Localisation of games into Chinese seems to have turned a corner (inc. game recommendations)

[StChris]

On 2/11/2019 at 5:11 PM, agewisdom said:

This game looks very interesting but I am getting only a very vague idea off Google Translate. A few questions:

 

1. At what HSK level is it suitable for? I'm halfway to HSK 3 now. How difficult is the Mandarin?

2. How does it exactly help in English learning?

3. Is it voiced?

 

I'm getting a feeling it's a hugely popular Indie title in China so I'm guessing it's gotta be good, but why? I've no idea

 

I did one full playthrough with a daughter earlier this week. I plan on doing another playthrough with a son this weekend and should be able to write a longer review about the game next sometime week (I've been getting into snowboarding recently and want to make the most of it before the snow melts here in Harbin, so the review might be pushed back a bit). Until then, I can answer any simple questions.

 

1. Hard to say.The game is obviously meant for native speakers, so it will be a challenge. I'm at HSK 6 and didn't have many problems. Most of the unknown vocab I came across was to do with childhood and school related things, such as 四则运算 (arithmetic), 橡皮泥 (plasticine), 托物言志 (a way of expressing feelings in poetry/prose by describing actual objects - this was an option when choosing how to write an essay). One of the best things about the game from a Chinese learners point of view is the fact that 95% of the screens won't move until you actually click a button, meaning you can take all the time you need to look stuff up if you don't understand something. A lot of the options you choose also come with pictures, so you can often see what they mean without having to consult a dictionary.

 

2. Seeing as the whole game is in Chinese, I don't think it would help with English learning at all ? As for learning Chinese, the first good news is that it is a largely text based game, meaning you'll be practising your Chinese 95% of the time. While I'm sure games such as RE2 and Tomb Raider are a lot of fun, 90% of the time you will be blasting zombies, with only the cutscenes and inventory management providing Chinese practise. Also, as I said in the OP, I find I retain new vocab a lot better when obtained through a film/TV/game than from a textbook or HSK word list. In this game every new word you come across will appear in a certain context and demand your interaction. Also, the game is played in rounds, meaning that a good chunk of the vocab is repeated again and again, so you should end up learning the core stuff pretty well by the end.

 

3. No voices at all. While this might seem a little disappointing, you will find yourself quickly cycling through the same screens again and again, meaning voice acting would just slow things down anyway.

 

Hope that helps. I really enjoyed the game. It's a satirical, but affectionate look at a typical Chinese childhood. My Chinese teacher is really interested in developing games that assist learners of Chinese and wants me to write a report (I need to writing practise too, so am happy to oblige). I'll produce a more detailed review and an basic tutorial to help get people started, hopefully next week, but maybe later if we get really good snow ?  

[StChris]

On 2/12/2019 at 8:14 PM, agewisdom said:

Hope it gets a boost and an English translation soon. Would be great to play both versions and learn Mandarin at the same time

 

Hmm, I might volunteer my services once I've finished a few more playthroughs (I doubt they have any native English speakers on the team, so hopefully I could be useful). I've never done a professional translation in Chinese before, it might be a good experience.

[agewisdom]

8 hours ago, StChris said:

I'll produce a more detailed review and an basic tutorial to help get people started, hopefully next week, but maybe later if we get really good snow

 

Many thanks for the overview. It seems interesting and definitely make me want to start playing the game. But as you've said, I might possibly need to reach a higher level of Mandarin. Currently will finish HSK 3 soon, so might have to see how it goes. Looking forward to your detailed review and basic tutorial, when you find the time

[markhavemann]

After seeing this topic, I bought Two Point Hospital. After a while I started wishing that I had the transcripts for the audio (there is a quirky little radio station and a few presenters that play throughout the game). 

 

I emailed Two Point Studios and they sent me the transcripts for pretty much everything, along with their English counterparts. Understandably, they asked that I don't just make it all freely available on the internet but I think if someone has bought the game and wants to use it for studying then it wouldn't be a problem if I shared it with them, with the same understanding of not just going and dumping it on a website.

