Final Fantasy XIII

[ye-roon]

yes thats right, a post from me. hi guys!

Anyways, FFXIII is around the corner and i am debating multiple things. I own a 360 and buying it on 360 seems to be the obvious choice (xbox360 controller > ps3 controller) Still, PS3 slim is sheeeeeeeep! atm and the game looks so much better on the ps3 its crazy.

But my main "motivation" for the system i buy this on will be the voice acting. In FFX and in FFXII i didnt like the voice acting at all. And i was pleased to hear that the PS3 version would have japanese voice acting from the get go. And the 360 version was a debate. Today i read a previeuw/interview on a dutch site saying that japanese voice acting would not be present at launch, instead we get english with full english lip synch (boring). And japanese may come as DLC or summit.

So does anyone here have any information regarding the voice acting? I am an anime nut and thus love japanse voice acting mainly cause i dont understand it at all and it gives games a more fantasy like expierience

thanks and hi again

ps: i miss iron

[Kudistos Megistos]

Google "Final Fantasy XIII compromised" (without quotes). It seems that, unless there has been some miscommunication somewhere, the PS3 version of has been compromised FFXIII so that Xbox360 owners don't miss out on anything; this means one audio track.

I hope this is just one of those crazy video game rumours that goes around that everyone on the Internet believes (for some reason, video game fans are especially likely to believe rumours with very little evidence), but I fear that we may have to put up with sub-par, lacklustre voice acting. I've heard people suggest that the Japanese voice overs may be released as DLC, but that's just pure speculation (and we'd have to pay for it).

[ye-roon]

oh damn

hope that isnt true about the cutting up part, and useually langauge packs are free.

but damn, pleasing 360 owners and displeasing ps3, win win situation :p

[Covarr]

(xbox360 controller > ps3 controller)

Sounds like somebody doesn't play 2D games. 360's D-pad is ass.

I'll be getting the PS3 version as I don't have a 360 (I waited until they'd gotten the RRoD's mostly sorted out, but now I don't have a job to afford one, so I've gotta wait even longer), but I imagine that if they don't include Japanese VA on the 360 version, they'll release a (probably-free) DLC for it.

[titeguy3]

Very few people know that you can plug any USB gamepad into a ps3 and have it work.

[Covarr]

Very few people know that you can plug any USB gamepad into a ps3 and have it work.

Really? I'd test that out myself right now, but my bedroom's electricity has been out for a few days now (electrician's coming by today), and I don't feel like moving my PS3 just for that.

[Kudistos Megistos]

Very few people know that you can plug any USB gamepad into a ps3 and have it work.

Pretending that the default settings or setups for a game or console are mandatory is an essential part of arguing on the Internet

[ye-roon]

Very few people know that you can plug any USB gamepad into a ps3 and have it work.

so if i plug in my xbox360 gamepad for windooze in a ps3, i can play with that? awesome

And the reason i find the 360 gamepad better is the placement of the left control stick. It plays much more natural then the ps3 one. I do agree that the d-pad of the ps3 is much better. But i dont play 2d games on a ps3/360, i do that on my wii. Plus the ps3 controller is verry small, and i got big hands, so thats another plus for 360's controller.

still debating if i should buy a ps3slim with uncharted 2 or not :p

[Tekkie.X]

I had a PS3 for a while, sold it due to a lack of good games at the time, kinda regret it now with Uncharted 2 and MAG incoming.

PS3 pad (non DS3) was light and felt like it'd break at any moment, PS3 d-pad is just a bad as the 360's I played Street Fighter 4 on PS3 recently with the D-pad, didn't really do well at all, too flimsy.

Anyway.

Regions with English as the first language don't really need the Japanese VO (reading subtitles means you're not looking at the main action), so why include it, you want it, e-mail Sqeenix and ask them to make it DLC.

[Kudistos Megistos]

Regions with English as the first language don't really need the Japanese VO (reading subtitles means you're not looking at the main action), so why include it, you want it, e-mail Sqeenix and ask them to make it DLC.

Regions where people care about the quality of voice acting do really need Japanese VOs most of the time

A game with good English acting comes along once in a while, but most of them are pretty bad.

And 10 was the first FF game with voice-overs; for some reason, reading didn't cause us any problems before that

[Tekkie.X]

I'd rather be able to understand what's being said than have to read the bottom of the screen not being able to see the actual game.

[Kudistos Megistos]

I'd rather be able to understand what's being said than have to read the bottom of the screen not being able to see the actual game.

Some of us can read the bottom of the screen and see what's going on at the same time.

What did you do before video games had voice acting?

