What's happening with Edna & Harvey?
 

"Edna & Harvey: The Breakout", supposedly to be released in English last year? I've checked around and it's obviously not available yet, but I can't seem to find any further info on its status. Does anyone actually know what's planned? Or are we all to sit here with our fingers crossed? :crazy:

It's still in the works, but they had a setback with localization with threw off the timetable. Late this year is probably the earliest it can be expected, but it's definitely still planned.

Please, please, Patron Saint of the Adventure Games, let there be good English voiceacting? And good audio directing? I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I wouldn't mind if they just give us English subtitles and keep the original German acting (same with The Whsipered World btw).

Well, I'm glad to hear it hasn't been abandoned!

And I'm with Shany! I could definitely live with some subtitles instead of the real deal.

Sorry to bump this but I couldn't help but agree. Doing some research for uni I came across more details on this game and couldn't help but get excited by it. It's a shame it takes so long to get these Daedalic titles after they are released...

More details? :D

I will weigh in as yet another player who would prefer subtitles.

Better. (In the same way that it works for movies -- you get to hear the original inflections and passion and whatever; and maybe learn a bit too)

Faster. (No need to hold recording sessions, less delays like we are experiencing here)

Cheaper. (No need to hire voice talent, extra studio time, etc.)

Let subtitles become the norm. Especially in adventure games where text is most important, usually integral, and something we are used to ... and we are elitists.

Well, maybe subs would be faster, cheaper and better (arguably) but in this special case that would mean that at least ten percent of all of the lines wouldn't be real subtitles as they would have to say something completely different than the original German to get the jokes across. And those are a lot. Many of them linguistic jokes, too. Timing of puns comes to mind as well. So I can understand why a developer (or probably the publisher even more so) would prefer the whole shebang with emotional expression in the language of the targeted audience, with humor that's genuine to that language and with an opportunity to straighten out "mistakes" that have been made in the original.

By the way, I believe that the ones who will be drawn to an original version wit subs are still in the minority (considering the mainstream. Or how many US citizens go rent a foreign movie and watch it in the original language? Having to read all the time can distract from the plot, the characters and so on, too). But that's just a guess.

As for the "announced" date of Q4 2009: This has to be a misprint. As far as I know they struck the deal in early August. It would not even have been possible to translate the thing (roughly a bit over 28,000 lines), proofread it, let alone test it properly even if they had gone for subs only. So Q4 2010 was more likely from the beginning.

Furthermore I have the suspicion that US publishers want to buy a sure thing, so naturally they have to wait for significant success of the game in the home territory before they take on the risk (which is, of course minimized using that policy).

Cheers from sunny and extraordinarily warm Scotland, Dan.

Well I knew there would be argument for the "mainstream"...

That's why I put that bit in about "elitists".

You're right, everything should pander to the mainstream. Even though 4 adventure gamers immediately joined in on the subtitles idea...

Let's give up; never speak against market "smarts"; pander to the mainstream with out a second thought; play easy, mundane, menial, mediocre games; assist and accelerate this sickening trend by accepting the HOG (i.e. inane, mind-numbing crap) infestation into what was once a thinking-persons genre; oh, let's all have our walk-throughs at the ready!; and, whenever we get a chance... argue for more junk -- 12 HOGs a day just isn't enough!

@Lana:

Do I hear some bitterness in your last post? No need for that. I like to watch movies in the original language but I'm not a fan of Subtitles. Which might make me even more "elitist" ;)

But you seem to be making the point that translating a movie or game AND dubbing it somewhat diminishes the quality thereof. Sorry, I think that's nonsense.

I was just trying to see things from the perspective of a developer/publisher and those have to keep the mainstream in mind. They are not all enthusiastic artistic philanthropists (although there might be a tendency in AGs in that direction ...). You have to make money to be able to make another game. Maybe this could even work out like in the business of publishing books. You need "sellers" to be able to make artistic gems.

And yes, four immediately joined in. But four members of an "elitist" forum (your word, not mine) are hardly a number a dev or publisher can make money on.

So, to make it clear: I am not entirely against subs (they just personally distract me) but I feel that those who cannot stand them should have an opportunity to enjoy whatever the "elitist" enjoy, too.

Cheers, Dan.

ps: Had to rewrite the whole post, because my internet provider sucks:(

Oh, forget to mention this the second time:

You edited the post before your last (the "elitist"-thing), while I was creating mine, so I didn't know about it until I had already posted.

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. Maybe a little too much.

But it's just that I knew someone would find it necessary to speak up for the "mainstreaming" of things. It's no secret that the mundane is marketable.

Everyone understands that producing homogenized, LCD junk is less risky.

It doesn't mean that Coldplay doesn't suck. It doesn't mean that Taco Bell isn't to be avoided. It doesn't mean that I should accept whatever declines and just hop in my car, pull up to the drive-thru, order my "Coldplay/HotPak" cross-promotional Enchrito & Mini CD Meal... because the marketing dept at PepsiCo have "had an idea that the kids will love!".

Well, sure there's a trend in commercialisation that sucks out the artistic aspects of a product, dumbs it down or accustoms it to a mass audience and therefore eliminates anything unusual or "weird".
It doesn't happen necessarily or automatically, though.
And what has dubbing to do with this again?

Only subtitling a product may spare costs, but may also reduce the profit.
And since when is dubbing less "artful"?

@Lana again:

I couldn't help but notice two things:

1st: You obviously have an axe to grind with your perceived inferiority of the "mainstream".

2nd: You do not react to any other points and arguments that are being made.

This leads me to believe you are not really interested in a discussion. So this is going to be it for me.

Just one last thing: We are discussing one particular game that many consider to be quite good, very "un-mainstream" (but it has won prizes in Germany!? ...) and all in all remarkable.

Is it really your point that translating this particular game *and* dubbing it would "dumb it down"? If so I really have no idea what you were trying to say, or why, for that matter.

@ ozzie:

Thanks, you seem to be able to say in just two sentences what I am trying to imply in a whole article. Less is more!

Cheers, Dan.

Yeah I have to say I hadn't thought of subbing having that much of a demand on developers, but now you've highlighted it ADan I can understand.

I'm guessing this notion of dumbing down with dubs goes back to things like anime dubbing and the whole debacle with censorship, but I don't think this is the case with game dubbing. I don't think there's any dumbing down, I just voiced my preference for subbing if it meant an earlier release.

At the end of the day I just want this game! Dub, sub - whatever! I just want to play it :frown:

Hang in there, man. Have faith! I'm confident that the game will see the light of day. In English. Dubbed.

Cheers, Dan.

Lana, are you pushing for a reaction from Dan or something? I'm surprised he hasn't snapped back at you, with the condescending bullsh*t you've been throwing at him.

Kudos to you, Dan, for keeping your cool

I'm still interested in what you were referring to by this, Sughly. Can you shed any more light on the games situation? :D

Ohhh no, no, sorry, misunderstanding here. By details I mean the standard screenshots/trailers in German which I didn't pay as much attention to before but have since thought 'hey yeah what the hell is happening with that game?'.

So nothing new, sorry :frown:

Okay, here is something that doesn't say much but seems reasonable enough:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/945237-ed...-breakout/data

"TBA 2010"

Cheers.