Clearly, for that game to succeed in the Japanese market, the localization effort had to produce a new game, one that hundreds of thousands of Japanese people would purchase and play repeatedly. But their choices and design processes did not follow any particular prescribed industry standard for localization. (ibid.)
The situation remains much the same today as regards the difficulty of non-Japanese games breaking into the Japanese market. It is indeed difficult to work out any precise formula for adjustments of cultural content, while the formula for failure would be to totally ignore cultural contexts. Localized games have to be entertaining without being offensive and yet need to retain unique characteristics which are present in the original game, making the game appeal to the player. Precisely because of the difficulty in establishing exact prescriptions for a successful approach, developers and publishers generally pay considerable attention to the feedback they receive from players, either directly, via focus groups or beta testing, or indirectly, through the comments that are made on fan forums and game review sites. For example, after receiving feedback from a focus group, developer, and publisher, Square adapted the game mechanics of the North American version of Chocobo Racing (1999) and reduced the level of difficulty of the final race by placing guard rails in strategic locations in order to prevent falls (Edge Online 2006). Similarly, Nintendo decided to make changes to the design and the storyline of the localized version of Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (2008)70 based on feedback from Japanese players of previous titles in the series, feedback on previous North American versions, and feedback from the localization team. As a result the North American version became darker and more sombre, in order to meet US players’expectations of a war game.
In the age of viral marketing, where virtual word of mouth spreads instantaneously online, the influence of users and the value of their feedback should not be underestimated. Game production and game consumption are at the heart of game culture, where the two sides are intrinsically connected. In comparison with other types of translation the feedback loop in game localization between the translator and the translation user can be potentially much more immediate and tangible. In particular, cultural issues are something which could affect the player in a significant and lasting manner and they justify the investment of time and effort by the production side. In such endeavours users become a central focus, in some cases, over and above other commercial considerations.
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