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In an interview published this week, M2’s Yosuke Okunari talked about how they handle titles localized awkwardly, how the Switch’s form factor plays a part in deciding the lineup of Sega Ages, and more. [Thanks, GearNuke!]
Check out the highlights below:
What are the plans for the future after releasing the first batch of games for Sega AGES? Is there anything in particular or things to tease?
Yosuke Okunari, producer: “When we were selling these titles on the 3DS, they came out every three months, so this time we are looking to release one title per month in Japan.
We’re still finalizing timing for the rest of the world, but will try to keep the release dates for other countries as close to Japan’s as possible.”
How is localization handled in such ports? Are the translations kept intact or is there any improvement or changes made to the game?
Okunari: “Regarding the titles we are currently porting, the only thing that will be localized in the games will be the menu, and the rest of the game will be left as is. The English in Phantasy Star can be very awkward, but because we want people to feel the nostalgia, we decided to leave it as is.
When we released the Genesis/MegaDrive title Monster World IV for the SEGA Vintage Collection 3, it had never been released outside of Japan, so we had our current localization team translate this title. This title ended up with translation quality which wouldn’t have been possible to have back in 1994 when this game first released.
In the future, we may try localizing titles which have never been translated if we can draw a reaction.”
Nintendo Switch is a new way to play games with both portable and TV mode supported. How does this factor in when porting each game, and does this make it a more challenging platform?
Okunari: “With games for the 3DS, multiplayer battles were not a priority. However, the Switch is easy to carry around and play with other players, so we are considering content where people can battle anyone, anywhere on the Switch.
Gain Ground is a game where three people can play at once (NA version), and with the Switch, people will be able to do this as well.”
You can read the full interview here.
The most recently released Sega Ages game, Gain Ground, is available in Japan for Nintendo Switch. The game is coming to the West in February.
