Foreign Language Games with English Subtitles - Would you Purchase?

Inquiring minds would like to know.....

Would you be willing to purchase a game that you have pining for if the only way to get it to the English speaking market would be by selling a foreign language game with English subtitles?

Would you pay "full price" or do you feel it should be less expensive than a comparable game?

Would you still hold out in the hopes that if enough other folks purchase the game, they would then have the money to voice over even though it's not currently planned?

Thanks for giving your opinions.

Ana

I might if it was a language I wanted to learn. I wouldn't pay full price. I am playing Broken Sword 2.5. It is in German, and I find I am learning words as I go, not well but learning. I still can't get out of the well, but still trying.

Charllotte

Ana

If I understand you right...No I wouldn't pay full price for foreign language game with English subtitles..

But...I would buy it for less..

Ana,

I'm not sure if I would or not. It would defintely have to be something I really, really wanted and knew that there was no other way to get it, then yeah, I probably would. But...I would not pay full price for it, then again, if I wanted it that bad, I just might. I say that only because I know me and if I really wanted it, I would probably pay for it.
Barbara

Hi BrownEyedTigre

If it was the only way to get an "English" version of a game I really wanted then yes I definitely would !!

And I would pay the full price too.
Why should it be cheaper to "add" English subtitles for us English speaking folks ??
Every country doesn't necessarily regard English as the most important language on earth.
And would we add subtitles in another language and then reduce the price ??

Of course, I would still hold out hopes that the sales would be sufficient to warrant a full English release - if only for the good sales figures for the developers - but I might not be prepared to wait and see - in case that didn't prove to be the case

Cheers.

Mad

I'd love to have foreign language versions with English subtitles if the foreign language were well voiced. I played Quiet Weekend in Capri in Italian with English subtitles. It was great hearing the Italian spoken in an Italian setting. And no, I'm not fluent in Italian by any means.

I'd much prefer a game spoken in the original language with English subtitles to a game with poor quality English voice acting. I might even pay more for the foreign language version, especially if the voice acting was good. (I am remembering a sound sample of the Swedish version of TLJ, where April was played by a famous Swedish actress. She was awesome.) It would be even more interesting if there were subtitles in both English and the foreign language.

Ana

I might if it is a game I wanted bad enough. But that would have to be a really great game and no other way to get it. I just don't know. Well if did get a game like that the language would probably get on my nerves and disturb my thought process in the game. So I would have to turn the voice sound off why I played the game maybe that would work, because I would be relying on the subtitles anyhow. Well that is my thoughts about it.

Trinny3 ....

I recently(ish) played Broken Sword 2.5 with speech in German and subtitles in English - and I don't speak German - but once I became engrossed in the game, I hardly noticed the German at all

No!...No Way Most games have too much reading in them already.

*Just Say No To Reading*

I too enjoyed Broken Sword 2.5 in German even though I don't speak a word of it. My husband really found it funny to hear all that German being spoken and me so wrapped up in the game. Of course, the game was free and I loved the first two BS games, so I don't really know if I would buy another subtitled game.

Sure would, as long as it was on disk. I've played a couple in other languages with English subtitles, and it didn't detract from the game at all for me. And ditto what Mad said about the price. I'm afraid there may come a day in the not too distant future when we can't get adventure games in any language.

I haven't though about that. I think it depends on the language...
I get used to play games in English language so now even in Greek it would be very strange for me. I even choose english subs although in some games i have the option to choose Greek subs

Yes! I'd definitely buy games with english subtitles & pay the full price providing they were disc versions. Broken Sword 2.5 is the only subtitled game I've played but I've enjoyed a few foreign language films with subtitles - the mind quickly adapts & I often remember them afterwards as being spoken in english!

--BrownEyedTigre, Thanks for the excellent topic.

I would gladly pay full price now for this one, with English subtitles...
"Edna Bricht Aus" (aka "Edna & Harvey: the Breakout") (website translated by Google)
The developers look very promising... Daedalic Entertainment

The huge expense and effort of English voiceovers is a great obstacle for Developers.
Is it worth it for them, to make this large investment?
This problem can cause extremely long delays, or kill the English release completely.

There are many other examples of Great Adventure games, created in a native language other than English.
I may Never enjoy these games, if I insist on English voiceovers.

Hmm, I would probably pay full price for a game with only english subtitles, if it never comes with english voiceover.

That said, if a game came out in my own language - danish - I definitely wouldn't buy it.
To me it would be too strange to hear or even read my own language in an adventure game! No way! lol.

Here in denmark english is more or less our second language - you could say we're being fed it from the moment we're born
So, adventure games to me ARE english - and that's just a fact.

I use subtitles all the time, so I have no problem with what language is spoken aloud. But, they must be good subtitles, at the bottom of the screan, a good clear font and all the script not just conversations.

As a kid I pretty much learned English and German by playing adventure games in those languages. So I wouldn't mind to learn (as well as I can) more languages this way, even if the learning process might be slower now.

The problem is that I'm not aware of any adventure games I'm interested in that have been originally voiced in other languages than those I know. The only such game is Outcry (Sublustrum) in Russian, but its esoteric and scientific texts are too complex for a beginner. Besides it is only one game in that language I would play.

