Hello everyone, my name is Ted Tsung and I am the North American Producer for Tales of Xillia for NAMCO BANDAI Games America. I’m happy to announce that we recently completed our voice recording session for the game, an extremely important part of the localization process. It’s a huge milestone for us to pass and it means that Tales of Xillia is that much closer to its 2013 release.
Eight hours of voice recording across an eight week span, filled with late nights catching up on emails, proofing, and preparation for the following day. It’s a grueling process that’s both physically and mentally taxing. Despite this, it was a fantastic experience, thanks to the support from Cup of Tea, 8-4, and the voice actors. I might be looking through rose-tinted glasses, but you won’t find a better group of people.
It’s always impressive to see how well voice actors can improvise on the spot. They have very little interaction with each other. The most exposure they’ll get with one another is hearing a voice that may be played back for reference. Otherwise, they’re stuck in a booth alone, quickly scanning a script they’ve never seen before, dishing out multiple takes for us to grab. It’s a draining process that requires a lot of attention from all parties.
After it’s all said and done, I believe people will be satisfied with the voices we chose for each character. When localizing games like those in the Tales of franchise, there’s always added pressure since the Japanese version typically comes out first.
I’m very much aware that it can be very jarring to someone hearing the English voices when they’re used to hearing the Japanese voices. However, I think our English cast matches the original intention of their character’s persona.
For example, we went with a much deeper voice for Milla. We needed her to maintain a very powerful and authoritative demeanor, so we didn’t find it appropriate maintaining the same pitch as her Japanese voice.
Similarly, we pitched down Jude a little bit as well. He maintains the same adolescent qualities as the Japanese version, but we figured the North American audience would prefer a lower, stronger voice.
As long-winded as the recording was, it was a gratifying one, and I really owe it to all the people I worked with. Everyone has done an outstanding job, and I hope the fans enjoy it.
@49 You are seriously delusional if you think the no dual audio option will reduce sales by anywhere NEAR 40% percent. As someone else said, you guys are a _very_ vocal minority. The number of people who will buy the game because it’s a Tales game far outnumbers those who will boycott it because of no dual audio.
@84 Good God. If you’re studying Xillia for a research topic or something, then yeah, it should be in its native form. But for recreational use (ie the main reason people play video games), I find it best to enjoy the material in a language I understand. You seem like you know Japanese, though, so I don’t really see how this issue affects you… if you have to hear/read the Japanese, you have the methods to do so.
And don’t talk about American VAs like they don’t have fanbases either. This whole notion that Japanese VAs are gods that English VAs can only hope to one day be compared to is a plague upon anyone who enjoys things like anime or Japanese-made games. This isn’t the 1980’s anymore. Dubs/translations are almost universally great, ESPECIALLY Tales games (The only game with an iffy dub job that I remember was Phantasia).
Look, I understand that everyone has their preferences. If you prefer the Japanese VAs over the English ones, that’s fine. But man does it annoy me when people start harping on localization efforts simply because they AREN’T the Japanese version. And to see people threaten to boycott Tales if they don’t have a dual audio option? You want to boycott a series that is already on tenuous ground here in the States?
News flash, boycotting Tales isn’t going to “show” Namco that they made a mistake by not putting dual audio in. It’s going to show them that localizing Tales games isn’t worth the investment and then we won’t be getting any more Tales games here in the states. And then there will be only ONE way to play Tales games, and that’s to import them in complete Japanese.
Which seems to be what the complainers want, so, uh… way to go, guys.
Dear Namco,
Just letting you that I am another individual that refuses to buy into your Tales games if they do not have dual audio. I appreciate your localization effort, but dual audio is a critical factor for me when it comes to games like this.
Any future releases of Tales games with English-dubbed voice acting only are of no interest to me.
Hello BandaiNamco,
First of all, thank you for bringing this game to the west.
But please give us the japanese voice option, otherwise I can’t buy this game sorry.
Many of my friends think the same, so please listen to the fans and do it.
This is great news ^^ I’m going to Pre-Order Tales of Xillia, once they start taking Pre-Orders, also for those trolls who are whining about dual audio..just buy the game to support the Tales series. Tales of Syphonia, Legendia, Abyss, Vesperia and Syphonia 2 all had a great english dub, so stop your whining. Now Waiting for the release date..I hope its soon :)
gog
I’m always impressed with the English voices of any of the Tales games. I’ve heard a lot of voice work done for other games, but I’m always pleased by the outstanding jobs the voice actors and actresses do for the English version of the Tales games. I find myself liking the English voices often a lot more than the Japanese voices (no hating please, it’s just my preference), but I appreciate the efforts done by both parties, Japanese or English, regardless.
Thank you Namco, and keep up the amazing job, I’m looking forward to seeing the release of Xillia and I’m still hoping that we’ll get some insight of whether Xillia 2 will come out as well.
I really hate how NamcoBandai’s American employee can just give simple updates with no follow up update on Fan’s questions. Especially like will it have Dual-Audio.