 

So, if you have bought the game, want the Chinese transcripts and aren't going to put them online somewhere, PM me.

 

 

[agewisdom]

On 1/27/2019 at 4:18 PM, StChris said:

返校 / Detention

 

 

This creepy survival horror game set in a Taiwanese school during the White Terror has been out for a while and is very popular on Steam (it has an English translation as well). A new survival horror game by the same developer, called Devotion, is due out next month.

 

Hey, this just caught my eye. What's the level of language required to play this in Mandarin?

[StChris]

@agewisdom I haven't played this one yet, but I do know that it has an English translation too, so you could always switch to that if the Chinese proved a little difficult (and maybe play through it a second time in Chinese).

 

@markhavemannIt's great that they sent you the transcripts. I would like to take a look (although I haven't played the game yet). Should I PM my email address to you? Also, how is the game (both in terms of Chinese learning and general fun)?

[StChris]

Devotion (the game I mentioned before from the same makers as Detention) is now available to buy for £13.49. It's currently one of the best sellers on steam and 95% of the almost 4,000 reviews are positive so far.

 

 

Quote

ABOUT THIS GAME

 

From the creators of the IndieCade Journey Award winner Detention, Red Candle Games brings you a story Inspired by East Asian folk culture. Devotion is a first-person atmospheric horror game depicting the life of a family shadowed by religious belief. Explore as a 1980s Taiwan apartment-complex lost in time gradually shift into a hellish nightmare. Delve into the vows each member of the family has made, and witness their devotion.

 

Story
 

You step into your apartment, 80s music drifts through the air, an idol show plays on the television; a nostalgic setting surely, but what is this feeling of unease? You question this place you used to call “home,” noticing as it distorts with every shift of your eyes, anxious as your surroundings skirt the precipice of the extraordinary. As you push through each memory, uncovering the layers of each mystery, you may find buried in this home, the unsettling truth of those who lived here.
“Remember what you prayed for…”

 

Features

 

First-person atmospheric horror

Story-driven exploration and intrigue

Sound design applying the use of East Asian instruments and 80s Taiwanese music

Relive the 1980s Taiwanese lifestyle through visuals and setting

Unique Taiwanese/East Asian reference (folk culture, elements of taoism/buddhism)

 

[agewisdom]

2 minutes ago, StChris said:

Devotion (the game I mentioned before from the same makers as Detention) is now available to buy for £13.49. It's currently one of the best sellers on steam and 95% of the almost 4,000 reviews are positive so far.

 

Jeez... don't tempt me. LOL...

I'm highly tempted... Too bad the Steam sale is just over  ?

[StChris]

@agewisdom It will probably go on sale during this year's Halloween sale. Seems like a suitable time to play it too.

[agewisdom]

1 minute ago, StChris said:

 It will probably go on sale during this year's Halloween sale. Seems like a suitable time to play it too.

Hopefully my Mandarin will have improved enough to play the game in Chinese by then.

[roddy]

The trailer (which includes examples of the dialogue) makes it look fantastic. Might try it if it pops up on sale...

[markhavemann]

16 minutes ago, StChris said:

Should I PM my email address to you?

I think that would be easiest. 

 

16 minutes ago, StChris said:

Also, how is the game (both in terms of Chinese learning and general fun)?

In terms of fun: 

Brilliant. If you ever played Theme Hospital then it's definitely for you. It's pretty relaxed and lighthearted but challenging enough to be fun and interesting. It's full of pretty dry but clever humour (for example, the disease where people have lightbulbs instead of heads is called "light headed-ness" and is cured in the "De-lux clinic") and I've actually switched back to English so that I can fully appreciate it. I figure I'd play again in Chinese again afterwards.

