Poll: Languages in games

[Arachon]

Imagine that a player character in a game would be of a non English-speaking nationality or faction. How would you like the character and their allies to speak, their "native" language (say if the character is Japanese, it speaks Japanese, or if it is Costa Rican, it would speak spanish) with subtitles.

Or do you prefer that they speak English at all times. Or that they speak their "native" language as combat chatter and similar, but English during cutscenes and the likes?

 

[xitel]

I'd rather they speak English when talking to the main character, but speaking their native language otherwise.

 

[Arachon]

You know, there is an option somewhere in the Crysis config files that enables Korean soldiers to speak Korean, even on non-delta difficulty modes... Just can't remember what it's called

 

[JannixPizzalordofdoom]

Depends.

A game like God of War where everybody is from Greece I would prefere it English since It's highly fictional and I don't know any words in Greece and it would greatly aid the story, I doubt that even Kratos would sound as hardcore if he spoke Greece or just had Greece accent, but anyway... What language does gods speak?

But in a game like CoD 5 which is more historical, native language is very appriciated (It's not fun to kill nazi's when they don't speak proper German )

 

[fallen1]

But in a game like CoD 5 which is more historical, native language is very appriciated (It's not fun to kill nazi's when they don't speak proper German )

He makes a point where in games that like the historical accuracy, then having native language is good. In other games though where it will just get in the way then it shoudl be in English.


Also not to mean anything by it, but being Greek myself our language is know as Greek not Greece.

 

[Halo Fanboy]

I Brothers in Arms you can order around Nazi companions in German. Good for the lulz.

 

[TheDeadman]

All native of course
better atmosphere and stuff like that
(but some languages are realy annoying )

 

[Jursa]

I always prefer the way it should be, because when it's not it either kills the flow or the immersion for me. Same goes for movies and anime. I find something really wrong when that happens, just can't place my finger on what it is...

 

[Arachon]

Yeah, you make a good point.

Thanks for all the replies everyone

 

[1337mokro]

You all know that they are going to speak English because the developers all do and the majority of the gamin community does 2.

So there is really no point in having them speak entire blocks of dialogues in foreign unless it is fairly intuitive to know what they say. Although it would be great to at least have a thick foreign accent while characters speak in cutscenes to add realism.

See Prince of America for how not to do stuff.

 

[Railu]

I'd rather they speak English when talking to the main character, but speaking their native language otherwise.

Hey now, if hollywood movies have taught us anything, it's that foreign enemies prefer to speak in english to each other.

 

[PersianLlama]

All native with subtitles.

 

[CoverYourHead]

I'd rather they speak English when talking to the main character, but speaking their native language otherwise.

Agreed.

Also if they at least had the accent of the native land. I'm an American but I'm still sick of all the American accents.

 

[xitel]

I'd rather they speak English when talking to the main character, but speaking their native language otherwise.

Agreed.

Also if they at least had the accent of the native land. I'm an American but I'm still sick of all the American accents.

Well yeah, but I don't want American voice actors imitating the accents either, that's even worse.

 

[Ace of Spades]

English when talking to the protagonist. Dialects can also make characters seem more real, but I didn't understand a word of dialogue from Little Jacob in GTA IV.

 

[vede]

Well, it would depend on the character.

For minor characters that don't have much reason to know English, they should speak their native tongue in battle chatter and if they ever do speak to the main character.

For major characters that might have a reason to know bits of English, they should speak their native tongue in battle chatter and with other people who speak that language, but speak a sort of broken, obviously barely-known English to the main character (assuming the main character speaks English).

Also, there should only be subtitles if the main character would know the language they're speaking. If not, it should remain a mystery. (Unless the player knows the language, but we can't very well control that...)

 

[samsprinkle]

Native toungue all time with English narrator for cutscenes so I get the gist of what's going on in the war...

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Native with subtitles all the way.

 

[sequio]

As long as they try to be authentic with the languages it's all good.