Tales of Symphonia : Knight of Ratatosk coming to US

[Kajitani-Eizan]

the opening music seemed alright i guess.

i'm not sure what's going on with the plot though. is lloyd like, possessed, or a fake clone, or something? because that seems like decidedly un-lloyd-like behavior. indeed, i was sufficiently enraged by the depicted scene that i imagined KUROWD SHEE KENNY rushing onto the scene and going all TEEAAARRRR INTO PIECESSSS, thereby OHKO'ing lloyd and saving the poor couple.

[Kevassa]

This game looks really really bad for a tales game...
I dont like many of the aspects to it, and I dont wanna spoil anyone, but the ToS character return is more limited than you could even imagine...
The only REAL characters in the game are Emil and Marta...
Anyways might give it a shot if it is better on the USA than the JPN (maybe they add some more stuff? Please do!)

[Dimentionalist]

First review:

http://wii.ign.com/articles/928/928479p1.html

Wow... that was awfully harsh. Haven't played the game yet (will be ordering the Japanese version around Christmas time), but that review seemed awfully scathing.

[Craymel]

I wasn't gonna get the game anyway but damn that review was harsh (kinda felt like namco was asking for it though).

[Cless]

I almost forgot this was coming out in a couple days. Didn't pre-order until yesterday. I still think it'll be better than any of the other spinoffs the series has spawned at least, and probably better than at least a couple mainline games that rank lowly on my list.

Shame the English VA turned out so crappy compared to the recent mainline games. Better hope nobody other than Peter Garza ever works as producer on localized Tales games again.

[Cless Aileron]

Gametrailers has their video review up.  It's what I expected for a review of this game (i.e. it wasn't going to make my head explode because the game showed itself as such greatness) but it had a less harsh tone than IGN.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42581.html

Hint:  7.9/10

[Dimentionalist]

WHAT IN GOD'S NAME HAVE THEY DONE TO THE VOICE ACTING

[pedrocasilva]

^ Butchered it to no end. Let's thank Namco, they've been consistently beating themselves off the bat with this one, and they always manage to make it worse.

Cless, the problem's not Peter Garza, it's the attitude Namco showed towards this title that is ridiculous at best.

They even "promised" they'd go after the original voice actors and yet didn't, instead going for... well... this. Low budget, half assedness, idiocy all around.

I hate to say I called it, and saw it coming beforehand, and wish I was wrong... but wasn't. Either way I'm buying the game again, now for the extra butchered version in English. (I can guarantee voice acting wasn't that bad in Japanese for sure even if Emil was already pretty whiny)

In a way, let's hope someone does an undub.

[Dimentionalist]

Shiloh Strong isn't even a union actor. I seriously hope that they issue an apology for how bad this has gotten. I knew they'd screw up, not getting Menville back, but after everyone promising "We're trying to get the actors back" and then not even contacting them (which Walgren confirmed in an email)... I'd take original actors over voiced skits with this title.

Okay, rant over.

[pedrocasilva]

Shiloh Strong isn't even a union actor. I seriously hope that they issue an pology for how bad this has gotten. I knew they'd screw up, not getting Menville back, but after everyone promising "We're trying to get the actors back" and then not even contacting them (which Walgren confirmed in an email)... I'd take original actors over voiced skits with this title.

Okay, rant over.

Dimentionalist but that's precisely IT, they specifically chose non-union actors (thus not being able to reunite the original voice actors) due to them being cheaper!

Walgren confirmed it? did you sent the e-mail? Anyway, yes, Namco Bandai has yet again passed the boundaries of respect for their end costumer. Sometimes I curse the fact that I am a Tales fan (thus automatically a Namco costumer, no matter how bad they treat me) and still have to put up with this crap, really. :/

[Craymel]

Gametrailers has their video review up.  It's what I expected for a review of this game (i.e. it wasn't going to make my head explode because the game showed itself as such greatness) but it had a less harsh tone than IGN.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42581.html

Hint:  7.9/10

You beat me to posting with your four hour earliness. Gametrailers review gave off a completely different (non-hostile) tone. It just goes to show that it's mostly about opinion. (still not gonna get i though)

I'm noticing a trend where if a game somehow gets a bad review from a site every one who likes that game posts comments on how the site is uber biased and sucks for reviews... It's completely ridiculous. All reviews are biased because they are reviewed by one person who has certain likes and dislikes. People are actually complaining how GT gave this game a 7.9. It's a spin off game that namco didn't put a lot of effort and money into. You want it buy it. You don't want it don't buy it. You meet someone who doesn't want to buy it don't waste your time trying to get them to waste money on a game they don't wanna buy. End of story. 

