I have to be honest. I’ve been around the Tales scene for a while, but this week was the first time I really felt ashamed to be a part of it.
But first, the news: A Tales of Graces f English localization has been announced! Just when it seemed like the series was down for the count, it bounced back! Thanks to Namdai for making this happen and to all the fans who passionately petitioned them for it. As a result, the Tales of Graces Fan Translation has made the difficult decision of halting work on both the Wii and PS3 Graces translations. It’s not easy for a team that worked so hard on a game to give it up, but the staff agreed that we wanted to support the official localization as best we could. I was proud to see everyone come together in making that decision as I was to be a part of the project while it lasted. So why was I talking about being ashamed to be a Tales fan?
Following the almost miraculous announcement of Tales of Graces for localization, people immediately started asking about Vesperia PS3. Some of it was just innocent curiosity after the tease on ataleoftworichards, but others were clearly upset that Graces had been announced and not their game of choice. Guys, honestly? There’s nothing wrong with wanting Vesperia PS3 or any other Tales game. We all have different tastes and preferences when it comes to what we’d like to see localized. Personally, I’d love to see all of them localized. But can’t we at least appreciate and celebrate what we’ve been given? To do otherwise just seems to horribly ungrateful. We’re better than that. Let’s prove that by getting out and supporting Tales of Graces f with our purchases when it’s released. This decision came about because of passionate fans, but we can’t be content with that. This is our chance to help fuel a revival of the Tales series in the West.
Second source of disappointment… On the forum, there were all of these comments begging the Graces team to continue the fan translation of Graces (mainly the Wii version). Let me be very clear on my opinion on this if I haven’t been previously: Fan translations are not here to replace official localizations. Likewise, I don’t believe it’s our place to compete with them. I have always worked on every project with the stance that if an official localization is announced or if a company asks me to halt a project, I would do the right thing and stop the project. That is how the traditional fan translation community has always operated. As an unofficial translator, I am fully aware that all of my work could be for naught at any moment. However, I would nonetheless see an official localization as a blessing and welcome it. I am surprised that fans seemed to have different expectations. A number of people expressed what I can only describe as a sense of entitlement to a Graces fan translation because they had purchased a Japanese copy of the game. While I can sympathize with those now faced with the decision of buying a second copy of the same game, no one ever forced you to buy it. When you made that purchase, you had to weigh the benefits with the risk that the patch would never be completed for one reason or another. Considering the number of projects that are never completed due to lack of interest or dedication, I think that one that ends because we’re getting something even better is still worth celebrating. The fact that there are two versions of Graces doesn’t change the math. The Graces team made the right decision in deciding to halt both projects at this time. Our first responsibility is to support the series that we love. If all we do is clamor loudly and then fail to show up at the crucial moment, we’ll just prove to Namdai that they were right about not localizing all along.
When Namdai steps up and localizes a game, we all win. And when that doesn’t happen, we have a strong (although young) fan translation community to fall back on. From where I’m standing, the future of the Tales series in the West looks bright. As for Graces, I’ll be picking up a copy on day one. (Namdai, if you include all of the DLC costumes and such as extras, I’ll buy three!)
Here here! Three cheers for throughhim413. Lord, King, God and Master!
Yeah, it’s great that they are localizing the game. I don’t think those people that bought the game should complain as they probably played the game before those that waited an official localization and, as you stated, they should’ve known the risk they were taking by buying the Japanese game.
On the Tales of Vesperia subject, I would love the PS3 version to come, but I’m already happy they chose Graces f for release as Vesperia already has an english version (even if without the PS3 extras). Hope they decide on localizing it after Graces, but complaining about their choices looks like the wrong way to ask for ToV PS3 IMO.
I’m extremely stoked! I will gladly pay the full 60 dollars for this game when its out. I was playing the PS3 demo and REALLY wanted to understand what was going on, and now I can! =D, if we’re real Tales fans we have to take what we can get.
Tempus:Here here! Three cheers for throughhim413. Lord, King, God and Master!
