Yes, we have bananas... but no PTW

Alex · November 6, 2002, 17:41

Well, apparently the nice folks from Infogrames have forgotten us here in Brazil. There are no news about PTW, or when it might be released around here.

In mid-September, there was a quick note in a news site informing that Infogrames was expected to release PTW in Brazil by mid-October... And nothing more.

No news after that. So, mighty Infogrames, when will we see PTW in our store shelves?

Adm.Naismith · November 6, 2002, 18:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Alexnm
Well, apparently the nice folks from Infogrames have forgotten us here in Brazil. There are no news about PTW, or when it might be released around here.

What's all this hurry? Just eat some banana (great fruit, BTW) while waiting for a more stable, patched, PTW.

The only doubt I have is because if I wait too much I'll miss the international english version, and I don't want a bad translated version that will force me to wait a month for a translated patch

Adagio · November 7, 2002, 06:03

Well...there haven't been any news about the game here either...last week I asked in out local store, they barely was able to spell it, but they didn't know about it (About what it is)

Alex · November 7, 2002, 07:59

The funny thing is that Civ3 was not released in Portuguese, so they cannot say that the delay is due to the translation work.

Unless they decide to translate the game now, which I think is not a possibility.

Staszek · November 7, 2002, 09:53

There are no plans for PTW release in Poland either, probably as it would interfere with plans for Civ3 release in Polish in mid November (why to localise the game ONE year after release?)

Sad, as the same distributor offered Civ3 (English) for last year..... Now I have to buy PTW from Amazon.co.uk via my friend in England, because Amazon is not willing to send software outside the European Union. Complicated? No, just sad.

SpencerH · November 7, 2002, 10:04

Why not buy an english version from amazon?

EDIT I was writing this while reading the last post and hit submit a little too fast.

Adagio · November 7, 2002, 10:08

I certanly hope they're NOT going to release a localised version of it, here in Denmark...

One of the games, I was looking forward to play, I never got to play, because I never bought it...I didn't buy it, because I hate localised versions of games (or movies...or whatever can be localised...)

And no, I don't buy online (Don't have credit card)

Firebird · November 7, 2002, 10:45

Quote:

Originally posted by ADG
I certanly hope they're NOT going to release a localised version of it, here in Denmark...

One of the games, I was looking forward to play, I never got to play, because I never bought it...I didn't buy it, because I hate localised versions of games (or movies...or whatever can be localised...)

And no, I don't buy online (Don't have credit card)

I know, I know, most people in Denmark speak english.

But actually many people would prefer to have more software (primarily games) and more films translated to danish. To be able to talk your way through a holliday outside Denmark doesn't make it certain that you'll not miss aspects of a game or a movie in english. F.ex. some people either can't read fast enough to get the subtitles or they can't see clear enough to read them.

Since there aren't that many danes most films and games are not translated, so I wouldn't worry if I where you. And if they are translated most of the times you have the option with both films and games to view/play on either danish or english.

I support translations. And I am willing to support it by paying some extra money for a translated version, if thats what it takes.

Best regards

Firebird

Adagio · November 7, 2002, 10:58

I don't mind having a translated version IF they also make it possible to play the game/movie in english...they didn't do that to The Settlers IV, it was ONLY avalible in danish in Denmark, and by asking the stores, they said they wasn't able to get the game in english...now, that S****

Adagio · November 7, 2002, 11:07

Quote:

Originally posted by Firebird
I support translations. And I am willing to support it by paying some extra money for a translated version, if thats what it takes.

And btw, I do not support translations...I barely support subtitles...well, I of course support it, but only because I know most people don't understand english, and they should have a possibility to still have fun watching the movies

I'd rather pay some extra money, for the Tv-stations to make it possible to turn off subtitles (Kinda like they had with cartoon network (AFAIR) some years ago (don't know if they still have it), back then you could actually change the language, so you could view the cartoons in the language you wanted)

Good thing, they invented the DVD, now I finally can turn those subtitles off

too bad, it's only for movies

Alex · November 7, 2002, 12:44

I don't mind if the game is translated, provided the company which translates it does a good job. Civ2 was translated to Portuguese and, despite some minor flaws, it was a good job. Same as Tropico and SimCity. But in the last years they tend to not translate games anymore, because it is not worth the time and investment made -- games do not sell that much, and those which sell are widely pirated, so why bother? I understand that point of view.