[Covarr]

I'd rather be able to understand what's being said than have to read the bottom of the screen not being able to see the actual game.

Some of us can read the bottom of the screen and see what's going on at the same time.

What did you do before video games had voice acting?

Before VA in games, you typically were made to scroll yourself, so you could go at your own pace, and any screen activity would wait for you. With voice acting, they typically assume that you are listening or a fast reader, and will continue the script with or without you.

[Kudistos Megistos]

Well, subtitles have never given me any problems, and it apparently doesn't cause any difficulty to people who watch subtitled anime either

Unless English isn't your first language (in which case reading will usually be easier than listening anyway), I can't imagine not being easily able to read subtitles as quickly as the voice actors speak, and I'm quite a slow reader. If reading subtitles and watching what is happening at the same time this is a real problem for people, they should sue their former English teachers

[titeguy3]

I love love love love love the ps3 d-pad, I think it's the best console gaming innovation ever. you know why it hasn't changed since the ps1? because it's perfect! You can make super precise input with it, and it's sturdy as hell. Most other Directional "pads" are actually just joysticks with a tip shaped to look like a d-pad. They aren't precise, require deadzones, and break off easily (i'm a hardcore 2d gamer, so i've broken quite a few fakemeout d-pads this way). Give me a 2-D fighter and a ps2 controller any day and I'll be one happy camper (can't say I'm a fan of the new ps3 triggers, although i know that pressure sensitive buttons are important).

As for the subtitle thing....it's easier for people who watch subbed anime. it pretty much forces you to learn to read fast as hell.

[Kudistos Megistos]

I'm tempted to agree about the PlayStation D-pads (although I'm biased, because I've used them for 90% of my gaming over the last 13 years), and I think that keeping the four "buttons" separate on the outside of the controller helps a lot. The gamepad I'm currently using on my PC is shaped like a slightly bigger Dual Shock (ideal, since I'm used to the shape of Dual Shock controllers, but they're a bit smaller than I'd like), but the D-pad is like an old Xbox D-pad (I've never played a 360, so I can't comment about that). It's very hard to use.

And I'm not sure what to feel about the things people are saying about subtitles. Perhaps I should be happy, since it might mean I'm a fast reader   (I've always thought I was a very slow reader), but I'm actually quite very worried. This makes me think that we should get rid of English voice-overs and force people to read speeded-up subtitles, because it looks like a lot of people need the practice.

[Covarr]

I think that keeping the four "buttons" separate on the outside of the controller helps a lot

My thoughts exactly. The plus design used by Nintendo works okay, but that's more in the build quality than the design. Most non-Nintendo plus designs, as well as the ones that have the sort of webbing on the diagonals like the Genesis are usually quite awful. I have a gamepad that requires a soft touch when pressing straight directions, or else it assumes you're pressing a diagonal. I try to play Street Fighter, and I can't move from side to side without randomly jumping and ducking. I'm preparing a running jump in Super Mario World, and Mario suddenly ducks and prevents me from jumping properly, and an enemy hits me and I die.

Though the GameCube D-Pad also has this problem, and it's the only Nintendo product that I've experienced this with.

And I'm not sure what to feel about the things people are saying about subtitles. Perhaps I should be happy, since it might mean I'm a fast reader  (I've always thought I was a very slow reader), but I'm actually quite very worried. This makes me think that we should get rid of English voice-overs and force people to read speeded-up subtitles, because it looks like a lot of people need the practice.

I certainly don't have problems keeping up with reading subtitles, but a lot of folks do, especially younger people, or people raised in areas with inadequate education systems.

[titeguy3]

people raised in areas with inadequate education systems.

<--yo!

[secondadvent]

i don't have a problem keeping up with subs (read em almost as soon as they appear actually, i can keep up with the text set to fast in most games, even rapidly pressing the button to skip the text  ), and i was raised in one such place, or rather most of the faculty at the school, especially those in charge of the school, had very little brainpower  . but then again, i was able to read since i was around three with at least a third grade reading level, so i shouldn't have a problem 

i do have the stupid pad problem though, and it sucks having a shaking problem as well, since i will try to slowly move in a straight line, and sort of wiggle away, causing me to fail  . four separate buttons for a pad is win, a single webbed pad is fail 

[ye-roon]

English is not my native language. But here in holland we dont get dubbed movies like in most other european countries. Wich means our movies are in english with dutch subs. So i am used to reading subs and watching a movie. Thing is overtime i learned english so now i dont need the subs anymore. But i watch alot of anime wich has subs, and it has never taken my eyes of the screen.

