Siren: A Warning

[Vaipon]

Just get the Japanese version. From what I've heard, the story is even harder to get your head around than the original Silent Hill 1 plot, even if you understand Japanese fluently. I doubt having English voices is going to make a lot more sense tbh. There are apparently loads of Japanese gamers scratching their heads over Siren't story at the moment, and what you do get to see in the cutscenes is very vague and not nearly enough to explain the game fully. Some well-read person will eventually attempt some sort of analysis of the events portrayed in Siren, but until then I doubt you'll really get that much more from a ropey English dubbed version.

As I've said before, Siren relies more on atmosphere than plot. For this, you don't need English.

[Shibusawa jr.]

As I've said before, Siren relies more on atmosphere than plot. For this, you don't need English.

Uh, you just said you didn't understand the plot Maybe it's got a nice Kafka-esque narrative and blushes with (grey tones of) atmosphere.

I'm interested to see how the PAL version comes out. If it's got the original Japanese dub with English subtitles I'm more then happy. It should be mandatory esp. for most Japanese centered games. Why does it all have to taste like Hollywood ?

[Concept]

Just get the Japanese version. From what I've heard, the story is even harder to get your head around than the original Silent Hill 1 plot, even if you understand Japanese fluently. I doubt having English voices is going to make a lot more sense tbh. There are apparently loads of Japanese gamers scratching their heads over Siren't story at the moment, and what you do get to see in the cutscenes is very vague and not nearly enough to explain the game fully. Some well-read person will eventually attempt some sort of analysis of the events portrayed in Siren, but until then I doubt you'll really get that much more from a ropey English dubbed version.

As I've said before, Siren relies more on atmosphere than plot. For this, you don't need English.

I agree. I think I probably will pick up the Japanese version. At this moment in time, and after reading the review on this site and the 'first look' thread, I'm really eager for Siren. In a way, I'm almost looking for SCEE to give me that nudge to go out and import it straight away...

I think the reason I object to English voices the most in this particular title is because they may just strip Siren of one of its most innovative features: the fact the people who provide the voices have been (to a certain extent) digitized into the game.

It's like dubbing Gollum in a foreign release of The Lord Of The Rings and taking away Andy Serkis' voice. Part of the reason why Gollum feels so believable is the connection between the actor playing him and the animation presenting his actions. I feel in a sense that Siren, (although slightly limited in comparison of animation), maybe similar in relation to that aspect. By taking away the direct connection between voice and appearance, it potentially strips away a compelling feature which initially attracted me to Siren upon hearing about the title.

That is if there is no Japanese language/subtitles option in the final PAL release.

[Square]

I have to agree with Vaipon here. The atmosphere in this game is one of it's strongest points. I understand very little Japanese, but that hasn't stopped this from being one of the most original, scary and thoroughly entertaining games I've had the good fortune to play this year.

Most of the puzzles are visual, and it's so rewarding when these are worked out for yourself.

[darkangel]

Could someone not email SCEE, who has influence, GamesTM?

Set up a petiton, everyone here signs up to it, and we give them the link to this topic, and the petition.

Surely they would have to listen to us?

We do have some pretty good reasons for them to listen to and one of them, (for SCEE), would def be the cheaper option of subtitiling it anyway, which we have discussed.

Come on people, Lets try and not get a PAL release ruined! 8)

[PeteJ]

I don't see this becoming a huge* deal to be honest, since the impact of the game is largely based around 'live' play rather than cleverly scrpted scenes ala Fatal Frame or Silent Hill - I guess the odd blerb from another character about being left behind will hurt the atmosphere, however it won't be completly fatal to the experience.

And what an experience....

Siren is an incredibly powerful game, I honestly believe that the even the worst voiceover the world can't hurt this one**. I highly recommend it, import or otherwise.

*news still sucks
** I've been drinking, since lunch time sorry for not giving a good responce....

Edit - I shall not correct my grammarical *or* spelling mistakes as an example to all the children who believe alcohol does not have an effect on their body. Hurrumph.

[Concept]

The fact that SCEE renamed Siren, with the added fix: 'Forbidden' Siren is an ominous early sign that the localisation probably won't be all that great. For a start, it shows a lack of faith in the game's potential audience because SCEE don't think the game's orignal name conveys enough excitement or interest. The very act of that name change is a little patronising, don't you think? I can just imagine it now, mr marketing-man and his buddies all sat in a room trying to brainstorm words to make the title seem more alluring or intriguing.

