek page almost got pulled by SCEA, but it made it - I love that double entendre)
Well, I think that if you followed the trajectory of WD localization you'd notice that the frequency and location of humor in the games as well as overall tone gradually got more consistent. There was humor in Arc, for example, but since Arc 1/2 was darker, it had less and it was tucked away from the storyline-driven stuff, unlike Arc 3 which was lighter overall and had a more "typical" WD translation. And since I wrote almost every US version and edited them all, it comes down to my sensibilities, which I would hope have refined a bit in 20 years of this job.
But I'd still do another Diek page. That was a double entendre too perfect to pass up, and like true love, THAT doesn't happen every day.
Keep on rolling, Victor. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.
Bullshit, those Alundra reviewers were lying. They never caught that joke. They had to have used a gameshark. Alundra can't be defeated by mere reviewers in that small length of review time. It requires a year of training to finish that game.
I have to say that of all the games they brought over, wacky jokes would've worked best in the one game they could never bring over: Mystical Ninja. Granted they were bringing over the wrong one (Give us the DS one, not that crappy PS2 one), but wacky jokes would've really fit in that game.
Gilder on
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited September 2009
For another example, if you want to check either of the Dragon Force LPs we have at this board, Working Designs' localization is mostly in-universe and appropriate. Doesn't stop it from being hilarious, but it seldomly breaks the fourth wall.
The only exception I can think of is when Grudar says "If only I had the help of Christie Love..." when he loses a battle. (She was a star in blaxploitation films, or so I heard.)
Posts
Vicks/Biggs and Wedge is the same character. Cid is basically the same recurring character. Trust me, if Tidus' default name was Cid people would not be happy. Let's put it this way, if Terra's default name in FF6 was "Tellah", how would you feel about it?
That's great. I want you to play my new FPS, tt stars a super-soldier named Gordon Freeman!
Super, looking forward to it.
Alright really from your first post in this thread you've come off as a class-A1 Superior-Nippon weeaboo and it's really hard to take people like that seriously
It would be a little odd but it wouldn't be a big deal. Tellah doesn't sound like a girl's name, though.
Also, I'm wracking my brain, but who was named Terra before...Terra? I don't remember.
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
I really hope I'm wrong about this but he might be saying Tellah and Terra are the same name because you see Nippon pronounces r as l.
I mean there was no one in the previous five games whose name comes close unless they were a minor character.
In Japanese R isn't pronounced as an L, it's actually a different sound altogether. But yes, the spelling in Japanese would be the same for either name (テラ).
None of which has ANY bearing on the US Names, since in the US they are completely different. Japan can do whatever.
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
Oh please, I think it's hilarious, and I usually hate leet-speak. I thought it was a nice spin on "mind-controlled" speech, anyway.
It's a hoot, but even today it seems a little dated.
I really wish I could've played those games, they look great.
Looks to me like you criticize the original script here, by explicitly stating that Terra is a far better name than Tina because it contrasts with Celes. I agree with Terra as a localization choice, on the basis that video game characters should have names that are detached from reality. To give another example form the same game, Matthew became Sabin.
The Japanese naming scheme is based around the same principle. To give the game a bit of a European flair they gave the characters western names.
Whos to say he would be wrong? Original intent =/= equal the best. Look at music, there's the rare occasion where a cover song was better than the original. The original script isn't inherently better than the localization for any particular reason. If the Fan translations are at all close to what the japanese actually got then I'd actually wager we came off far better in that deal.
The Pipe Vault|Twitter|Steam|Backloggery|3DS:1332-7703-1083
I DO think Terra is better than Tina because of the symbolism of Celes and Terra. Perhaps that symbolism wouldn't translate to Japan very well, but perhaps that is an example of a localisation effort adding more to the game that wasn't there originally.
3DS Friend Code: 0404-6826-4588 PM if you add.
Did you lose your hands in a fireworks accident or summat?
It's somewhat relevant, and besides, I'm all for getting WD's efforts more positive attention.
Victor Ireland also posts there, and continues to share insight into what set a Working Designs localization above the rest.
(More on this after the awesome)
Magic Knight Rayearth, the last Saturn game ever released in the US.
It's not nearly worth as much as it should be today.
Victor, on MKR:
Personally, I feel it's apparent that only the most devout would have bought MKR(considering the Saturn was already flatlined by then), and they deserved something special, and received it. The original dialogue was reportedly very kiddy, and WD made it interesting.
^Very good news.
And he went and found that scene from Alundra SCEA made him remove.
Suffice it to say... O_o
Some other comments of note:
Lastly, an interesting bit from Arc the Lad's instruction book, c/o the GAF thread:
Keep on rolling, Victor. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.
I have to say that of all the games they brought over, wacky jokes would've worked best in the one game they could never bring over: Mystical Ninja. Granted they were bringing over the wrong one (Give us the DS one, not that crappy PS2 one), but wacky jokes would've really fit in that game.
The only exception I can think of is when Grudar says "If only I had the help of Christie Love..." when he loses a battle. (She was a star in blaxploitation films, or so I heard.)
ありがとうございます！
あたし、がんばって育てますね！
\Speaker(001)
ところで、どんな植物を育てるの？
\Speaker(002)
エッグプランツっていう名前の野菜なんですよ。
\Speaker(001)
エッグプランツ？
\Speaker(002)
きっと、卵みたいな味の実がなると思うんですよ！
エルシオールでは、新鮮な卵が手に入らないのが
不便だったんですが、これで解決するかも！
\Speaker(001)
いや、ちょっと待って。
エッグプランツって、いわゆるナスの別名だよ？
卵を細長くしたような形だからって意味で。
\Speaker(002)
ええっ？
エッグプランツって、なすびのことだったんです
か！？
\Speaker(002)
がーん……。
あたし、てっきり卵の味がする野菜だと……。
これでたくさんお菓子を作ろうと思ってたのに。
Good ol' untranslatable wordplay.
I have no idea what's going on in there.