Localization Thoughts

[Justin]

I've been noticing a recurring trend lately. Someone will complain about the long release wait, someone will reply with "They have to translate it! It takes time!", the other person replies back with "But City Folk released at the same time as Japan! Why couldn't they do that with New Leaf?".

This post is about the last bit there. Why couldn't they do the same with New Leaf? It's simple really, the situation in 2008 is much different than the situation in 2012.

Major Nintendo titles released Fall 2008 in North America:

• Animal Crossing: City Folk (heavy on text)
• Pok?mon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time / Pok?mon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (somewhat heavy on text)
• Wii Music (very light on text)

Major Nintendo titles released Fall 2012 in North America:

• Pok?mon Black 2 / Pok?mon White 2 (heavy on text)
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star (heavy on text)
• Professor Layton: The Miracle Mask (heavy on text)
• Nintendo Land (light on text)
• New Super Mario Bros. U (very light on text)

Obviously City Folk was localized while it was being developed in Japan thus allowing a release date so close to Japan's. (like most Nintendo games including Wild World and City Folk) They could afford to do this for New Leaf because... well, just look at the list above. There wasn't a whole lot else coming out at the time. On the other hand, look at the list for this past fall. A main series Pokemon game, a Layton game, a Paper Mario game, plus less text heavy games like Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U.

I think Nintendo of America literally could not handle localizing a game as large as Animal Crossing with all of these other titles in the pipeline as well. Something had to be cut for the holidays and unfortunately Animal Crossing was chosen. You can tell they made this decision a while ago as they never mentioned Animal Crossing at E3 2012 or any Nintendo Directs until last October.

My point here is that localization (re: translation) time may very well be an issue for the release here, the game just wasn't ready. It's not only a matter of marketing/financial reasons like some believe to be the case.

Feel free to disagree though, I'm open to some discussion or I wouldn't be making this thread!

Oh and if anyone mentions Fire Emblem's recent release, that was actually outsourced to 8-4 Play for localization! :O In fact, that proves my point further, they couldn't handle Fire Emblem on their own presumably.

 

[Bea]

I completely agree. I think if the game was finished, we'd have a release date. I think it's highly unlikely that Nintendo is witholding a completed game that their fans have been waiting for as long as we have.

 

[JimmyJacobAC]

Yeah... problem is, games like Paper Mario and Pokemon have separate companies or entities making the games themselves while Nintendo only supervises.

 

[RisingSun]

I'm still of the opinion that the game is finished, although looking at what you've presented makes me think that it hasn't been finished long. There is still the marketing aspect to consider, and games like Fire Emblem and Luigi just does better in NA and EU than AC does. It makes marketing sense to put those out there first, and let the lower marketing games sit for a little longer. They are probably doing some last minute tests.

Personally, my birthday wish is for some news...although I highly doubt we'll get any. <fingers crossed>

 

[Torotix]

I think the game would be pretty much completed by now. The only reason it wouldn't be completed is because they would have taken some time away from the game to finish up on games that were being released before then. But either way it would have been a conscious decision to not complete the game, of course it could have been released a lot earlier but I suppose they wanted to get the other games out of the way first.

 

[Jake]

I've never really cared about the game taking forever to be released 'cause I just see it as the game will release when it releases.

But you did make some good points, and hopefully the members/people who aren't this logical or w/e the word is realize this and see it in your perspective and shut up about it not being released.

 

[Justin]

Yeah... problem is, games like Paper Mario and Pokemon have separate companies or entities making the games themselves while Nintendo only supervises.

The localization of these games are still handled by Nintendo of America/Europe most of the time.

 

[Bea]

I'm still of the opinion that the game is finished, although looking at what you've presented makes me think that it hasn't been finished long. There is still the marketing aspect to consider, and games like Fire Emblem and Luigi just does better in NA and EU than AC does. It makes marketing sense to put those out there first, and let the lower marketing games sit for a little longer. They are probably doing some last minute tests.

Personally, my birthday wish is for some news...although I highly doubt we'll get any. <fingers crossed>

Honestly considering how anxious they know their fans are, I don't see any marketing sense in withholding the game at this point. The hype is dying.

 

[BabyDaisy!!!]

I agree, but part of me feels that they also had other reasons.
I mean, if they wanted to release it in fall, why did they never make room on their schedule to release it at the beginning of 2013, because its almost guaranteed that it won't be released in the first quarter of 2013, and judging from Japans success, they would probably wan't to release it sooner.
They might have wanted to release it then, but there probably is more reasons there holding back.

