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[Column] ArcheAge: Will E3 Deliver?
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
This week's E3 is in full swing and fans of ArcheAge are hopeful that new information will be revealed by Trion Worlds, the Western publisher of the game. At the same time, there is a bit of trepidation as well. In our latest column, we take a look at why players have a mixed bag of emotions roiling inside. Read on and then leave your thoughts in the comments.
I’m really hoping Trion Worlds will provide those interested in ArcheAge with an in-depth look once E3 goes into full swing. At the same time, I’m a bit terrified because, as stated in an earlier piece by Garrett Fuller, E3 will be the first place anyone will really get a look at a western build of ArcheAge.
Since I’m too far away from E3, and I’ll likely wait for the MMORPG.com report on ArcheAge at E3 as well, I’m in the same boat you’re in. That said, I thought it’d be important to go over some nuances that will likely need to be addressed at E3 proper or as soon as E3 closes and media outlets have written about the game.
Read more of Victor Barreiro Jr.'s ArcheAge: Will E3 Deliver?
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Comments
These in one of the reasons I stoped playing oriental mmorpg. They only care about the oriental players and we need to wait months for the release, we need to wait months for patches/updates and they don't listen our feedback.
Of course, we have one exception: Square-Enix . Like FF XI, in FF XIV: A Realm Reborn, all the patches/updates will be released at same time in America, Europe and Japan and the game will have a worldwide release.
"will likely need to address such cultural differences with the way they present the game to players."
"Will character names or race names be changed for ease of understanding?"
We are not the only people in the world. Maybe we should take the time and learn about some other cultures, instead of "freeing" eeer breaking the game. Those other cultures take the time to learn about us.
Smile
I have ben waiting for this game to hit the NA market for it seems...forever. Its going to be competing with so many other good games and sandboxes that are coming out within the next year, e.g. TES, The Repop, Greed Monger etc etc.
If it makes it out within the next 6 month sill try it but my hype for this game has diminished big time due to the amount of time they have spent getting it to NA.
Archeage is a very risky game to release here.. I can only see a hybrid model or a RIFT like model working to their advantage. Giving it a pure sub would give a very big chance of turning it another Aion, and I would hate that.
I read that Trion were wanting more "westernized" faces and couldn't help but roll my eyes. Isn't the Nuian enough to satisfy the anime bashers/"afraid of being called gay" gamers? They're the European inspired race.
"Oriental" games???
WTH? You still live in the 1900's? I believe they are now called "Asian" games.
Really? World of Warcraft had to make fundamental changes to their game before governments like China and Korea would even let it in the country. On top of that, they had to make a metric ton of cultural changes as well. I love how America is always the bully and arrogant, yet it's perfectly acceptable anywhere else. Pot, meet kettle and he's in a fine fettle. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to ease the language barrier by applying naming policies that our culture can relate to. When I run up to the auctioneer for the first time, I want to recognize him as the auctioneer or weapon merchant or real estate salesman.
To quote a very funny song.... "AMERICA!! *BLEEP* YEAH!!!" Think that wraps up the thought behind this.
Now that silliness is done... Don't change anything please!
MMORPG Gamers/Developers need a reality check!
except for the anachronisms that will keep westerners from playing because it stomps on our immersion like a pair of Docs at a ska festival.
change that.
just not much else
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins
Oriental refers to inanimate objects.
Asian refers to the people and culture.
Educate yourself.
And what of Europe pop-culture ?
Indeed that is the politically correct term. But it puts all of these peoples: Chinese, Indian, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, Cambodian and Thai, under one banner. Which is a bit odd considering their ethnic and cultural diversity.
I do wonder how much we would not understand if the game was just translated into English. It would be interesting to see how much of a problem this actually caused players.
Hi bcbully!
FYI, I'm a Filipino, living in the Philippines, so I'm not sure what your frame of reference is.
I understand the message you want to impart, and I'm actually of like mind in that I don't think localization should greatly impact translations of names or races. At the same time, if the Korean implementation of the game uses something that doesn't sound palatable to English-speaking audiences (for instance, if a fantasy name is easy to say in Korean but difficult to pronounce in English, wouldn't altering the name to refer to its context be better than forcing a bad translation out?
That's one of the things I've learned from watching fans sub anime or translators translating books (like Haruki Murakami novels). Balancing accurate translation with maintaining the voice or gravitas of the author or the world setting is difficult, but I'm hoping Trion Worlds can localize the game without sacrificing the "feel" of the world itself.
Cheers!
A writer and gamer from the Philippines. Loves his mom dearly.
Can also be found on http://www.gamesandgeekery.com
What is with the hate with other races appearances... I hope Trion doesn't "Westernise" the appearance of anything else or otherwise it wouldn't be ArcheAge. Plus the character creation videos I've seen show that their are already Western looking options anyways.
Smile
Races were westernized in TERA and will be done in other Asian games to fit the sensibilities of the western market. If you think it doesn't happen, you are fooling yourself.
Trion basically screwed themselves when they dumped most of the people working on Rift. Defiance is mediocre at best so I don't see Trion having a great or even good track record. EnMasse screwed up TERA but they did have decent translations, etc.
That's why they call it "localization". It's the responsibility of the distributor to address that issue. Don't blame American gaming companies for not addressing these sorts of things for players from other countries. You want localization, then play on European servers and if they don't localize, then blame whoever distributes there, not the parent company that is leasing the rights to the distributor.