EP2...possible localization?

[strikerhunter]

Hey guys, I had a thought about Episode 2's release being so soon. Do any of you think that Sega is just waiting for EP2 to be released so they can push the entire game over to North America/Europe and not have it be behind in content like PSU was? This was just some thought I had on this today and I wanted to see if any of you think the same way.

This is what I had come to believe but this is Sega of America so I doubt they'll do it.

[kamisama85]

1. They won't
2. There are workarounds
3. They're too lazy to do it.

They did for Rusty Hearts.

[AgemFrostMage]

I was going to start a thread asking if anyone asked Sega about PSO2 at E3, but someone somewhere else already said no PSO2 representatives there and wait for Tokyo Game Show. This implies western release is probably after September.

[Sinue_v2]

No. In fact, if they do localize it, they'll probably start out on the western servers from scratch and drip-feed content as usual. PSO2's administration is following a carefully parsed out content release schedule to keep players hooked over longer and longer stretches of time. They'll probably follow the same roadmap here to repeat the model, especially since so much content is on rotations in the FUN/AC scratch. Plus, they will pretty much have to, since they'll need to completely re-tailor the game to suit western audiences. For one, the AC scratch gatcha bullshit isn't going to fly so well over here. Secondly, the game is simply jam packed with tie-ins and crossover material that would either need to be removed entirely, licensed by their American/European distributors, or replaced with western equivalents. The licensing issues alone are going to be a nightmare to untangle. Well ok, that's probably a bit of hyperbole, but... remember that this is Sega we're talking about. They can't even coordinate with their own goddamned Western corporate branches, let alone numerous third party license holders. They couldn't even get/be bothered to try for approval from Pizza Hut & KFC for their promotional tie-ins to PSP2... and they're American-based companies.

I've heard the excuse that they're trying to shoot for a simultaneous release across all platforms for the West, but to me that stinks of the same bullshit as the "unique content" excuses they used on PSU. Staggered platform releases hasn't slowed their Japanese release schedule one iota, and you would think that their home nation of Japan would be the market they'd be most interested in providing mobile options from the get-go considering how much more common mobile computing/gaming is there than elsewhere.


Also, I don't think it's a good idea for Sega or Phantasy Star's image in the West if they just sit this iteration out. As bad as another botched content delivery schedule would be, by just not releasing the product - you're effectively making the exact same mistake... except with 100% of the content, in it's totality. If Sega doesn't release PSO2 in the West, then I suspect that the franchise can be considered officially dead outside of Japan and SEA.

Given that most of us that play now are either able to through an english patch, or took the time to learn the game like I did all in japanese, I'm kinda hoping they don't localize it.

I mean, if I of all people can jump in blindly and play the game in japanese, then there's nothing really stopping anyone else from playing besides laziness.

Fuck'em, I got mine? That how it is, huh?

I think you're mistaking "laziness" for "lack of relevance". Nobody aside from a small niche of uber-nerds is going to learn Japanese for a fucking game, because it's a wasted effort when there are plenty of other decent games available in English. If they released a new LotR game written and spoken entirely in Elvish, people wouldn't be "lazy" if they decided to pass it up rather than take the time to learn some stupid made-up fantasy language or play in half-measure through an incomplete patch. And Japanese might as well be Elvish for all the good it'll do for the vast majority of people in the job market.

That and it's just the principal of the thing. Most of us play because it's a boiler-plate game with the Phantasy Star title slapped on it... that's all. If Sega doesn't want to sell them a product, it's completely unreasonable to expect people to bend over backwards to give them their money. Fuck 'em if they don't want to work for our money... and I agree with the sentiment.

If you're willing to learn JP for a game, good on you I guess, but Sega is competing for our money against games like Elder Scrolls Online. You call people who don't want to learn Japanese (or download a bunch of patches that the player-base themselves had to come together to translate, build, and distribute) lazy? Then what of Sega, who is too goddamned lazy, incompetent, or just doesn't give a shit enough to bother actually competing for our money. You advocate an excuse for corporate laziness, yet admonish potential customers for not going out of their way to play a game that wasn't even intended for them. You hypocrite.

[gravityvx]

If they release it here, they will not change a thing besides some mild censoring to certain things most likely. The gatcha won't fly here? The majority of F2P MMOs thrive off that gamble shit here, especially the ones that came from korea. PSO2 will be no different, besides receiving content slower than anything you could possibly imagine if SoA keeps up their track record.