I second this =)
Well said, well said indeed, throughhim.
Thats exactly right! I bought a Japanese copy of the game, pre-ordered it even, and once i heard that it was being localized I was stoked! Do i think that my $104 was a waste? Absolutely not! The translation for it was not even on my mind. I was content just being able to play and now I’m even more with this localization. First day it’s up for reserve, I’m to gamestop
I must admit I am kinda dissapointed.
I’m not complaining, but now I have to sell my copy of Graces, and buy a PS3 and a copy of Graces f (or just not play the game).
But I also can’t say I disagree with this desicion. I understand the reasoning behind it, I just wish it weren’t so. As you said, I knew the risk when I imported my copy. I weighed the chances of it being announced against the chance of it selling out after the patch’s release. I guess I was unlucky. But I hold no spite towards any of you in your desicion.
Although I think I would still rather play the fan translation than an official localisation. Oh well, that’s life…
The reason people are pissed about Vespy PS3 is because the teaser sight had bits of the logo. They more or less mocked the people that wanted it, and are now pretending it never happened.
Also, you’re a fan translator and THIS was your breaking point? I would assume all the annoying comments you’ve gotten over the years would be much worse.
Hmm, I would say the “discussions” on AZ’s were the most civil, yes, even with that very loud kid.
You should check some of the comments on GameFaqs or siliconera. People saying that the game must come to the Wii no matter what because they have been waiting for it the longest and such. I mean, here we get the complete version of a game for once, and now we have people complaining that they’re not releasing the vanilla version for Wii.
On Vesperia, well, I already have the PS3 game and will wait for the patch but you have to recognize putting that distorted Vesperia logo (no way you can distort the Graces logo into looking that like, cmon Rich)on the site was a very VERY bad move. Just gave the people that wanted the game false hope and the whinners more reason to whine and we have a LOT of whinners in the Tales community.
Either way debate is good in some way or another and as long as it creates hype for the game, its all good. Graces f is on the second spot of Most wanted faqs in GameFaqs and climbed from position 96 to eleven in the Top 10 games ranking.
I completely agree. I made the menu patch for Narikiri Dungeon X (tales.namco.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=85140) and if at any point the game were to be announced for localization, I would halt all progress. I would not want to defer fans in any way from purchasing the English version of the game. It’s just as you said – fan translations are not meant to replace or even compete with official ones.
I agree with your post completely, and I agree with the actions of the Tales of Graces translation team.
I hope that the Tales community learns something from your post.
Have my children.
jk, but seriously, I’ve been following the localization news closely for the past few days, and this blog post is one of the few voices of reason I’ve found. I’m incredibly disgusted with the fanbase–they finally got a game they wanted, and so many people still feel entitled to complain. Namco can’t win.
I support people fighting to get a game they want localized, but honestly, to carry on the way people are right after they are given something they’ve asked for… it’s extremely ungrateful. As for the people who have bought the game(s) already in anticipation of the fan translations; you should have known there were no guarantees. I picked up my copy of Graces wii in Japan after I saw all the progress being made by the group. Am I disappointed? Hell no. We are getting Graces F!, and we are getting it from namdai, meaning this is a renewed hope for the series here. In any case now I have a sweet japanese copy of Graces to look at. ^_^
I’m actually kind of disappointed with how long it took the Graces translation team to reach the decision after official localization was announced. But I’m quite happy with the decision they reached. We’re finally getting an official Tales localization. We don’t need a fan translation, even on a different system, to mess this up for all of us. If everyone plays their cards right, and BUYS GRACES F the week it comes out, we can possibly get Xillia as well. And if Namco Bandai is feeling EXTREMELY generous, maybe even Vesperia PS3.
I, personally, am going to buy at LEAST two copies of Graces F on release day. I don’t even really have the budget to do so, but I will. Because I’m that serious about securing future Tales titles overseas.
tl;dr For the love of god, BUY GRACES F! DON’T MESS THIS UP FOR ALL OF US!