[pedrocasilva]

^ I'ts not a bad game, it's just a game made in a setting that didn't need a sequel and was only greenlighted on the principle of recycling 5 year old assets made for inferior hardware on a new and more powerful platform that if anything, due to the respect it did deserve, deserved a product made from the ground or at least completely revamped, and not in a half assed cheap cash-in, from the beginning having zero ambition or any goals to push the envelope

Rather, it had the intention of recycling stuff changing it's context, hence, the cities having their seasons changed just to say something was changed in the process of copy pasting the game and the recruiting monster who is just... a chore and kinda half assed compared to actual characters. Of course this all is bound to fall on it like gravity, they brought it upon themselves, and weren't even intelligent enough in picking the userbase to do that.

Also the fact that it was made by a team mostly composed of newbies to the tales franchise (not to suggest perhaps even trainee's) who lacked both budget and the manpower means to, for instance, doing respectable modeling, actually using the hardware at hand, doing a world map or anything... other than coding. In short, a team of codemonkey's and most of them inexperienced with the franchise.

What a ridiculous attempt of a cash in for a leading platform; and to make things worse... they even were cheap when it came to bringing it over instead of trying to keep the already low standard by not making it any worse, or giving it the proper treatment when it came to their part of the deal, the voice-overs. It's mindblowing, like if Namco management was constantly trying to outdo themselves for the worse; but not amusing.

I don't even think IGN was that hostile towards it, and I usually don't side with them; sure they were harsh, but I don't think they said anything wrong (that I could argue, they usually do) it's a subpar attempt of what had the obligation to be so much more and has to be judged as such; if anything to see if they learn their lesson.

[Dimentionalist]

Walgren confirmed it? did you sent the e-mail?

Yes and yes. What's more is that she seemed rather disappointed, not due to the money involved, but due to the fact that she genuinely enjoyed playing her character.

Hi--
Thanks so much for the e-mail; I appreciated it!
I am so thrilled to hear that you like Raine--she was a great character to play, and I'm touched to hear that you fans are so loyal after all this time!!
Sequels can be tricky in the game industry. Many times, the original cast is not automatically re-hired.  In the case of "Tales", I don't remember auditioning for the game...but I may have auditioned and not gotten the part!! (And the first I heard of the game was in a fan e-mail like yours, so you can see that we're not always in the loop with these things!)
The company may also have gone non-union for the sequel.  Many of us actors will only do work covered by the actor's union, so if this game wasn't working under that contract, the company would be forced to hire other actors, even if they wanted to use the original talent.
There are many more things that could have happened--I can say that I've worked with Cup of Tea and they are wonderful people. I'm sure they had certain guidelines and limitations they were working under for the game if they replaced a number of actors.
Please tell your Tales fans that we would definitely love to reprise our roles--sometimes we just don't have control over these things! :-(
Thanks so much for writing! Here's hoping that I can give Raine a voice again in the future!
Sincerely,
Kari Wahlgren

I wasn't contacted to reprise my role as Raine.

I wouldn't be surprised if the other actors Namco pissed out of their roles shared the same sentiments. It's a loss for all of us- the fans for having to put up with this, the old voice actors for missing out on a job and some enjoyment, and the new actors for the inevitable hate mail that will be sent their way (I know quite a few that have sent Beacock a number of scathing letters, though I haven't taken part in it).

Speaking of letters, I think I've found a way to contact Menville. It won't change anything, but the least he could do is reply and set straight the rumors that he's been refusing his role all this time.

