For games it doesn’t want to pay
Mom and pop shops like Japanese developer Square Enix are having a rough go of it with all the economy stuff that’s going on (derivatives, mortgages, you name it!) and so the company can’t always afford to localize its Japanese games unless it is completely sure they’ll make some money.
One way the company could deal with this problem is to have consumers pay for the games to be translated, Square Enix Europe CEO Phil Rogers told Game Informer.
“[Localization is] a topic that comes up a lot, and we understand why it does. To a great extent, in a really positive way, we’re absolutely humbled that we have this loyal and dedicated fanbase that wants to give us the feedback. We’re constantly working with the teams in Tokyo to show them this and to work with them there. The simple truth is that in some ways the development process and the tools, it’s not always an easy undertaking to reopen a game and add localization subsequently.
“But I think as we go forward, with the way the group is working, technically, and the way it’s now thinking globally, I’m really hoping that in the next 10 years, localization is seen as pleasing all our fans, because it’s truly global and the methods in which we can localize now are vastly improved.”
Rogers called crowd funding a “very natural” idea to fund the process. “I would love to try and work with that, to find a way, because ultimately we want to satisfy the demands of the fans. I think also, our fans are very rational. They understand, and if we explain things, they often go, ‘Oh, I get that now. Thanks for explaining.’ They know it’s complex, or very expensive, and it’s not as simply as you say as using Google Translate.”
Square Enix Could Localize More Games Using Crowdfunding [GameSpot]