Graces was a team effort, so the delay in coming to a decision was more logistical than anything else. Tempus wanted to ensure that all members of the team had input on the decision and not everyone was online the day of the announcement (Wednesday). After two days, we had that input and the decision was posted Friday. While we had speculated through the tease period, we didn’t want to make any decisions before we had all of the facts. From the outset, the team was pretty much in agreement about what needed to happen, we were just working out some of the details.
Tenshigami, that second copy you plan on buying will make up for the zero I plan on getting.
(I do not own a PS3)
Well said.
Thank you for all the work you’ve done for the tales community and in the future I hope we will not collectively be a source of shame
Can you blame people for complaining though, really? I mean, I didnt hear about this distorted misleading logo bit, but for the Wii version to be skipped, is a completely understandable thing to get upset for, but also to condone. Some of us as stated above, dont have a ps3, and I’m sure those people wont buy a ps3 for just one game (your insane if you do, seriously.) From the company’s point though, its perfectly logical for the ps3 version to come over, considering its the most complete with extra’s (and non glitchy) of the two.
If anything’s to be bitched at though, it should not the localization picks, but what Namdai does with its supposed “exclusives” games, that somehow, finds itself to a Sony console, loaded with more extra’s just so they can make more dough. To me, thats a slap in the face not just for ‘most’ tales fans, but just as a principle in general. Keep things exclusive, add download content later; just dont be sell outs D:
I was more disappointed in the fans spamming the Facebook account way before the “suggestion box” was put into play. Kind of paints a negative picture for the rest of us.
Then there’s all the sucking up that went on here…
The Tales fanbase is incredibly silly in more ways than one. It can’t be helped.
OMG, i was realy happy when i thought that someday i could play graces on wii with translation,and i bought it becausse i think the traslation progress was realy promising.,
but now it’s gone
well i don’t own ps3 so i think that was realy a great shock for me 
Good job ignoring Wii owners (non-PS3 owners) that are totally screwed.
As much as a Tales of fan I am, I’m not willing to support developers that not only switch between supports to make exclusive titles, but ALSO do that with their translations.
Vesperia’s translation was part of my decision to own a 360, this will not happen again with PS3 or any other console.
Anyway, there’s still the possibility of an official Graces (F) translation on Wii.
Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do at this time to both support Wii owners and to support Namdai’s localization effort. If there were, we would have done it. That being said, Namdai has yet to deny the possibility of a Wii version translation, so I wouldn’t give up hope just yet. In any case, if the PS3 localization fails to sell after all of this fanfare, it’s very bad news for all Tales fans, not just the owners of a particular console. It’s bigger than that.
There’s this link you posted about 50,000 requests from fans. If most were from Wii owners, I hope they think about it as it might kill their sells.
Well said!!! I bought a copy of PS3 Graces F and beat it (luckily) 2 weeks before the announcement of a USA release was made! So I’m absolutely grateful, and even if I hadn’t already beaten the game I would’ve been grateful either way! I’m buying a copy of Graces F on day one for sure!
IMO, whether the localization fails or not depends on the Voice Actor,. it would be better if they add an option like changing beettween the original Voice actor and the new one
As a Tales fan, I’m glad they actually translate the game. Mind you I don’t know anything about Graces aside from some websites I visit. And I don’t have either a Wii or PS3. But believe me, with another Tales game being translated, you can count on me buying either one of those consoles. That was also one of the reason I bought my PS2: to play Tales of Legendia and Tales of the Abyss (though it was unfortunate that ToD2 and ToD:DC didn’t get an official English translation). As for Vesperia, I’m hoping to get an Xbox 360 in the near future. Maybe.
As for the issue, not trying to be an @$$-kisser or anything, I support the notion to stop the unofficial translation. I appreciate the effort the translation team had given in the past, but I think it is also important to give support to Namco Bandai via buying their translated Tales games instead of demanding an unofficial translation to continue despite the existence of the official ones.
It does suck that i’m not north american, or a PS3 owner.
But at least we are getting an english translated tales of graces.
Guess i’ll just have to suck it up.