[pedrocasilva]

Yes and yes. What's more is that she seemed rather disappointed, not due to the money involved, but due to the fact that she genuinely enjoyed playing her character.

That's sad to hear. Good to know she answered to us "simpletons", and sad to know that. I mean, I won't say that I'm a apologist of english dubs, because I'm not, but the english persona for it was created by the people who played them in a way, you'd think they'd at least be informed and have some sort of say in the matter like "hey, we're willing to pay $ insert sum $ to reprise the role are you interested?"

I wouldn't be surprised if the other actors Namco pissed out of their roles shared the same sentiments. It's a loss for all of us- the fans for having to put up with this, the old voice actors for missing out on a job and some enjoyment, and the new actors for the inevitable hate mail that will be sent their way (I know quite a few that have sent Beacock a number of scathing letters, though I haven't taken part in it).

I won't send voice-actors hate-mail, I'd send Namco Bandai though, they're the ones at fault.

But Bandai Namco never answers I doubt anyone reads. (well, Namco Japan does answer or at least answered me every time, but then there's of course, communication difficulties on my behalf)

Speaking of letters, I think I've found a way to contact Menville. It won't change anything, but the least he could do is reply and set straight the rumors that he's been refusing his role all this time.

Well, I wouldn't be surprised, but even if that is the case we need to know the reasons at stake. I have no doubt that they went with non-union guys because it was cheaper, it's his right to decline being paid less.

This said we know now that they didn't even contact some of the voice actors for recurring characters.

Voice Acting is just the tip of the iceberg on the approach Namco took to this game though, for me at least.

[Dimentionalist]

I won't send voice-actors hate-mail, I'd send Namco Bandai though, they're the ones at fault.

I've already done that. A sixteen-page, well-written letter was sent back in April and I've got another typed up and ready to go that's about twice that length, with at least another fifteen pages of copypasta internet comments (not a big help, but it's more fuel to the fire). I know about fifteen people in real life who have done so, as well... some of whom are serious weaboos, as well. For a fandom that has a lot built on fan reaction, it's incredibly obvious that they blindly walked the cheap path mentioned so often in this topic, knowing well the results. Regardless of whether or not they're actually read, Garza said that well-written, hand-typed letters could help if they come in hefty numbers. I'm hoping that the only people sending Namco letters about this aren't a bunch of pissed off Ohioans like myself.

Namco Japan does answer or at least answered me every time, but then there's of course, communication difficulties on my behalf

There's some Namco bigwig who works on the localization process overseas, too... plus, the Japanese devs were aware of the acting changes, as well (which was shown in Play Magazine awhile back). Guess I'll send a copy to them, too (translated by an old neighbor, of course). 

[pedrocasilva]

I've already done that. A sixteen-page, well-written letter was sent back in April and I've got another typed up and ready to go that's about twice that length, with at least another fifteen pages of copypasta internet comments (not a big help, but it's more fuel to the fire). I know about fifteen people in real life who have done so, as well... some of whom are serious weaboos, as well. For a fandom that has a lot built on fan reaction, it's incredibly obvious that they blindly walked the cheap path mentioned so often in this topic, knowing well the results. Regardless of whether or not they're actually read, Garza said that well-written, hand-typed letters could help if they come in hefty numbers. I'm hoping that the only people sending Namco letters about this aren't a bunch of pissed off Ohioans like myself.

Well, I'll jump in, English is not my first language but I always write with care (even in the aforementioned "hate-mail" who wasn't at all, more like voicing a complaint) so fill me in with an address and I'll happily comply. I can't promise 16 pages, but it'll have content.

There's some Namco bigwig who works on the localization process overseas, too... plus, the Japanese devs were aware of the acting changes, as well (which was shown in Play Magazine awhile back). Guess I'll send a copy to them, too (translated by an old neighbor, of course).

You must be talking about Andy Tsai? Namco's Localization producer in Japan?

Well, Namco Bandai Japan has a no response policy for English e-mails though, so unless you have the guy's direct e-mail there's no way it's gonna get to him. So yeah... It gotta be in Japanese.