localization: Gunslinger Girl PS2games

[maverick375]

The Gunslinger Girl games (based on the manga and anime of same name) were released in three volumes, each packaged with a DVD of the anime, for the PS2, and only in Japan. I'm not sure if Marvelous Entertainment still has the rights to gaming or not.

Possible Things going for:
-Solid fan-base that would love to see the games brought over as a single volume, minus the DVD.
-Resurgence in popularity as the English translation of the manga is resumed in February by Seven Seas Press after a three year hiatus by ADV.
-House of the Dead style play. Simple controls.
-Low graphic requirements.

Possible Things Against:
-cell-shaded graphics.
-HOTD gameplay on rails with limited path selection
-Lots of full dialogue in-game with many mixed cut scenes.
-Content: violence involving little cybernetic girls killing bad guys.
-PS2. Not sure whether PS2 to PC or other platforms is easy to do or not.

I suggest this as perhaps a small project option for CF. Most fans would love to simply see the text translated (all subs for dialogue), so a full voice over isn't necessary, and would likely detract. While I'm sure there will be some new fans with the Seven Seas releases of GSG, no way to tell how such a game would sell. I know how much flak CF is taking from people about the lack of English in Recettear, so this obviously wouldn't make any fans with those people.

Just a thought, though. Keep up the good work.

[Ravenholme]

Would need PS2 devkit, therefore not a small or cheap project, just because of that.

[Stormy Fairweather]

The first Gunsligher Girl series released in english was epic. A touching story about a difficult subject presented in a profound way.

The sequel was little more than loli fan service. It absolutely disgusted me. Never mind the production values.

So, which is the game based off?

[maverick375]

The games released during the initial Japanese run of the first anime series, which is why they were packaged the way they were: each with a full DVD from the series.

I share some of your feelings regarding the Il Teatrino season. I'm not entirely sure where you get the "loli fan service" point from, though, except perhaps regarding the art. The story(s) in "Il T" are almost rock solid from the original manga, something the original series was only based in.

The games are considered canon, even though they are not in the anime or manga. The player plays as Henrietta, with Jose keeping a constant voice in her ear, as they hunt down a rogue fratello, Ernesto and Pia.

[SpaceDrake]

There's another problem on top of anything else: PS2 games. Never mind the dev kit thing, the unspoken rule is that Sony is flat-out refusing any more PS2 production and wants everything focused on the PS3 now in terms of set-top consoles. We'd never get the games approved just on that alone.

Sorry, but I'm afraid this won't happen.

[maverick375]

figured it was a long shot.  

[reggie999]

Right now Carpe Fulgur are probably focusing on PC games rather than consoles. You should request PC games (like....cough*Princess Maker*cough*...)
Anyway since Sony focus on PS3 rather than PS2, does it mean that once 3DS is on sales, NDS is dead and Nintendo does not to localize anymore DS games?

[SpaceDrake]

With console transitions, it isn't an immediate shutoff - the reason the PS2 is off the table now is that the PS3 has been out for four years now (yes, it's been that long) and the PS2 is over a decade old at retail. There's an understandable desire from Sony at this point to not have to support the aging hardware any longer. With the 3DS (or the PSP), there'll likely be a year or two where the companies involved will still approve games for release on the older hardware, simply because there was still software in development or in planning when the systems were announced, or because a title came out in one country and needed more time to get translated.

After a few years, though, it'll be pretty much impossible to release software for the old DS or PSP, yeah.

[DarkAgent]

I hope someday you guys will have the money/resources to localize (current-gen) console/portable games, though. There's quite a few I have in mind,  but I wasn't sure whether to make a thread about them if the answer is still to the effect of "can't do console games right now"

[FruitLord]

I would actually buy a console if CF was translating some good jrpgs for them!

[mitsudo]

There's another problem on top of anything else: PS2 games. Never mind the dev kit thing, the unspoken rule is that Sony is flat-out refusing any more PS2 production and wants everything focused on the PS3 now in terms of set-top consoles. We'd never get the games approved just on that alone.

Sorry, but I'm afraid this won't happen.

You could do a PSN release

[Draaza]

I would be getting on the original developers (which would be Marvelous Entertainment. Aka. the Harvest Moon guys), not Sony. While Sony understandably don't want new PS2 games, it might not be impossible to get them on your side. It's still a long-shot (Marvelous are a pretty big company, and if they had any intention they probably would just do it themselves), but less of a long-shot than trying to get anything out of Sony, who have no vested interest in these games aside from royalties and console sales. The most likely solution would be to do a port, but there are all kinds of issues with that that would make such a thing improbable at best.

Shame really - I've always wanted to play the Gunslinger Girl games, as I am quite a fan of the original anime. I haven't watched much of the second season, and I've heard it's not as good (from what I've seen, this is probably true), but there's enough in there to pique my interests.