It’s great that the game is gaetting an official localization. As a fan of the series I plan on pre-ordering the game and in incourage all that are interested to do the same. Pre-ordering show Namco Bandai interest in the release. Companies use pre-order (not entirely of cource) data to decide if further realese in the series will be localized or made all together.
Y’know what? I’m still pissed off.
Because the game is coming to North America. Great, right? Well, not for me, living in the UK.
Us in the UK get hardly any Tales games, and when we finally do it’s stupidly late (Took nearly a year for Vesperia to release after going out in the US). I love Tales games, and I’ve bought all the games released for all the consoles over here, and of course played Innocence thanks to throughhim413 and a couple of Japanese games… Which greatly confused me…
But I doubt I’ll ever get to play Graces, or even Abyss or many of the other Tales games because the EU gets seriously shafted when it comes to Tales games for some reason. I just don’t want to have to buy an NTSC console to play just a couple of games…
I just won’t be happy until Namdai say; “We’ll release this game, EVEN IN EUROPE.”
NOTE: I’m not pissed off with the cancellation of the fan translation, that just makes sense, I’m pissed off with Namdai.
Hopefully they’ll realize that the voices calling for localization weren’t just North American. Namdai really seems to want to make a change for the better. Making European gamers actually feel like someone cares about them would be a huge step forward in that regard.
2 throughhim413
So if fact is that you stopped both projects for Graces, does it mean that you’ll restart the Destiny project? I mean restart at full speed instead of half speed it’s going now
2 ODDERZ
Isn’t PS3 a region-free console? O_o
Thon: As before, Destiny will not be going full speed until both Phantasian Productions and Absolute Zero are able to dedicate themselves to it. At the moment, both teams are not ready to do that, so the status quo will persist for the time being.
2 throughhim413
It’s a pity cuz i like Destiny alot more than some others Tales of… titles, not my absolutely favourite but one of. Anyway thanx for the answer
Thanks for this message. I agree wholehartedly. Awesome as you’ve been for Phantasia and Innocence, I’d much rather official releases. I do kinda hope that we get a wii version of graces, because I have no ps3, but even if we don’t I’ll be sure to buy a copy of the ps3 one on day one, for the one day that I get a ps3 or play on someone elses. We’ve been whining/begging/clamoring/petitioning/hacking for the past couple years because Namco hasn’t done what they could for the series, and now that they’re giving the series another chance, we should show that we support their effort in the one way that truly counts, our money.
I was on facebook, twitter, and TaleOfTwoRichards waiting on them making the announcement, hitting F5 constantly like everyone else. When it hit, the less than a minute turn around from “THANK YOU!” to “well now you have to do this and this and this or you still hate us” just reminded me of an entitled 8 year old complaining that he would only be getting the new plasma screen and not the full surround sound system. If you don’t have a PS3, find a friend who has one and encourage them to buy it.
Yeah, it sucks that you’re not getting a release on your system of choice, but if you spread an opinion of “Well they don’t give a crap about any of their fans outside Japan” that’s only going to discourage people from trying it. That happens enough, we’ll have to wait another however many years for them to give it another go, if they even will.
Dude, I totally agree with you! Hopefully people will ALL understand this one day. We have to support the Tales of Series! I like the fact that you actually voice your opinion, because I’m pretty sure that a lot of them actually realized all this after reading it!
Hey guys, even if you don’t own a ps3, buy a copy of the game anyway! Support tales! I have a copy of vesperia, but no 360 :c Maybe somewhere down the line, you’ll get a ps3, and you can play the game then! But at least show Namco Bandai that you will buy more tales games when they come out!
I’ll also echo the voice that I want proper Tales of releases in Europe. This is a big reason why I don’t have as much of the games in the series as I’d like.
Thankfully the PS3 is region free, so (worst case scenario) I can import the NA release, but still…
I gave up being disappointed at consumers way back when I started to hear “the customer is always right” thrown around like it was a universal rule.
