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| jiji
130th Post
 
Regular Customer
   
|  "Sengoku Basara, Japanese history, and you" , posted Mon 23 May 12:02:
So it has come out that Sengoku Basara will be heavily modified for its US release as Devil Kings. All characters will be renamed so that they no longer have the names of Japanese historical figures, and the setting will no longer be feudal Japan. Nobunaga is now "Devil King," Yukimura Sanada is "Scorpio," Takeda Shingen is "Red Minotaur," Nouhime is "Lady Butterfly." Capcom's Hiroyuki Kobayashi explains:
quote:
In Japan, Devil Kings is called Sengoku Basara, and it focuses on Japanese history in the same sense that Dynasty Warriors focuses on Chinese history. So it's similar in that sense, but with a Capcom style, a Capcom flair to it.
We took the concept, and said, "What can we do to differentiate this to make this different from the Dynasty Warriors games?" And we decided the secret maybe lay in some other games Capcom has done. We said, "Let's give the characters a kind of Devil May Cry flair -- some really cool moves, like the kind of things you might see in Devil May Cry. Let's the characters and make them all vastly and distinctly different from one another, like Street Fighter II." That's the Japanese version.
Then, we said, "Okay, let's release it in North America -- what can we do to make it different again?" So we said, "Okay, we'll make it dark." Call it Devil Kings. The main character sold his soul to the devil. We'll darken up the background, give more moves, more ability to power your character up, and things like that for the American market.
IGN: Plus it's not historically accurate?
Kobayashi: The Japanese version of the game is based on Japanese history. There are some fantasy elements that didn't actually happen, of course, but enough of it is there.
With the U.S. version, we've taken that element out entirely. Some of the backgrounds may retain that eastern flair. Many of them don't and are brand new; many of the enemies are brand new; and it's no longer based around the idea of feudal Japan at all. That part of the game has now been changed to be darker, devilish.
So, since obviously no stupid Americans care a whit about Japanese history, Sengoku Basara will be turned into a fake Devil May Cry game so that it (Capcom hopes) will sell better in the US. I'd honestly thought that games like Onimusha, Kessen, and Samurai Warriors would make Japanese history more accepted and widely known in the US, but obviously Dante's dong is bigger.
This reminds me of modifications done to games in the 8- and 16-bit days, like with SMB2, Ranma 1/2/Street Combat, Magical Hat Adventure/Decap Attack, Contra/Probotector, Puyo Puyo/Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, and so on. Guess we're not out of those days yet. 
[this message was edited by jiji on Mon 23 May 15:30] |
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| kurushimi
65th Post
Occasional Customer
| "Re(4):Sengoku Basara, Japanese history, and y" , posted Tue 24 May 05:02
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I remember a discution here with Sano I think, about Ôkami being too japanese with all those complicated names and all, and maybe he had a point.
Also, (the way I read it) they won't add ennemies, they will replace the japanese ennemies by dark american ennemies, so the american version won't have more things, it will have different things.
Hmmm, that might not be so bad then. I mean yes, I'm rather annoyed that they would have to Americanize a game to suit an audience, but most people don't really care what they're slashing/shooting/hitting, as long as it's fun. I guess I'm still insulted if only because I've taken East Asian History classes, so I actually can laugh and appreciate the liberties Capcom has taken with these Historical figures.
On Okami being too Japanese, I think that's more of a pronounciation barrier than anything else. I mean yes, Okami has all the Japanese mythology and mysticism going for it, but Otogi 1-2 did as well (albeit more loosely interpreted), and that didn't seem to be such an obstacle for American audiences.
There's a cultural barrier to be sure, but it's more along the lines of the types of games as opposed to the backdrop those games are made against. You know the usual suspects - dating sims and quirky titles like Yoshinoya. But even that is degrading, if the success of Katamari Damacy is any indication.
As a sidenote, if I ever run into someone who believed Romance of the Three Kingdoms was exactly as it happened in the Musou games, I would buy him/her a drink for providing me a good laugh.
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| Baines
79th Post
Occasional Customer
| "Re(5):Sengoku Basara, Japanese history, and y" , posted Tue 24 May 07:00
quote:
I remember a discution here with Sano I think, about Ôkami being too japanese with all those complicated names and all, and maybe he had a point.
I would hope that gamers would eventually get past that kind of thing. I mean, we have plenty of games with complicated, strange, and completely made up non-Japanese names.
Heck, actually keeping the original names after a while can itself become a link. How often do you run across historical or mythological names being used or reused in various games?
As well, games have been a success without changing things. Koei has an American success by actually keeping historical cultural references. They've been using RoTK since forever across various styles of games, and people *know* the characters and feel a connection in a new variation. While there has been a bit less of a flood of Nobunaga from Koei, it is there, and Nobunaga tends to be a subject for other games as well. Like, uhm, Capcom's own Onimusha?
quote:
Also, (the way I read it) they won't add ennemies, they will replace the japanese ennemies by dark american ennemies, so the american version won't have more things, it will have different things.
It does mention a power up system for the American version.
quote:
Hmmm, that might not be so bad then. I mean yes, I'm rather annoyed that they would have to Americanize a game to suit an audience, but most people don't really care what they're slashing/shooting/hitting, as long as it's fun.
Which is actually an argument against a need to change things. People don't care what they are hitting.
I'm not so sure it is an attempt to Americanize as much as it is an attempt to differentiate, and in the process they decide to Americanize. They seem to realize the game is going to be (and has been) seen as a Musou knock-off. They tried to make character designs and moves different in the Japanese version to counter, and are going even further in the US (where perhaps they think dumb Americans might think they are lifting the entire story rather than just the concept).
Which makes me wonder why they were making a Musou clone to begin with. I mean, it was obvious to them from the start, and now they are going through so much work to make it different. I guess they were hoping that at least in Japan the idea of being a Musou clone would bring them much more sales than actually being an original property.
quote:
As a sidenote, if I ever run into someone who believed Romance of the Three Kingdoms was exactly as it happened in the Musou games, I would buy him/her a drink for providing me a good laugh.
The Musou games change sections with each release, altering events and even general designs to staple areas. Though you still can find people who believe the general designs are accurate, like Zhang He.
You might find more that believe Romance of the Three Kingdoms was exactly as it happened in actual real history. (Or at least believe it more ferverently.)
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| Mosquiton 1625th Post
Tailored Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Member
 
