Another great video by BriHard! This one discusses the causes of localization, and is a great summary on why localization occurs.
If you enjoyed the video, you might want to check out some of our articles on localization and translation.
Localization and Censorship – Discusses a lot of the same points made in this video. Viewpoints are written by PushDustIn.
Why Localization Occurs – Why localization and not translation?
Introduction to Sex, Japan and Video Games – Discusses sex in video games, and attempts to clear up a lot of misconceptions by gamers.
The Love of Translating – Shows how different the same translation can be.
What Does Midna Mean at the End of Twilight Princess – referenced in the video.
You might know BriGaming from one of his previous videos, The Spread of Misinformation.
- Smash Ultimate Development Timeline - May 16, 2020
- Straight from the Source: Koji Igarashi on Castlevania in Smash, Bloodstained - October 16, 2018
- Sakurai Discusses Isabelle, Echoes, and Newcomers - September 26, 2018
This video, along with the articles I’ve seen on this site about localization, are things I wish a lot more people could see before they started making blanket statements. I had a debate with my brother recently, where he adamantly stated that he absolutely hated any time when something in a Japanese game was removed in the English release, and I felt that wasn’t the right mindset to have. It’s really important to note that different cultures will have different expectations, and there are so many things that may be considered as common or usual in one culture, yet obscene or offensive in another.
This video also briefly showed a scene from Xenosaga 1, which I will continue to say is a very interesting case of localization. In the original Japanese version, Albedo cuts his own head off with a knife, but it’s blacked out and all you have is the implication that he did it. In the English version, it is interestingly ‘uncensored’, but he instead rips his head off with his bare hands without anything being left to the imagination. Both scenes portray him as the lunatic that he is, but I personally find the latter to be more shocking, mostly because it’s more unexpected and graphic.
Doesn’t the ENG version of that also have a pool of blood under his head as well? Whereas the JP version had none.