It wouldn't surprise me either if they take out all Japanese references so character and place-names become americanised equivalents, even though the game is quite obviously taking part in a country on the other side of the world.

You know, Go the whole hog on the localisation 'widening-what-we-think-will-be-the-potential-audience' process.

Sorry, I guess I'm turning this thread into a little rant about the state of a few butchered localisations released over here. I just don't have that much belief in the logical outlook of the PAL market at large.

[darkangel]

Could someone not email SCEE, who has influence, GamesTM?

Set up a petiton, everyone here signs up to it, and we give them the link to this topic, and the petition.

Surely they would have to listen to us?

We do have some pretty good reasons for them to listen to and one of them, (for SCEE), would def be the cheaper option of subtitiling it anyway, which we have discussed.

Come on people, Lets try and not get a PAL release ruined! 8)

Did no one consider my idea?

[Garibaldi Biscuit]

Unfortunatly m8, it's not a realistic idea.

For starters, the petition would have to be one that you could physically hold, as Internet petitions mean less than nothing ( as I have learnt over the past few months ), and posting that all around and getting folk to sign it would be a lengthy, tedious undertaking.

Second, SCEE are making these changes to attempt to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, and would most likely laugh off the disgruntled rantings of a niche website audience like ntsc-uk - we're more likely to import it anyway, they would argue.

Unfortunatly no, they really don't have to listen to us. They will listen and bend to the audience that they think can make them the most money, and that audience would scoff at subtitles in a cinema release, let alone in a form of entertainment which they take even less seriously - such as videogames.

[darkangel]

oh well...

Thanks for the reply anyway.

[Sketcz]

How different do you think the USA version will be to the UK version?

I have seen before, examples of both a game getting a worse than the US localisation, and some games getting a localisation job better than the US version.

Who knows, maybe the US version will be overly americanised, with the soul sucked out, while the UK release gets dual language with subs?

Crazy thought, but Ive seen the odd drop of decency in the UK market, to make me think it is possible.
We have on occasion, gotten games that the US doesnt even recieve.

OTH, it would NOT be out of the ordinary for them to do such a bad localisation job, as to change character names and images, and change how the locations fundamentally look.
Would it be funny, if the Japanese village ends up looking like a small US town, and all the characters have blonde hair?

Mock such an idea if you will, but far worse conversion have been done in the past.

I think Ill wait until all 3 versions are out. If I decide to import, import copies are likely to be cheaper anyway.

Seasons greetings

EDIT:
PAL BOX ART:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000ZQ3EW/qid%3D1072204721/202-5216706-7400630

[Vaipon]

Would it be funny, if the Japanese village ends up looking like a small US town, and all the characters have blonde hair?

Well, not sure if that would be funny or not tbh, but it would be completely pointless. I don't really see what's so bad about a game being set in a Japanese traditional village. In fact, this is one of the main things that makes Siren so completely unique, and to alter the setting and the cast would definitely detract from the overall experience. Whether or not it would ruin the game remains to be seen. It would probably still be a great title, but it's hard to believe that Americanising the proceedings would really be beneficial to the title.

I suspect that the American version will probably be heavily localised, whereas the UK version may go for the original art with subs. This latter option is a far better choice.

[Papercut]

Issue 50 of PSW has some Siren footage on it's cover-mount DVD.

Some of the footage is from the jpn version, and some of the footage is jpn language with English subs (eur beta version?).

The apperarance of the characters etc. is unaltered. Given the Feb release date, I doubt there'd be time to make substantial changes of that kind.

The game has the name 'Siren' within the footage, but is listed as Forbidden Siren on the DVD menu and in the magazine.

The magazine preview also mentions subtitles as a positive inclusion, and states that very few changes have been made to westernise the game.

[Concept]

That really is excellent news. Nice one Papercut, reading this has just made my day.

Is PSW 50 the latest issue of the magazine? If the footage of Siren isn't spoiler-based (i.e. heavily focused on cutscenes or set-piece levels), then I might just have to check it out.

[Papercut]

That really is excellent news. Nice one Papercut, reading this has just made my day.

They _could_ have shot that footage before a terrible dub was dropped in, but it does seem a bit more hopeful

I guess we're just gonna have to wait and see.

Is PSW 50 the latest issue of the magazine? If the footage of Siren isn't spoiler-based (i.e. heavily focused on cutscenes or set-piece levels), then I might just have to check it out.

#50 is the latest, the footage is mostly in game, first few chapters from what I could make out. One possible spoiler, but I wouldn't worry too much.