And the question won't be whether it succeeds or not, it will be whether or not the small niche community that it has, will tolerate everything they have in place currently, and I'm not talking about the scratch, that is normal. What is way off track are the drop rates, grind rates, affix rates when not 100%, the lack of difficulty, and massive class imbalance.

[The Walrus]

PSO2 would flop hard

[Sinue_v2]

If they release it here, they will not change a thing besides some mild censoring to certain things most likely.

Licensing issues and precedent indicate otherwise.

The gatcha won't fly here? The majority of F2P MMOs thrive off that gamble shit here, especially the ones that came from korea.

Can you name some that has a similar setups to PSO2's AC which are successful? Because I can't really see a game like League of Legends, Marvel Heroes, or (suspected) ESO succeeding where you're not allowed to just BUY the shit you want outright, but instead have to spend real money to gamble virtually on a random lot of junk and repeats in the hopes you get what you're looking for and (/or in the right color) like the world's most expensive baseball cards. Oh, sure, you could sell it in your shop for meseta... if you wanna just go ahead and pay a monthly fee on top of that.

Just the fact that you can't simply buy what you want is already a body blow... but throw a big steaming pile of "monthly subscription fee" on top of it?

Nope. Don't see it happening over here.

And the question won't be whether it succeeds or not, it will be whether or not the small niche community that it has, will tolerate everything they have in place currently, and I'm not talking about the scratch, that is normal. What is way off track are the drop rates, grind rates, affix rates when not 100%, the lack of difficulty, and massive class imbalance.

Yeah, well... I partly agree. I just never said anything about other issues being dealbreakers in and of themselves apart from the F2P bullshittery.

[Totori]

If they release it here, they will not change a thing besides some mild censoring to certain things most likely. The gatcha won't fly here? The majority of F2P MMOs thrive off that gamble shit here, especially the ones that came from korea. PSO2 will be no different, besides receiving content slower than anything you could possibly imagine if SoA keeps up their track record.

And the question won't be whether it succeeds or not, it will be whether or not the small niche community that it has, will tolerate everything they have in place currently, and I'm not talking about the scratch, that is normal. What is way off track are the drop rates, grind rates, affix rates when not 100%, the lack of difficulty, and massive class imbalance.

Censoring? What would actually get censored, PSO2 doesn't really have anything obscene in the game from most JRPG's?

[gravityvx]

Can you name some that has a similar setups to PSO2's AC which are successful? Because I can't really see a game like League of Legends, Marvel Heroes, or (suspected) ESO succeeding where you're not allowed to just BUY the shit you want outright, but instead have to spend real money to gamble virtually on a random lot of junk and repeats in the hopes you get what you're looking for and (/or in the right color) like the world's most expensive baseball cards. Oh, sure, you could sell it in your shop for meseta... if you wanna just go ahead and pay a monthly fee on top of that.

Just the fact that you can't simply buy what you want is already a body blow... but throw a big steaming pile of "monthly subscription fee" on top of it?

Nope. Don't see it happening over here.

Depends on what you consider success, if making a profit off suckers for years through gambling and still going strong is success then, off the top of my head from the one's I've played...yeah, all korean localized mmos. If you can show me a F2P that came west that completely changed their business strategy aside from difficulty tweaks like lessening exp needed per level though, that'd probably make me feel better about any point you're trying to make. You may not like it, hell, no one may like it. But people will still continue to play these games because they enjoy it(or in pso2's case, a masochist), despite these glaring issues, as seen here on pso2.

TERA
Vindictus
Atlantica Online

Yeah, well... I partly agree. I just never said anything about other issues being dealbreakers in and of themselves apart from the F2P bullshittery.

Those issues I listed aside from difficulty are a very major part of their F2P bullshit.

Censoring? What would actually get censored, PSO2 doesn't really have anything obscene in the game from most JRPG's?

You'd be amazed at how stupid people are on this side of the planet, take TERA's Elin fiasco for example, and the still non stop bashing of those said players. You don't see little girls running around in wet see through bath towels in JRPGs, not in the ones I play anyway.

[pikachief]

So then, what will you do they enforce some type of anti-Japanese IP ban?

We'll play the SouthEast Asia version.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06...outheast-asia/

It'll be in English anyways. SoA doesn't even need to translate it, they just need servers. lol

EDIT: I know there's a lot more to it than just translation, but still! lol