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When I got home after playing Luigi's Mansion on the GameCube for the very first time, I started to think (a miracle!) about the way speach was presented in Luigi's Mansion. Instead of it being audio, like on most games nowadays, especially on the 128-bit consoles, it was text speach, like in Ocarina of Time.
So, why is it that even though the technology allows it, audio speach wasn't included in the game?
Well, I put it down to costs, and efficiency. Think about how much easier it is for the USA teams to translate Japanese text, than it is to translate it in speech. When in text, all they need to do is stick the text in a program on a computer that will automatically translate it, and just modify it where need be, or even just get someone who can speak both languages to translate it. However, if it's audio speech, the sound files need to be extracted from the game, and replaced using a similar voice for the character.
It is just simpler and more efficient to do it that way. Then, all they need to do is get the European teams to translate the English text into German, French, and Italian (USA teams sometimes deal with Spanish for their Mexican customers) and it's all sorted.
That's why so far Final Fantasy games have used text instead of speach, Zelda games on the N64 have used text instead of speach, and why many other games used text instead of speach.
You'll more than likely find that games intended for just English speaking countries will have audio speach though. There's no need for all the translation, so to make the game look and sound better, they include speach.
Any other ideas?
So, why is it that even though the technology allows it, audio speach wasn't included in the game?
Well, I put it down to costs, and efficiency. Think about how much easier it is for the USA teams to translate Japanese text, than it is to translate it in speech. When in text, all they need to do is stick the text in a program on a computer that will automatically translate it, and just modify it where need be, or even just get someone who can speak both languages to translate it. However, if it's audio speech, the sound files need to be extracted from the game, and replaced using a similar voice for the character.
It is just simpler and more efficient to do it that way. Then, all they need to do is get the European teams to translate the English text into German, French, and Italian (USA teams sometimes deal with Spanish for their Mexican customers) and it's all sorted.
That's why so far Final Fantasy games have used text instead of speach, Zelda games on the N64 have used text instead of speach, and why many other games used text instead of speach.
You'll more than likely find that games intended for just English speaking countries will have audio speach though. There's no need for all the translation, so to make the game look and sound better, they include speach.
Any other ideas?
But text is sufficient in everything. With a next-gen console, surely we should deserve speech in everything?
Tes it is corner cutting, yes it is a shortcut, but even so in most games with audio speach, there are also subtitles (which you can turn on and off).
My preference of speach or text varies from game to game as well. I would have certainly preferred speach in Goldeneye, and I definately prefer it in sports games (commentry), however some games, including Luigi's Mansion I don't feel it's neccesary to have it, text being sufficient.
My preference of speach or text varies from game to game as well. I would have certainly preferred speach in Goldeneye, and I definately prefer it in sports games (commentry), however some games, including Luigi's Mansion I don't feel it's neccesary to have it, text being sufficient.
I disagree. However more efficient it is, it's a shortcut. I much prefer speech in games, it adds something to it that you come to espect in these days of massive storage mediums. Final Fantasy was annoying because you couldn't sit back and watch the screen, you actually had to concentrate on reading the text instead of enjoying the story. Why do you think people don't watch programs with subtitles on? Because hearing the speech is so much better.
In fact, I'm amazed you can actually condone this mehaviour by Nintendo (and other companies). It's not intelligent or even positive in any way, it's just corner cutting.
In fact, I'm amazed you can actually condone this mehaviour by Nintendo (and other companies). It's not intelligent or even positive in any way, it's just corner cutting.
I didn't mean there was anything wrong with Luigi's Mansion due to it's text speech, infact if I remember correclt, you do hear Luigi call out "Mario" sometimes when you press the right button. Luigi's Mansion is a brilliant game and having played it now at Dixons in Cardiff (the only store I know to have one playable), I'm definately gonna get it.
I personally prefer text instead of speach as you can listen in your own time, and if the speach is in a dramatic scene and you don't press anything to continue, it can look vey funny indeed! (Skies of Arcadia).
I personally prefer text instead of speach as you can listen in your own time, and if the speach is in a dramatic scene and you don't press anything to continue, it can look vey funny indeed! (Skies of Arcadia).
Luigi's Mansion is in fact a special game and it has nothing to do with speech, Luigi and Mario are famed for small catchphrases not large speech, they are characters that dont speak as is Link. This is to do with character involvment, although not so true with the mario bros link isnt called Link, Link is YOU and to emphasis this he doesnt speak! SOme characters do speak aka Conker and his voice is chanmged for the Japs as Shenmue was for the English.
When I got home after playing Luigi's Mansion on the GameCube for the very first time, I started to think (a miracle!) about the way speach was presented in Luigi's Mansion. Instead of it being audio, like on most games nowadays, especially on the 128-bit consoles, it was text speach, like in Ocarina of Time.
So, why is it that even though the technology allows it, audio speach wasn't included in the game?
Well, I put it down to costs, and efficiency. Think about how much easier it is for the USA teams to translate Japanese text, than it is to translate it in speech. When in text, all they need to do is stick the text in a program on a computer that will automatically translate it, and just modify it where need be, or even just get someone who can speak both languages to translate it. However, if it's audio speech, the sound files need to be extracted from the game, and replaced using a similar voice for the character.
It is just simpler and more efficient to do it that way. Then, all they need to do is get the European teams to translate the English text into German, French, and Italian (USA teams sometimes deal with Spanish for their Mexican customers) and it's all sorted.
That's why so far Final Fantasy games have used text instead of speach, Zelda games on the N64 have used text instead of speach, and why many other games used text instead of speach.
You'll more than likely find that games intended for just English speaking countries will have audio speach though. There's no need for all the translation, so to make the game look and sound better, they include speach.
Any other ideas?
So, why is it that even though the technology allows it, audio speach wasn't included in the game?
Well, I put it down to costs, and efficiency. Think about how much easier it is for the USA teams to translate Japanese text, than it is to translate it in speech. When in text, all they need to do is stick the text in a program on a computer that will automatically translate it, and just modify it where need be, or even just get someone who can speak both languages to translate it. However, if it's audio speech, the sound files need to be extracted from the game, and replaced using a similar voice for the character.
It is just simpler and more efficient to do it that way. Then, all they need to do is get the European teams to translate the English text into German, French, and Italian (USA teams sometimes deal with Spanish for their Mexican customers) and it's all sorted.
That's why so far Final Fantasy games have used text instead of speach, Zelda games on the N64 have used text instead of speach, and why many other games used text instead of speach.
You'll more than likely find that games intended for just English speaking countries will have audio speach though. There's no need for all the translation, so to make the game look and sound better, they include speach.
Any other ideas?