I wouldn't mind playing a game with English subtitles. I watch movies with subtitles all the time so I do not care.
I wouldn't mind paying full price, either.

If it gets the game out in English speaking territories, why not?

Yes, and yes to full price.

If I was really interested in the game itself I would, but would prefer it to be in English as voice acting is part of the appeal of a game for me.

Hi pamella, I do agree with you, but would you agree that could you could appreciate the voice acting in a foreign language to a certain extent if it had english subtitles? Especially, if it meant that you could play a game that wouldn't otherwise be made with english voice actors. Also I have to agree with Jenny100 in that I'd prefer a foreign language game with english subtitles over an english version with inferior voice acting.

I see your point Chrissie. It could actually be a blessing having the subtitles. I thought Broken Sword 2.5 seemed good (what I've played of it) though I guess I couldn't fully appreciate the voice acting as I don't speak German. In games with inferior English voice acting it might be good to have the option to turn the speech off and only have the subtitles.

So would I.


Not just voiceovers. Lip synching too. I understand this is one of the problems with getting an English version of ***Yoomurjak's Ring***. It is an FMV game with live actors in it (speaking Hungarian, I think). Even if they could voice the game in English, the lip synching would obviously be off unless they refilmed the whole movie. Imagine the expense of that.

Depends on if it is a game i am very interested in...also would depend on if it was a game with a LOT of dialogue..because sometimes the English translation becomes confusing...a word may be spelled correctly but really it is the Other spelling of a word that sounds the same that is meant to be in the translation. I have run across this many, many times. Most of the time you can pretty much figure out what is really meant..but sometimes it can throw you! Might want to check who the developer is and if you've played any other games from them and if you had a problem with the translated subtitles.

Homophones. Like sew and sow. (Hi Jenny100!)

I don't mind at all what the spoken language in a game is, as long as there's an option for subtitling in a language I understand. There are no more AG's with Dutch voicing for years now, so I have to fall back to English, French or German anyway. Would I pay the full price for a game spoken in a foreign language? YES! Considering the costs that are involved with the creation of a game and the relative small amount of potential buyers, I like to support the developers who are still willing to supply us with new games.

Yes I would play games with English subtitles, and yes I would consider paying the same as I would be prepared to pay for an English speaking version. Watch enough subtitled movies!

(Are publishers / developers actively considering this?)

It is a possiblity that games that otherwise may not be able to be released here for a variety of reasons, some of them high on your wants list, would be able to be released under these terms if the demand is there. Otherwise the alternative is that they do not make it here and we will not have the opportunity to play them.

Ana

And it has the possibility of working in the reverse. If there is enough demand there for subtitled games then will a lot of non English Publisher/Developers not even bother with any English voiced games.....Two sides to the coin...Think about it.

There will always be English voiced games GreyFuss, many of them start that way. For the ones that are created in Russia and Germany for instance that cannot afford to do it in their native tongue and then localize it to ours, it opens a new world of games to us.

How many threads have been started asking why we can't get a certain game or why does it take so long? Given the economic climate right now and the problems that are facing publishers and developers many cannot afford the risk to spend so much money on localization. If we would be willing to play some with "good English subtitles", we can play a lot more games.

Ana

Be careful what you wish for.

"If the English will buy our game anyway, with just subtitles, why bother with the voices." Makes perfect logic if you are a developer/publisher.

You can look at a glass as half empty or half full. I prefer the half full.

Ana

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Sheriff, you get the side of the glass filled with subtitles

touché

Ana

What's wrong with wishing for a game with subtitles over no game at all? It's not like adventure game developers are rolling in money to create their games. And it's not like there are that many games being developed in English speaking countries anymore.

I feel that opening up another "game" avenue by adding English subtitles to a foreign designed game is a real bonus and definitely something to wish for

Me too, Mad,
I'm already wishing for it, very definitly! So YES all the way and full price too!
Ths is a great thread and I hope it helps make this happen.

Yes all the way for me too, Ana!

In Holland even Walt Disney movies are released with Dutch voices and with original voices, because everyone over 8 wants to see (and hear) the original.
So of course I prefer a game with subtitles over no game at all. BUT only if it has the original voices. A lot of games are made in Russia or eastern Europe and are translated only to German and/or French.
I won't spend money on a game that had Polish speech, was then dubbed with German voices and was then again translated to English for subtitles.

I've been waiting a long time now for Yoomurjak's Ring. Is it really true we don't get an English version because of lipsync problems? That's the silliest excuse I've ever heard. Can't think of anything less important than that. Another sign of developers/publishers focussing on the wrong elements of gameplay?

I'm also interested. Possibly I would even prefer many games to have English subtitles and original voices to full localizations.

I think it's important that all of you keep in mind that the English speaking market is NOT the main market for AG's any more. The main market at the moment is continental Europe. With the current recession it's hard for developers and distributors to get financing for games anyway, maybe it's time to appreciate those who still supply us with games, no matter what language!

Yes, of course, I would. I loved Yormujak's Ting for being in Hungarian with English subtitles. Gave it a more authentic feel to the game.

I'd prefed a game released with English subtitles rather than not having a game released at all.