    
    
    
| "Re(1):Sengoku Basara, Japanese history, and y" , posted Wed 25 May 04:11
quote:
So, since obviously no stupid Americans care a whit about Japanese history, Sengoku Basara will be turned into a fake Devil May Cry game so that it (Capcom hopes) will sell better in the US. I'd honestly thought that games like Onimusha, Kessen, and Samurai Warriors would make Japanese history more accepted and widely known in the US, but obviously Dante's dong is bigger.
Actually, early on during the first day of the show, I saw Kobayashi standing in front of the game and asked him if Sengoku Basara and Devil Kings were the same game... but since we have that interview right there I'll just stop at name dropping. I also saw Dynasty Warriors series producer Tomoike at Koei that same day, but he looked to busy to just walk up at the time so I had to chat about the similarities between the games (not to mention some Onimusha/Ni-Oh intrigue) with a corporate VP.
Since I don't want to make too many name-dropping posts, I'll also mention that I stood around with Eiji Aonuma while had a few smokes at a media party. He seems like a decent enough guy.
I don't see anything wrong with retooling the title into Devil Kings, myself. I don't really need a Japanese faux-history lesson... plus they're putting some more work into the title as a result. They were already headed in an over-the-top, not very historical direction anyway (who was that chick with the mini-guns?). I'd say this is probably a better way to do it.
I don't really understand this talk about 'purity'... unless it refers to "pure cash-in on the popularity of Dynasty Warriors".
If it's fun, it's fun. I couldn't tell you though... I felt like I'd played it after glancing at the screen for a few minutes, so I didn't really feel a reason to pick up the controller.
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| Spoon 1005th Post
Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(1):Frenchin'" , posted Wed 25 May 08:36:
quote:
What's that new poseur-french trend lately ?
Oh, pardon my French, dear Iggy!
I hate to break the news to you, but it's the evolution of language, you lovely French bastard. Your mother tongue developed from Vulgar Latin anyway... It's nothing pristine, you know.
Besides, I'm living in Canada. There's French printed on the goddamn cereal boxes, right alongside the English. I'm completely allowed to create a verbal mélange.
Your pathetic maneuver to sabotage my flamboyant manner of written expression is futile.
Damn those Canadiens, and their "Vive le Quebec libre!"
But then, I'm Canadian, so I suppose that I shouldn't preach intolerance and prejudice. But nothing can return the hours taken from me by French schooling. Well, at least I can read cereal boxes without worry. Cric Crac Croc!
And now we shout,
Vive le difference
even for such burning individuals as Iggy.
[this message was edited by Spoon on Wed 25 May 08:37] |
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