 

[RisingSun]

Honestly considering how anxious they know their fans are, I don't see any marketing sense in withholding the game at this point. The hype is dying.

Your right...but they are going to put their higher selling games, i.e. Fire Emblem and Luigi's Mansion, out there before the end of the fiscal year to finish the year strong. Although Animal Crossing is highly anticipated, it will not do as well as these other games. Since the fiscal year ends on March 30, it does make marketing sense to hold the game to the new fiscal year. It will still do fairly well, giving the new year a strong start.

If its not done, it is only because they do not want it done, but I think they probably have it close enough to know exactly when it will be done, if it isn't done already.

Holding the game to April makes very good sense from the business standpoint. Marketing has everything to do with how the game is offered. It is the same for every other game they have. It is the reason the Facebook page is currently stuck on Fire Emblem to the exclusion of every other game out there. If the company does not market itself and its product, it will not sell anything. These games have to be spaced correctly to get the most bang for their buck. Its just the way the business world works.

Drat...now I've done it...written a discussion question answer to a school question. <sigh>

Edited to add:

Animal Crossing fans are too diehard to completely affect the sales. Although the hype is currently in a slump, they've released just enough information to keep most people interested. I am of the opinion that we will be getting a release date this month, probably at the next Nintendo Direct. NoJ is well aware that their directs are watched by western viewers, and know just how much they are wanting the game. That is the job of the market research department.

 

[DJStarstryker]

Sometimes they localize a game at the same time they are creating the game in its country of origin. That's why things like Pokemon X/Y will be released worldwide simultaneously. Sometimes they don't localize it under after the game is already released in its country of origin.

Some of the people who are complaining are assuming that once they localize it simultaneously as creating it, they'll always do it that way. That's not necessarily the case.

I do want to point out something too. I think I read something recently how Iwata promised shareholders that, for this coming fiscal year, Nintendo will have a good profit. Nintendo does fiscal years on Japanese fiscal years - starting in April. Maybe he wants North America/Europe copies to be released in the upcoming fiscal year so sales will contribute to that. This is probably also the reason why Pokemon is releasing simultaneously worldwide - so it can be counted in this upcoming fiscal year.

Why does this matter? Because the way Iwata worded things, basically he's promising a profit or he'll step down from his position. He has to maximize his chances for profit, so Nintendo's going to start releasing all of their big guns April forward.

 

[Fjoora]

Is Nintendo in a bad place to have to withhold a game that's already been completed? Or is it all about making the most money per game?
Honestly, because they're holding out on us, I'll probably not buy Fire Emblem and Luigi's Mansion, even though I had previously planned to. All of this is just creating a big grudge for Nintendo for us AC fans. I don't really have that much reason to buy a Nintendo game vs another game, but this is giving me a reason not to. (Except AC)
I'm sure this seems really negative but I'm sure you're all as sick of waiting as I am.
And if they were waiting for a later time so the hype won't die down from the announcement they should look around, because it's been dying down ever since it was released in Japan.

 

[RisingSun]

Is Nintendo in a bad place to have to withhold a game that's already been completed? Or is it all about making the most money per game?
Honestly, because they're holding out on us, I'll probably not buy Fire Emblem and Luigi's Mansion, even though I had previously planned to. All of this is just creating a big grudge for Nintendo for us AC fans. I don't really have that much reason to buy a Nintendo game vs another game, but this is giving me a reason not to. (Except AC)
I'm sure this seems really negative but I'm sure you're all as sick of waiting as I am.
And if they were waiting for a later time so the hype won't die down from the announcement they should look around, because it's been dying down ever since it was released in Japan.

It's all about making the most money per game. I've been kind of reviewing in my head the games they are releasing and guessing at their target markets. You have Fire Emblem (2/4), an RPG fighting game, with the guessed target market of teen (13-18) and young adult (19-24). Next, you have Brain Age (2/10) for the 30+ crowd. The next 3DS game (that I can tell) is over a month later with Luigi's Mansion (tween (9-12) and possibly teens) and Pokemon (back to the teen/young adult market). Since the target market is probably going to be the 20something woman, it is possible they will put it in somewhere in between these games. From a marketing sense, though, if you want to start your fiscal year strong, you will find a strong game to put right at the beginning to middle of April.