Plus japanese voices are done by voice actors, english voices are done by people they got of the street or big names from hollywood movies. The first are bad, the second are a bit better (shrek anyone?). But still if i see something in a japanese style, so anime/manga/cg from FF games. English voices just dont fit. it feels wrong. The same german guy should feel about arnold zwarch not doing his own voice in terminator.

[titeguy3]

Very true ye-roon. If you ever watch adult swim, they use the same cast of voice-actors to dub every anime series they get.

[ye-roon]

Very true ye-roon. If you ever watch adult swim, they use the same cast of voice-actors to dub every anime series they get.

i dont watch adult swim, cause well, Cartoon network is considerd for kids here and in dutch :p I do know what it is though.

But the bad thing about it is:

In japan they use the same voice actor for the same type of roles. Like kuririn and luffy. Same goes for most other voices. Ishida from Bleach and Sasuke from Naruto for exmaple. Same type of roles, same type of appearance.

But in the US and Holland and prolly evry other non english speaking country. They use the same set of voice actors. But because its "unfair" to the other voice actors they switch around main roles and side roles. For exmaple they could have the voice that does sasuke do ichigo's voice and the one does ichida's voice do naruto. That way both actors have a "main" part in a long running anime and get paid the same amount. Cause main parts are paid better.

Problem is, voices that DO NOT fit the character. But hey, thats just me

[Covarr]

But still if i see something in a japanese style, so anime/manga/cg from FF games. English voices just dont fit. it feels wrong.

I don't think this is so much because English voices don't fit as it is that for some reason anime dubs don't get the same kind of quality control and good voice directing that other cartoons get. I mean, look at a well done dub, like Cowboy Bebop, I feel it's almost better than the original Japanese. Most of Funimation's work tries to stay fairly true to the original (their early stuff didn't always), and they work with good actors, and the result is good.

Compare that to whatever the hell 4Kids is doing this week, with generic voice acting (I'm not bringing censorship into it, that's a whole different problem). It really sounds like people reading their lines, not acting them. And then there's the US dub of Sailor Moon, which had a startlingly good actor playing Artemis, and everybody else was exaggerated, fake sounding, covered with unnecessary and lousy fake accents, etc. My point is, I think the reason that you and certainly many other people have trouble with English voice acting in anime is probably largely because of bad acting more than the language.

I want to see Andrea Romano put in charge of an anime dub, I'm curious how it would turn out. She was the voice director for most of the WB cartoons of the '90s (the zany Spielberg stuff AND the DCAU stuff), as well as The Boondocks right now, all of which contain exceedingly high quality acting. I think that if she were to direct an anime or video game dub, it would turn out much, much better than what we're used to, and might raise fans' expectations in general.

[Kudistos Megistos]

I have a gamepad that requires a soft touch when pressing straight directions, or else it assumes you're pressing a diagonal. I try to play Street Fighter, and I can't move from side to side without randomly jumping and ducking. I'm preparing a running jump in Super Mario World, and Mario suddenly ducks and prevents me from jumping properly, and an enemy hits me and I die.

God, I hate it when that happens!

I certainly don't have problems keeping up with reading subtitles, but a lot of folks do, especially younger people, or people raised in areas with inadequate education systems.

I went to a phenomenally bad school; its exam results were amongst the worst in the country... (I won't say which school, because that would make it easy for weird people to find out who I am IRL )

And the voice acting thing....

I always thought that better pay, more fame and greater respect for voice acting in Japan was the reason why anime and video games nearly always sound better with the original VO than with the dubs. Besides the actors for the really huge adult sitcoms like The Simpsons, hardly any English speaking animation/video game voice-actors are very well known by anyone but the hardcore fans (I can't think of anyone who compares to, say, Aya Hirano), so it seems natural that a better quality of actor would be attracted to voice work in Japan than in the West. If the pay is low and the role is not prestigious, the only actors you'll get will be enthusiastic amateurs, people who don't care and people who can't do any better.

However, if actors are doing the dubs of all those different anime, I can't see any way for them to have enough passion and dedication to each one to do a good job, no matter how talented they are and no matter how much they loved anime when they started. There must be enormous time constraints preventing actors from getting much time to rehearse their lines or get into the heads of their characters and I can't help but thinking that doing so much work would leave them with a sense of apathy, leading them to not feel much emotion. If English VOs have to work that hard, I feel sorry for them.

[ViagraPolice]

I have a PS3 and really enjoy the Dual Shock Wireless Gamepad that comes with it. The only problem I have with it really is R2 and L2 buttons on the back of the controller. They seem so slippery sometimes, especially when playing FPS games. That's why I got these things called Realtriggers that you can hook on to the back of the controller to get rid of that slippery feeling. Best 5 dollars I ever spent.