DS: professor layton and the spectre's call

cjanderson · 27-11-2011, 13:21

not seen a thread for it, but its xmas so its a new professor layton

was out 25th Nov, and is on quite a few of my friends wishlists. I rented the last one as was not working and completed it in 5 days.

Reading a review on Amazon, the UK version misses out on a big extra

Quote:

The American version includes the 100+ hour RPG called London life by the guy who wrote the mother / earthbound series, the European version has that game removed so please buy the complete American version and not this pathetic excuse.

so i may order the US version, if this is true. that seems to be called the last Spectre.

camaj · 27-11-2011, 14:20

I didn't realise it wasn't out already! I've only played the first one so no rush I suppose

MetalGearAl · 27-11-2011, 18:55

Have completed the US version - more of the same as expected - I liked the train mini-game though. Have only briefly tried out London Life so can't really comment on that so far.

jpm · 28-11-2011, 08:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjanderson

so i may order the US version, if this is true. that seems to be called the last Spectre.

To be accurate, it's called the "Last Specter"!

camaj · 28-11-2011, 11:27

I'm not sure it's confirmed there isn't London life on the EU version. In Japan it was an unlockable bonus but in the US it was unlocked from the start. Perhaps it's unlockable in the EU version? It would be strange to leave it out all together.

MetalGearAl · 28-11-2011, 13:28

It's been widely reported as not being featured; if they wanted to include it they'd need to translate it into all of the other languages that the EU version has which would delay the title for quite a long time.

Would be cool if they released it in the future as DSiWare for those in Europe who don't speak English, seems doubtful though.

camaj · 28-11-2011, 17:27

I don't know why they'd have to translate it into other languages, it's their choice. I'm not sure that it'd even take that long. Translation is often given as a reason for delays but it seems unlikely. I can't see it taking more than a day to translate into the main european languages unless it's particularly text heavy. If things needed redubbing I'd understand but even then it's something that could have been completed months before release.

cjanderson · 28-11-2011, 18:34

or of course they can sell it for another £30 as a seperate game next year.

Ordered from Play Asia now so can see what the game is like.

As one review says, layton on its own is still 8/10 but knowing we are missed something we didn't know we wanted before does tend to annoy most people.

camaj · 29-11-2011, 07:43

Is Play Asia the cheapest for the US version, then?

MetalGearAl · 29-11-2011, 09:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaj

I can't see it taking more than a day to translate into the main european languages unless it's particularly text heavy.

Sorry, but

It'd take a bit longer than a day.

KeyserSoze · 29-11-2011, 11:45

Apart from London Life and title, is there a difference between US and EU versions?

cjanderson · 29-11-2011, 12:55

I think the voice acting is different? but not 100% on that. And you may have issues trading it in when done to places like HMV/game if not the official UK version.

camaj: not sure if its the cheapest but was the only importer on the forum affiliate list, I don't know any others who are reliable.

camaj · 29-11-2011, 13:53

Fair enough, I would have gone to Amazon.com first

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetalGearAl

Sorry, but

It'd take a bit longer than a day.

It's not that funny. I was being conservative, what makes you think it'd take longer than a day?

smst · 29-11-2011, 14:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaj

It's not that funny. I was being conservative, what makes you think it'd take longer than a day?

There are hundreds or thousands of lines of text in a game like this. Just translating from US to UK English will take long enough (if they do that), as spellings are fixed and inappropriate idioms or cultural references are changed. That's with leaving the majority of text intact.

Then one or more people have to go through every line and translate it into (say) French. Depending on which character says the line, there will be different patterns of speech (the gentlemanly Layton, a slow-witted thug, a child, etc) to take into account in translation. Any jokes or cultural references may need to be rewritten, especially wordplay -- and the changes can't be made to each line in isolation but must be applied consistently throughout to account for lines which refer back to earlier in the conversation (or back to other conversations). And that's just the in-game text; any puzzles that use words will also need to be revised.

And once French has been done, Spanish, Italian and German have to be done as well.

welshmatt · 29-11-2011, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaj

It's not that funny. I was being conservative, what makes you think it'd take longer than a day?

Common sense.

camaj · 29-11-2011, 16:35

Well smst, I did say "unless it's particularly text heavy". Is London Life text heavy? Al didn't suggest I'd got that wrong. In the main game it's unlikely there's hundreds of lines of text but if there was 200 lines of text it wouldn't take a translator more than a day to complete. 1000 lines wouldn't take more than a week, at that rate. I can't see why different translations wouldn't happen concurrently rather than sequentially and there's no reason why the translations couldn't happen during development rather than the end either. Voice work is a little harder because you've got to cast actors, record and edit the audio etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by welshmatt

Common sense.

Common sense suggests it would take less than a day.

cjanderson · 29-11-2011, 18:08

didn't think Amazon.com shipped to UK addresses? unless they have changed their stance recently.

just checked and they do. Was £33 on there inc £8postage. Costing $38.80 from playasia which appears to be less.

smst · 29-11-2011, 18:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaj

Well smst, I did say "unless it's particularly text heavy". Is London Life text heavy?

Fair enough -- I missed that bit, as well as the fact you were talking about London Life only.

statto · 29-11-2011, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaj

Common sense suggests it would take less than a day.

I've worked with people who are involved in translation and it's a massive undertaking.

welshmatt · 29-11-2011, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by statto

I've worked with people who are involved in translation and it's a massive undertaking.

Don't be silly, the office junior could sort that out in a few hours with the Tricolore text book and babelfish.