Japanese Gamers Divided on Subtitles vs. Dubs

[Gigaguy64]

Clearly, this just means that more publishers should just include both subtitles and dubs on every localized game - with opinion so evenly divided, why not just let everyone choose to their preference?

Because that takes effort and resources. I doubt game companies care enough to do both.

Eternal Sonata did it, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam did it, probably a whole lot of other games did it too.

If those two games - one of which was an RPG with a crapload of dialogue - which aren't the super AAA titles can do it, I don't see why others can't as well.

I want a choice. I can't imagine playing a Gundam game in English, but equally I can't imagine playing an MGS game in Japanese. When in doubt, choice is preferable to give every consumer the best experience.

Exactly this.

Sometimes i like the English voices in a game and other times id rather read than haft to hear whatever that noise is coming from my tv.
Having a choice would be a great idea.

 

[Amnestic]

Now a good portion of the fans have no idea why Josh was attacking Anatolia.

*cough* Why was he attacking Anatolia? >_>

[sub]I've got SS Ranks on both AC4 and ACFA and I still get confused[/sub]

 

[Avatar Roku]

Ha!

So the Japanese are to Western media as Westerners are to Japanese media.

I wonder if a Japanese nerd has ever said something like, "I prefer to hear the pure sound of the original Western soundtrack. The voice actors are way superior to our own."

Har

As for my own opinion: If it weren't for dubbing we wouldn't have been exposed to the enormous talents of Steven Blum, Crispin Freeman, Johnny Young Bosch, Wendee Lee, Beau Billinslea...etc, etc...

I know what you mean, if it's a language very unlike our own, we just sort of assume that the voice acting is good because we have no way to tell really. I wonder if, when the original audio is really bad, Japanese people download the (just as bad, probably) English dubs and put on subtitles. It'd be interesting to find out.

 

[SUPA FRANKY]

Usually its what I hear first ( i can tell which are bad, mind you). With most anime I prefer the Japanesse dub with English Subtitles, but when I play a game...I don't know, there is something EXTREMELY annoying about it. When I game I go for English dub

 

[Low Key]

I don't understand why voice dubbing on movies and games is considered a second rate experience. If the people who translated the script know the language, wouldn't that make it the exact same experience, except with dialog someone like me can actually understand?

So I guess my response to this article is give the people the most immersive experience possible, which means audio dubbing. Subtitles only draw focus away from where attention really should be paid, at least in gaming anyways. Subtitles on film is a completely different subject.

 

[Gimelbub]

Now a good portion of the fans have no idea why Josh was attacking Anatolia.

*cough* Why was he attacking Anatolia? >_>

[sub]I've got SS Ranks on both AC4 and ACFA and I still get confused[/sub]

I'm not entirely sure, but I believe Omer was holding Aspina hostage and Josh was forced to attack Anatolia to ensure it's safety.

 

[Amnestic]

I don't understand why voice dubbing on movies and games is considered a second rate experience. If the people who translated the script know the language, wouldn't that make it the exact same experience, except with dialog someone like me can actually understand?

So I guess my response to this article is give the people the most immersive experience possible, which means audio dubbing. Subtitles only draw focus away from where attention really should be paid.

Unless you've got subpar voice actors like...well, something like this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAtC1SzWSXg].

 

[funksobeefy]

its not a Japanese import if the English voices have nothing to do with whats going on on the screen

 

[Low Key]

I don't understand why voice dubbing on movies and games is considered a second rate experience. If the people who translated the script know the language, wouldn't that make it the exact same experience, except with dialog someone like me can actually understand?

So I guess my response to this article is give the people the most immersive experience possible, which means audio dubbing. Subtitles only draw focus away from where attention really should be paid.

Unless you've got subpar voice actors like...well, something like this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAtC1SzWSXg].

Yeah, that was terrible, but there have been plenty of native English games with subpar voice acting too. I could see your point if every native language game had excellent voice acting, but that's not the case. I, myself, prefer something I can auditorily understand.

 

[Jared]

Have you ever seen the cutscenes for Star Ocean 4? Dear god what I wouldn't give to get that game with subtitles. I want to hear sound coming out of their mouths when they make motions to talk! It's far too weird otherwise.

Yeah, I know EXACTLY how you feel on that one

 

[Pendragon9]

Now a good portion of the fans have no idea why Josh was attacking Anatolia.

*cough* Why was he attacking Anatolia? >_>

[sub]I've got SS Ranks on both AC4 and ACFA and I still get confused[/sub]

I'm not entirely sure, but I believe Omer was holding Aspina hostage and Josh was forced to attack Anatolia to ensure it's safety.

Yeah, you see, I always think plots like that are too confusing. And though I love AC4 and FA, i wish they would've just shoehorned Nineball into it and made him the villain again. And I wouldn't mind whether or not it was subbed or dubbed. I don't realy care about either. Just put effort into whichever you choose to use.

To hell with Gundam and it's infection of wangsty garbage infecting my good robot games. They're the real cause of it. >.<

 

[Amnestic]

Yeah, that was terrible, but there have been plenty of native English games with subpar voice acting too. I could see your point if every native language game had excellent voice acting, but that's not the case. I, myself, prefer something I can auditorily understand.

That's fair enough, but I've been burned by dubbed voice acting a fair bit. Some of it is decent, but a lot of it is bloody terrible. Having the choice to choose between the ones you prefer, even if they're both bad by most standards, is still preferable to no choice at all.

 

[Composer]

i like the subtitles..... the voices match the person better,
also some stuff sounds really weird translated.

 

[ResiEvalJohn]

Why don't they just include both!?? C'mon people, DVDs have been on this for years. Just include dubbing for people who wanna listen, subs for people who wanna read, it's not that hard. I'm sure the PS3 is capable of that.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Subtitles would suck for a game where coversation occurs during gameplay.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear your plotpoint, I'm *bang* aghhgarr..."

 

[Myrph]

I'm just curious to know what the other 4% thought about the matter! THEY ARE SIGNIFICANT!!!

Also, I don't mind subtitles or dubs, I get different enjoyment out of each! I just hate it when little notes get written on the screen that aren't translated anywhere! If the note is there surely it must have some significance to the current situation, else they wouldn't have added it, but does the fact that it hasn't been translated mean that it isn't worthy of translation and is therefore unnecessary, or is it that its actually a culture specific in joke which would require additional time and explanation for an external viewer with limited understanding to comprehend? It frustrates the heck out of me!