 

In terms of learning:

Like I said, I've switched back to English but there definitely is a huge amount of Chinese content. 3 hours and 40 minutes just of Chinese audio (I extracted it from the game files for easy studying) which plays pretty consistently and some of it pretty repetitively ("Can a doctor please go to the GP's office"). There is also a nice little radio station with presenters and adverts, GTA style.

 

I guess you could also say that the game is text driven in a way since all your missions etc. are presented to you in writing, so that's pretty good to work through (especially with transcripts and English translations). Part of the stuff that Two Point sent me includes all the text (even menus) so it makes things much more approachable.

 

It's definitely at a relatively high level, especially if you want to appreciate all the jokes but if you don't mind missing some stuff or checking up the English in the transcript files the first time you encounter something, I think it could be a playable on intermediate/higher intermediate without getting too annoyed with things. Maybe even getting familiar in English then switching could be a good strategy too. 

[agewisdom]

1 minute ago, markhavemann said:

It's definitely at a relatively high level, especially if you want to appreciate all the jokes but if you don't mind missing some stuff or checking up the English in the transcript files the first time you encounter something, I think it could be a playable on intermediate/higher intermediate without getting too annoyed with things. Maybe even getting familiar in English then switching could be a good strategy too.  

Can you PM me the scripts as well? I think I'm going to put this on my wish list as well and consider using it to learn.

[StChris]

@markhavemann Nice review. Would you mind if I used it to create a Two Point Hospital review thread? It would be nice to have a thread for each game, and then an index thread linking all the reviews (like someone did with TV shows a few years back). Feel free to create the thread yourself, if you'd prefer to do it yourself.

 

I really liked the original Theme Hospital back in the day and was really curious about how the humour would translate into Chinese (the Chinese steam reviews all seem very positive in this regard). I will probably do the same as you, play it in English first and then Chinese after. 

 

The team behind the game previously said that it could potentially become a Two Point series. They have mentioned wanting to do a game based on the funeral business, although another Theme Park would be great too. I personally would like to play a Two Point University game, as I feel there is lots of potential for satire there (imagine the fun they could have with the different types of subjects, students and professors!)

[markhavemann]

4 minutes ago, StChris said:

Would you mind if I used it to create a Two Point Hospital review thread?

That will be awesome, go ahead! I'll link to it in the Transcription Project too once you've created it. 

 

5 minutes ago, StChris said:

The team behind the game previously said that it could potentially become a Two Point series. They have mentioned wanting to do a game based on the funeral business, although another Theme Park would be great too. I personally would like to play a Two Point University game, as I feel there is lots of potential for satire there (imagine the fun they could have with the different types of subjects, students and professors!)

Ya I was wondering if they are taking over all those Bullfrog titles and what their link is with Bullfrog, if any. I was actually wondering about Theme Park today. It would be really nice if they do expand, especially since they are willing to share the Chinese transcripts! 

 

7 minutes ago, StChris said:

I personally would like to play a Two Point University game

I could see how that could be good fun. You should send them an email about it. They seem to be pretty good with replying to emails and may be at least open to hearing suggestions. You never know, they might like it enough that they do it! 

[StChris]

30 minutes ago, markhavemann said:

That will be awesome, go ahead! I'll link to it in the Transcription Project too once you've created it.

 

Cool, I'll do it later this week.

 

31 minutes ago, markhavemann said:

Ya I was wondering if they are taking over all those Bullfrog titles and what their link is with Bullfrog, if any.

 

I think it's just two of the main programmers from the Theme days are receiving financial support from Sega to produce "spiritual successors" to their old games. This one seems to have been pretty successful, so hopefully the series will continue (they seem to want to create a whole Two Point world). 

[StChris]

There's been a development regarding that Devotion game. Apparently, there is a hidden "Easter egg" poster in the game.

 

 

Quote

In traditional Chinese, the red seal on the poster, upon very close examination, reads "Xi Jinping" on the right, and "Winnie the Pooh" on the left. The four corners read "Your (mom) moron" in Taiwan dialect. The poster is a Fulu, sort of like an instant talisman in Chinese mythology to dispel evil.