Adagio · November 7, 2002, 12:53

That's one of the reasons I don't like translations...most translations are extremely badly done...

e.g. in The Settlers IV (from what I've heard), the blacksmith and weaponsmith is called exactly the same thing. When reading the story in the game, you feel like they're talking to a baby (It's not a childrens game, but the translation makes you feel like it is...)

Firebird · November 7, 2002, 15:38

Quote:

Originally posted by ADG
I don't mind having a translated version IF they also make it possible to play the game/movie in english...they didn't do that to The Settlers IV, it was ONLY avalible in danish in Denmark, and by asking the stores, they said they wasn't able to get the game in english...now, that S****

I agree with you on that. It shouldn't be a problem to get an english version.

In fact it shouldn't be a problem these days to get the choise between english and the localised version, when you install or even before starting a new game. I've seen that on a bunch of games (IIRC civ2 gave you a choice before installation between english, french and german).

Alex · November 7, 2002, 15:52

Yes, it should be standard now. All FIFA soccer games offer this feature. But you have to consider that there is a lot more text to be translated in a game like civ; this would be cause for them to postpone the release, which is not in their best interest, of course.

Adagio · November 7, 2002, 15:54

Would be better if they release the english version at the same time, all around the world, then later release the localised version...unless they of course include BOTH english and local language in the release...

Firebird · November 7, 2002, 15:55

Quote:

Originally posted by ADG
That's one of the reasons I don't like translations...most translations are extremely badly done...

e.g. in The Settlers IV (from what I've heard), the blacksmith and weaponsmith is called exactly the same thing. When reading the story in the game, you feel like they're talking to a baby (It's not a childrens game, but the translation makes you feel like it is...)

Oh, yes: Either do it well or don't do it. Missing important details because of foreign language or because of bad translation! Nice choice

I wonder:
I have read piles of books translated into danish, and those translations only very rarely turns out to be that crappy. How come games are that different?

Firebird · November 7, 2002, 16:16

Quote:

Originally posted by ADG
Would be better if they release the english version at the same time, all around the world, then later release the localised version...unless they of course include BOTH english and local language in the release...

I think its fair for an american game to come out a little later in europe due to shipping, and likewise the other way around. But why it has to be the same date in most of the rest of the world I don't get. What do they gain by holding the game back?

Adagio · November 7, 2002, 16:56

Quote:

Originally posted by Firebird
What do they gain by holding the game back?

The only difference is, because they hold the game back, the rest of the world has more time to read how bad the game actually is...

Firebird · November 8, 2002, 06:07

Hardly a gain for them, hu?

Alex · November 8, 2002, 07:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Firebird
I wonder:
I have read piles of books translated into danish, and those translations only very rarely turns out to be that crappy. How come games are that different?

Because the games are not translated by people who are great experts on translation or have some kind of information about the particular aspects of what they are handling with.

Let me clarify this with an example: In order to translate Civ3 into Portuguese, you'd have not only to speak Portuguese, you'd also have to research something about the military terms used to designate different kinds of armies during History, in Portuguese.

You want to translate "pikeman". Oh, that's easy, let's call it "lanceiro". That's how this unit is known in Portuguese. But what about "spearman", then? The Portuguese word for it would have to be "lanceiro" too, since both units represent the same thing (men with spears, albeit different spears). You scratch your head and, instead of researching how each unit is called in Portuguese, you decide to label the "spearman" as "homem-lança" (a literal translation). For those who don't know Portuguese, "homem-lança" is a laughable term, which detracts from the historical atmosphere of the game.

That's what happens when you get incompetent people do do the work of a professional.

Chemical Ollie · November 8, 2002, 07:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Staszek

...

because Amazon is not willing to send software outside the European Union. Complicated? No, just sad.

I suppose Brazil has enough of Amazon already...

On topic: There are no info about release date in Sweden either, at least not in the "Coming titles" list on the biggest domestic online shopping sites.

Akka · November 8, 2002, 11:59

Solution is simply to download the original version and buy the localised one.
That's what I do all the time (I HATE the localised version too).

Alex · November 26, 2002, 15:18

Well, an update... recently a local gaming site mentioned that PTW is going to be released here, but they did not specify any date. They mentioned November, but... considering how some European dates are being pushed back, I would not trust this. Probably December.

They even had a review of the expansion.