You know what happens when you tell them the simple answer. Either they’re pleased or upset but they will move on. Not only that you will have less people asking the same questions.
Nice! Can’t wait to play it. :o
Fans are begging for Japanese voices. At least one paid dlc. I gladly pay but bandai insists not put the original voices. Put the two languages. the Japanese language is ready. We will have to beg on knees? It’s time to change the “heads” of tales bandai america. Many people resort to illegal methods to play non-original tales in versions with altered voices. That’s what bandai america wants? Make the fans happy for once.
It’s appalling to hear people won’t even give the game a chance without Japanese audio. We can go without it. We don’t need it. Besides, it’s -our language-. I don’t see what the problem is. We should be glad they’re even localizing the game in the first place. The fans wanted more Tales games to be localized. We got it. We don’t need anymore than that.
I will say I’m very excited to hear the voices are done! It’s funny, Graces dubbing was done around the same time last year too according to AbyssalChronicles. I’m expecting a late winter or early spring release. I just hope for sales to be moderate to strong, because Xillia 2 is looking to have potential. If there won’t be any Tales game after Xillia, well…we know who to blame.
Just got my copy of Tales of Xillia 2 today which just makes me more excited for the English version of the first game. ^^
If they dont put the japanese voice option (would be the best for the most of us), i’ll buy it anyway cause I love this serie. We are also still lucky to have another Tales of.
Telling ”no japanese voice option no buy” or anything like that that could make the sales very bad, and then you guys would complain about ”why they didnt localise tales of xillia 2 bunch of beep namco beep” …. its really pathetic as hell. I know it would be better but… What makes difference getting that language for the game? nothing but only voices that we dont understand when we dont have a japanese basic or whathever,
bunch of people from Europe are like you…. damn. If we arent able to have the second Xillia, I know who to blame and it will not be the company.
Most people whose native language isn’t english or japanese (like most of Europe) will prefer japanese audio because they find them better.
I know that in the states most people think they’re the center of the world and everything should be adapted to them but the problem is that when there is a western version of the game they use the same version for the states and europe and I think it shouldn’t be that way , why should europe have the english audio when they’re mostly non-english speakers?
And then there is those who want to enjoy something the way it was meant to be, in this case with the original audio.
People who wants japanese audio aren’t saying there shouldn’t be the english one, so please try to understand them, they just want to play the game like it was made, but with translated menu and such.
My native language isn’t english nor japanese, I grew up with games and anime with both english and japanse language, I learned english myself, I can understand japanese but I can’t read it yet and in most case I found japanese audio for japanese games far better than english.
They should at least let the game have dual-audio so everyone could be happy outside of japan.
yes you have a point, the dual audio would resolve everything. I only hope they will localise Xillia 2.
I, as someone who owns almost every Tales game, am looking forward to this English release. And as a Tales fan, I really don’t care if it’s dubbed or not (honestly, I’d rather play it in English where I don’t have to read everything… playing Tales of Rebirth and having to read a script was painful and made it difficult to enjoy it all since I couldn’t just -listen- to them). And if you really want the Japanese voices, go buy the Japanese version and play through it in Japanese. Want to play it in English? Well, buy the English version regardless of what audio is on there. Hearing a character in English does not change my enjoyment of a game.
NamcoBandai, I appreciate your work on localization. I hope that these “fans” who say they refuse to buy a game because its not in Japanese doesn’t make you want to refuse localization of games in the future.
I hope that your swift translation of Xillia means we may get Xillia 2. (yes, plz) :) …and I hope you’re looking into Innocence R and Hearts R as releases for the Vita. With limited games for the Vita at the moment, I think it would be excellent to push the JRPG market on that handheld while there are limited games. :)
I’d love to have a jp voice option. If not can I at least have Xillia NOT change the opening to English or an instrumental.
I heard the opening and I really really love it.
:D
I’d pay extra….Dang I must be a genius…..they should do that: jp dlc! (including the opening)
Then everyone will be happy :D
I really hope the English Voice actors sound good and not pitiful like Graces F VA’s where, but it is cool that there bring this to the states. Guys not geting my hopes of for dual audio its not gonna happen.
well the english voices on Graces F were not so bad for me. and about the dual voice, i think they have to pay license for the japanese option. and i saw on a french web site that they promise on the next tales of, so Xillia 2, would be on dual voices. seriously, english VA were worst on another tales (dont remember which one) than Graces F though so.. dubbed voices on xillia will be better, im sure of it.
dual voice or not, doesnt prevent me from buying this game
1st reason: I love the serie
last reason: I really want xillia 2 comming out in NA
I understand most of you want the dual thing so much but, if were still lucky that they localise the next, we should have dual voice option there.
I like see this game coming next year, I would like to see Tales of Vesperia PS3 Coming to the US for break Microsoft Exclusives.
Thank you for keeping us up to date about this game! I am definitely stoked and super excited for this. Can’t wait until it’s release next year!