Following in the footsteps of Tales of Phantasia: In-App Purchases Edition for iOS, Namco has decided to release Tales of Hearts: Rebutcherization for iOS as well. Namco, pls. Stahp.
What are you doing? There are so many things wrong with this that I don’t know where to begin. Usually, a developer doing a multiplatform release will release the game for all platforms at once, instead of piecemeal, one at a time. Doing this makes it seem like an afterthought cash grab. Which is what it is, obviously, considering how ludicrous the idea is to begin with. Are you seriously trying to release a game that requires precision button controls with many button functions for a touchscreen device? Are you at least going to fix the ludicrously broken plot and the disgustingly lazy animations? (I bet they didn’t.) Are you going to at least preserve the integrity of the game by making sure there aren’t obnoxious in-app purchases? (Because there’s such a great precedent for that in Phantasia: Witness the Miracle Orb, an item that will revive your party and buff you in case of a wipe at the low, low price of 170 yen!) Speaking of which, why are you releasing two of your products back-to-back? I know this is a typical Namco pattern, where you try to undercut your current product by hyping your next product before the first one even comes out, but can’t you space it out a bit? What was the rush? Are you scrambling to try to copy Square-Enix, as is usually the case these days? Here’s a hint: a turn-based game with menu controls is a lot more playable on a touchscreen than a real-time action game.
I know I might be sounding overly cynical, but there’s a good reason: since Namco claimed they didn’t localize Hearts R because no one has/wants a Vita, and everyone has an iPhone/Android device, Namco might actually decide to localize this version of Hearts, God forbid. I sure hope it sells well if they do, because it’ll be a deathblow the overseas Tales market can’t take if it doesn’t.
In other news, I have been informed that Absolute Zero Translations has claimed that they are collaborating with us on Tales of Hearts: Translator’s Cut, and that they in fact have been all along, ever since March 2010. I am not sure from where they got this delusion that they are translating Hearts, but nothing could be further from the truth. For one, if they were really translating Hearts for that long, how come they have so little progress to show for it? Psh and hogwash, I say.
So, what should Namco be doing instead? If you ask me, they should be coordinating with the overseas branches to produce localized versions of their big titles concurrently with the Japanese releases. They did a great job of that back with Vesperia, and I guess Xillia/Xillia 2 isn’t that bad, though Xillia 1 English came out after Xillia 2 Japanese. But look at your favorite rival, Square-Enix. Emotional Meltdown Overdrive Returns: Hallway Simulator 2013 is coming out what, next month in Japan, and February in North America? That’s how it’s done. It kind of lets the excitement from Japanese players, Western importers, and domestic localization players overlap a bit. … Or wait, maybe the whole idea is to get importers to buy the same game twice? I see how it is. Tricky, that!
Until next time, and keep an eye out for Tales of Link, hitting western iOS shores in 2015!
October 10, 2013 at 8:50 pm | Permalink
scamco has done it again!
October 10, 2013 at 9:01 pm | Permalink
kaji intentional irony too strong
also i died a little bit when is saw the toh:r ios thing too
i’m picturing something resembling a train crashing into the side of a mountain
October 10, 2013 at 11:25 pm | Permalink
Thanks god there’s more people working in this! u.u
October 11, 2013 at 9:18 am | Permalink
Up to the 3rd town translated in ToH in 3-4 years. So at the rate of a town about a year and a half, there’s less than a decade to go. Sweet.
October 11, 2013 at 3:02 pm | Permalink
@Bomberman64: Whoa now, you need to chill. Nobody ever promised we were going to keep up that breakneck speed.
October 11, 2013 at 7:46 pm | Permalink
New tales game for the ios, ewww. Can’t even begin to imagine how to play an action game on a touch screen, and if they change the game-play just because of the platform, oh man, that would suck.
October 12, 2013 at 2:46 am | Permalink
I hope they released it on Android too, since that’s what I got, and playing action rpg games on Android actually not that hard (it’s like Zenonia or Destinia with battle entry scene).
It is in English yet or not?
I can only hope this it out before I die.
October 12, 2013 at 5:14 am | Permalink
Tales is dead, Kaji-confirmed it!
October 12, 2013 at 11:35 pm | Permalink
I gotta feeling this translation will come out with Takes of Link
October 14, 2013 at 9:24 am | Permalink
Emotional Meltdown Overdrive Returns: Hallway Simulator 2013?
Hahaha, this is probably the best description of FFXIII I’ve ever seen.
In Namco’s defense though, I think they are finally trying to bridge the gap. The Dual Audio for Symphonia Chronicles proves that they are now developing the game with a Western localization in mind.
October 14, 2013 at 12:48 pm | Permalink
Thanks for the hidden link 🙂 Awesome, finally released!
October 14, 2013 at 3:08 pm | Permalink
^ Boo.
October 16, 2013 at 3:40 am | Permalink
finally. someone else has found it. great job Naridar! how do uou like the translated version of ToH?
October 16, 2013 at 6:47 am | Permalink
changing nick is easy here, using other’s nick too
October 16, 2013 at 1:07 pm | Permalink
yeah except Kajitani-Eizan can check the IPs if he wants. and guess what he’s going to find out? our IPs are different. what’s more they are most likely from different countries (’cause i don’t think anyone else is interested in ToH where i live lol)
October 16, 2013 at 4:57 pm | Permalink
Theres not much i can say besides i agree with what you said.