There are not many that will refuse to purchase these other games, as much as they say they will. They will buy them to keep them occupied until the game they really want comes out. They may even be wanting one of these more than AC, so they'll buy them anyway. Also, keep in mind that my guesses to the target markets does not mean that others will not buy them, but it is where the company will focus their advertising money. If they try to target a too broad of market segment, they will lose money in the advertising.

 

[RisingSun]

I am so sorry for the double post...

 

[Bea]

I see where you're coming from, and you make a lot of very interesting points. However, if that is their grand plan then they know when they want to release it and I don't know why they would withhold the release date at that point. They know their fans would be satisfied with an April release date as long as we finally have a date so I think the fact that they won't give a date - in my eyes - means they don't know when it will be 100% ready and don't want to put a date too early for fear of having to push it back. I understand the reason for sporadic releases, I think that's valid, I just don't see the marketing sense behind keeping the date a secret.

 

[souljahbill]

Even if they announced (insert random day here), the fact is, we'd still have to wait until that day so having a release date isn't really a big deal overall. I'm sure the release date will be the beginning of their marketing campaign. Release the date, then begin the marketing blitz while excitement is high that it's near.

I really don't think the localization is the holdup at all. Manufacturing may be an issue since Nintendo couldn't make enough carts in Japan but Nintendo is big enough and smart enough to localize the game while in development. This whole thing reeks of marketing. Nintendo just doesn't want to cannabalize their titles. You don't put your home run hitter up to bat first. You put them behind the other guys, hoping they maximize their turn at bat before stepping up to the plate.

 

[Prof Gallows]

Even if they announced (insert random day here), the fact is, we'd still have to wait until that day so having a release date isn't really a big deal overall. I'm sure the release date will be the beginning of their marketing campaign. Release the date, then begin the marketing blitz while excitement is high that it's near.

I really don't think the localization is the holdup at all. Manufacturing may be an issue since Nintendo couldn't make enough carts in Japan but Nintendo is big enough and smart enough to localize the game while in development. This whole thing reeks of marketing. Nintendo just doesn't want to cannabalize their titles. You don't put your home run hitter up to bat first. You put them behind the other guys, hoping they maximize their turn at bat before stepping up to the plate.

"Even if they announced (insert random day here), the fact is, we'd still have to wait until that day so having a release date isn't really a big deal overall."
This is the best sentence I've read involving a release date. Knowing wouldn't matter, you'd still be waiting the exact amount of time regardless if you knew it or not.

As for the rest, I agree completely. They'll want the games coming out to get the right amount of sales or more.
In fact, now that I think of it, if they do announce a release date that could possibly lower sales for their other games.
"Oh nice Fire Emblem is out, I'm going to go pick that up." *AC gets a release date* "Oh nevermind, I'm going to preorder AC instead."

Not giving a release date is, as RisingSun says, good marketing. It let's your other games sell.

 

[JimmyJacobAC]

The localization of these games are still handled by Nintendo of America/Europe most of the time.

Wrong. Intelligent Systems, Gamefreak, etc, all do the localization themselves.

 

[Prof Gallows]

Wrong. Intelligent Systems, Gamefreak, etc, all do the localization themselves.

No, actually, you're wrong. Game Freak develops the Pokemon franchise, and that's it. They are only located in Japan and their jobs are to make games.

Nintendo and it's specific regional teams are the ones who localize them.

 

[RisingSun]

"Even if they announced (insert random day here), the fact is, we'd still have to wait until that day so having a release date isn't really a big deal overall."
This is the best sentence I've read involving a release date. Knowing wouldn't matter, you'd still be waiting the exact amount of time regardless if you knew it or not.

As for the rest, I agree completely. They'll want the games coming out to get the right amount of sales or more.
In fact, now that I think of it, if they do announce a release date that could possibly lower sales for their other games.
"Oh nice Fire Emblem is out, I'm going to go pick that up." *AC gets a release date* "Oh nevermind, I'm going to preorder AC instead."

Not giving a release date is, as RisingSun says, good marketing. It let's your other games sell.

Thank you. Since I am going to school for marketing, I feel this statement validates my conclusions.

While the release date does not make the wait any shorter, for some of us, it does signal the end of the wait is coming. It is like knowing when you will be finishing a class or graduating with your bachelors degree in public relations and marketing. Those end dates are not coming any faster, but you know exactly when they will be here.