[OT] Games and their localizations

[Andrés]

Well I don't usually check the local game stores but the situation look similar here, most games seem to be translated into Spanish.
Add to this the fact that our language is very widespread so that there are many different accents and regionalisms that will sound strange somewhere else.

ISTR that in Spain they even re-translate games, movies and stuff that is in "Latin-American Spanish" ore some other foreign accent.

I've never seen a game that allows you to choose the language.

[Slynky]

I have Pokemon cards in different Languages. Does that count?

(sorry...just goofing around)

[Alneyan]

*Sighs with relief as Slynky seems to have forgotten his hypotheses involving some intelligence gathering and spying*

Most if not all games with several Languages support are somewhat old, between the early 90's to 1996 or so. It was then usually English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. (System Shock or... *Coughs* Little Big Adventure *Coughs* were featuring more than one language to name but two) I forgot though that videos are *heavy* and so these will likely pose a problem. But texts alone would be enough to placate me.

[Fyron]

I've never seen a game that allows you to choose the language.

Never played Civilization 2?

[Puke]

ahhh, System Shock. Such a brilliant game. I never had the Version with voice acting, until I found it in a bargain bin. Now I cant get it to run on a modern machine, and none of the "Dos Emulators" I have found support games that run in protected mode.

but back to the point, many games (mostly major titles, some minor ones) from the 80s and 90s supported multiple Languages. often you would select english, french, german, or spanish at the time of the install, or when you started the program.

It may not have to do with actuall language issues, but other market factors that distributors wish to control (similar to region encoding on DVDs) or it may have to do with release dates. movies are timed for release in different regions, presumeably because of different market pressures in each area (similar relases effecting expected turnouts, etc) and videogames may do the same. also, international Versions of games often have a later release date, as translation is the Last thing to happen, and the game company does not want to delay the domestic release.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

what, you mean people speak other language's than english?

[tesco samoa]

here games come in english, spanish, german, french ( Canada French, which i believe is 16th century french with lots of slang )

As most products must be english and french