We can only keep bugging Hideo Baba over and over until they decide to localise Innocence and Tales R (despite not having squeaky clean animations).
As for this project. Kudos to you guys. I’m sure you are gonna come up with something that will make you proud.
October 18, 2013 at 1:09 pm | Permalink
I seriously hate this!!, WTF they had to release it in a Phone?, Celullars aren’t Consoles or video games. I FUKING HATE HOW COMPANIES START TREATING IOS AND IPHONES LIKE THE HOME CONSOLES OR PORTABLES LIKE PSP OR DS.
October 22, 2013 at 8:48 am | Permalink
The new trend of games are heading in the direction of handhelds. More and more people are using there phones to play games or mini laptops. I like consoles as much as you BAlor but eventually this trend may make consoles a thing of the past.
October 22, 2013 at 9:25 am | Permalink
Hardly. They are no good for playing games. Touch screens are too unresponsive and unreliable.
October 23, 2013 at 9:52 am | Permalink
Well that is where things are going. More people are likely to seek entertainment in handheld devices.
October 28, 2013 at 6:49 pm | Permalink
I have a completely unrelated comment to make. They destroyed the intro song on the Vita remake of Innocence…I much prefer the DS one. The song for Inoocence R doesn’t have the same impact as the on from the original DS version. So I call bullshit.
October 29, 2013 at 8:23 am | Permalink
Yeah I listened to it as well. Nope not that good.
October 31, 2013 at 9:10 pm | Permalink
What saddens me most, is there is no news on the Tales fan translation scene anywhere. Hearts is only one of the current titles receiving fan translation attention, and as I stated, no news anywhere. At the current rate Namco will have Symphonia Chronicles, and Xillia out long before any of the fan translations are finished. So atleast for Tales fans, we have 2 PS3 titles coming soon to tide us over.
November 1, 2013 at 7:19 am | Permalink
Yeah what about Rebirth and Destiny (PS2)?
November 1, 2013 at 4:17 pm | Permalink
Doesn’t seem to be anything new on the AZ forum for either. I’m more excited for Rebirth as they intend to patch the PSP version as well, and I already have everything I need for PSP game patching and playing on my CFW PSP. PS2 patching would require me to purchase swap magic, which, currently I do not intend to do.
November 4, 2013 at 8:30 am | Permalink
@Leviathain Emulate the Ps2 instead.
November 9, 2013 at 1:10 am | Permalink
what on earth is bamco think??
November 15, 2013 at 7:10 pm | Permalink
Hey, i forgot about that @Leviathain. Yeah the ToR patch and the FF Type-0 patch too, though i’m a little busy with KH,P3,FF crisis core…But back on the topic as a guy above stated that he likes REAL CONSOLES too, why they are releasing crappy ports with horrible market and awful touch controls?, WTF not even the-almost-dead campcom do that!!. (I think), Square-Enix is doing that too.
November 26, 2013 at 11:16 pm | Permalink
You know what sucks about iPhone games besides the common touch control complaints?
Can’t back up your saves…delete your game, you delete your save.
There. Done.
November 27, 2013 at 8:19 am | Permalink
Yeah touch control is annoying. The DS at least knows how to get it right but the iPhone isnt a DS.
December 1, 2013 at 2:45 am | Permalink
… 3 towns translated within almost 4 years. This feels quite discouraging. Hopefully, my DS stays alive till the time it gets fully translated and online. Keep up the good work, you two.
December 2, 2013 at 8:33 am | Permalink
I wouldn’t worry about it. After all its gonna be a good christmas!
December 4, 2013 at 4:34 pm | Permalink
since no one in the 3 main sites made a thread i will say it here for the unaware.
Namco is unveling the next main line Tales game in 7 days. Tales of Zestiria here we go. 😛
December 5, 2013 at 9:28 am | Permalink
Interesting name I like how they have gone down the line on letters.
Symphonia, Xillia, Zestria just to name a few.
December 12, 2013 at 2:21 pm | Permalink
Hey Kaji, are you excited with the new worldwide release announcement for Tales of Zestiria on PS3? Played with a controller, not a touch screen, and not a port. Namco did good today.
December 13, 2013 at 7:56 am | Permalink
I know I am :>
December 13, 2013 at 12:56 pm | Permalink
Hey isn’t it time you posted another big ass wall-o-text? we need a update! (i suggest changing the progress bar to a red or yellow color, now THATS progress!)
December 15, 2013 at 6:13 am | Permalink
I know the progress bar has moved once (now just a mirror image from what it was before to make people happy that it moved for once, yay Kajitani’s jokes). If it ever moves again, will it be the same blue length, just in the middle of the bar?
I for one am looking at it optimistically right now and see it as the white part of the bar the progress and the blue how much left to go.
Hopefully you’re keeping up the good work (and the J/K posts are a blast to help hold us over till you finally finish).
– Kat
December 15, 2013 at 7:35 am | Permalink
I’m going to be optimistic and say that we’ll get Hearts as a Christmas present!
December 15, 2013 at 7:25 pm | Permalink
5 years later’s Christmas, though.
December 16, 2013 at 8:42 am | Permalink
kat it would be cooler if he replaces the white space with black in the progress bar 😛
January 4, 2014 at 8:39 pm | Permalink
Hahahaha, the progress bar changed. I’m all a glow =^.^=
– Kat