 

For those that don't know, the developer, Red Candle Games, is based in Taiwan. While I don't have any figures, I would guess that a large proportion of their impressive sales have come from Mainland China. While I don't tend to like developers inserting there own personal political opinions into games, you can't help but admire the cajones of whoever did this. The Mainland Chinese people on steam are taking this about as well as you'd expect:

 

Quote

一边赚我的钱，一边骂我傻逼。(侮辱本国领导人哦)
干得漂亮

 

Quote

玩到游戏的时候觉得很不错，这个恐怖游戏看着还有点东西，结果里面夹私货？Excuse me？侮辱国家领导人，我只想说CNM赤烛，台毒嘴脸真JB恶心。差评滚粗！！！没本事就别在这里瞎BB！！！我还纳闷儿昨天晚上更新什么呢？原来是为了掩饰自己的丑陋嘴脸啊！！！送你们个成语叫欲盖弥彰。别把我们当傻逼，当初干这事，就要有被喷的心理准备！！！

 

Quote

本来很喜欢这个游戏了,但是在大是大非上肯定不支持,既然选择作死那么就去死吧

 

Quote

夹带私货太low了真的，我好像吃了苍蝇一样难受，真的太让人伤心，所以这就是感谢粉丝支持的回报吗？是这样吗？赤烛？

 

Quote

湾湾是真的恶心 赚了钱还要夹带私货骂？ 给你们脸了？为了支持国产游戏买了还没玩第二天就出这个事,湾湾们有本事别来赚钱啊 小心眼又恶心

 

While I don't think we can say it's being "review bombed" just yet (still 95% positive at the moment), it's not looking good for the developer. I hear the poster has now been removed from the game. If they can say it was the action of a single programmer, fire him and then offer a groveling apology, then they might be able to limit the PR damage. Of course, the might decide to double down instead. It'll be interesting to see how this situation unfolds.

 

[StChris]

The developers have apologised:

 

Quote

关于美术素材声明

23 FEB @ 1:05PM - REDCANDLEGAMES

 

团队在制作prototype时经常会参照当时的网路用语作为暂时素材，但这次因为版本同步问题而没有全部删除，实属意外，没有任何攻击或辱骂意图。已于 2/21晚上的v1.0.5 版本移除。

这次的风波反应出了团队在制作流程上不够严谨这个事实，作为一家游戏公司，赤烛确实还有很大的进步空间，造成各方的困扰赤烛感到万分抱歉，恳请所有玩家见谅。

一切责任归咎皆为赤烛所应承担。

 

If I'm reading that correctly, then they say that they used some placeholder material from the internet during development and forgot to replace or delete it. I haven't the time to read through the 800+ comments, but from my 60 second browse it doesn't seem like the mainlanders are buying the excuse. 

[StChris]

3 hours ago, StChris said:

While I don't think we can say it's being "review bombed" just yet (still 95% positive at the moment), it's not looking good for the developer.

 

Now at just 39% positive and it has dropped like a stone in the sales charts. Damn! There's a lot of discussion of outrage culture in Western countries (particularly the US), and it's easy to forget that China has its own outrage-provoking topics. I'm sure there would be some backlash if a developer had included an anti-Trump/anti-"SJW" poster in a western game, but I don't don't think it would be nearly as serious and uniform as this one. I wondered whether or not it would be banned from the Chinese store, but with this backlash, that's probably unnecessary. It's especially tragic, as it was getting this reaction before the controversy (article originally linked by @Luxi:

Weibo Netizens Captured by Taiwanese Horror Game “Devotion”: The Devoted game is creating a super devoted online fandom

 

Well, at least I learnt a new word today: 武统 (unite China, especially Taiwan, by force).

[roddy]

I can't help but feel that if a mainland developer had done that it would have been praised as brave and comic genius.