What disappoints me is that with the technology present in the PS3, the XBox360, and the Wii, that they didn’t opt for localization patch type system. A lot of game companies disappoint me in this regard, I got a chance to work with the localization features of the 360 and wow it was so damn easy to integrate into an existing game. The best part of those localization systems in modern consoles, you don’t have to lock in a set of languages at release and each language pack can range from string substitution to full blown game patches. Takes a special type of idiot to ignore the potential for growth that technology opens up.
Well my only request is i just hope that you will transfer the English translation from PS3 version to Wii… i Mean what’s the point of localizing if i can’t play that still… I want Wii Tales of Gracef T_T
It completely boggles my mind that so many people are so ungrateful. Tales of Graces f is the best version to release business-wise. Not only do you have an existing JRPG fanbase hungry for more JRPGs, but it’s the extended edition. There would be MORE people bitching if the vanilla version was released, why the HELL do you think people are so rabid over Tales of Vesperia PS3? Seriously. There is no reason to release the Wii version, at all. JRPGs on the Wii tend to tank, and there has never been a big campaigned JRPG on the Wii in it’s whole history. With Xillia on the horizon, it’s a smart business move to release the PS3 Graces f as it establishes a possible market for the Xillia and the future of the series. And really, if you expect a big non-Atlus, non-XSEED, non-Aksys company to really care about how niche their titles are here in America, you are seriously delusional. Namco Bandai wants money, it’s economics. Tales of Graces f is THE version to release based on this simple fact alone.
As for UK, I feel your pain. I really wish more companies would establish UK-based localization companies, or companies that just release them there. Be happy that the PS3 is region-free at least.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Yea I hear ya 100%. Sickens me to hear all the continued whining and claims of trolling about Vesperia PS3.
I personally would love Vesperia PS3, we just played the xbox one and beat it 1 week ago. But I for one am glad Graces was announced. And as a bonus it is Graces F!
This here is the opportunity we’ve all been waiting for, to make a name for Tales in the West again. And I’ll be supporting any Tales localized, as its anothing stepping stone to bring future/past tales to us.
I, like many others have no plans on buying a PS3 ever. The tales of series is great but hardly justifies a console purchase. However we’re talking about sales from one system, so because they have no plans on releasing it on Wii, we should just be quiet and buy a PS3?
Namco are known for making some of the worst business strategies in gaming, and a lot of tales fans know this. For example, no translation for ToP Snes, PSX, then comes along the GBA version which was easily the worst version, since they crossed over SNES and PSX elements into creating the GBA version. But along comes the PSP version which is easily the best version, and no english release, big surprise.
More recently, Tales of Vesperia β for 360 and hardly any time passed before they made a PS3 version which is easily better. Same with Tales of Graces βugged and the PS3′s Tales of Graces F(inished) version, which was practically a remake.
But we should be grateful because at least we GOT a Wii version at all, right? I usually agree with you throughhim413, however cutting off the translation for a different console is pointless and just divides the fanbase further. If anything they could give ToG F for PS3 a year and then release a translation for the Wii version.
Of course namco owes us nothing, but it ticks me off when they say tales games usually fail in the western world when they make all the wrong moves and wonder why they are filing for bankruptcy.
Too be honest, I couldn’t care less about a official Tales translation anymore, the fan translators have done more for namco than they will ever admit.
Companies like XSEED take care of business, sure they may go bankrupt for localizing YS games since the fanbase is pretty small, but at least they are looking after the fans.
We wanted to avoid creating the impression that we were in competition with Namdai at all costs. As fan translators, we are here to supplement the official localizations, not replace them. There is a right time to press on with our own translations and there is a right time to throw our full support behind the series. Personally, I am of the opinion that no Tales fan translation should be looking at a release window that potential creates competition for Tales fans with Graces. When Graces comes out, we need the full fanbase to be ready for action. This is a big chance and I don’t want us to miss it. It’s our turn as Tales fans to support the series if we want to see the official localizations continue. And I most certainly do.
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/02/04/all-of-those-requests-influenced-namco-bandais-decision-to-localize-tales-of-graces-f/
“Since no platform(s) were announced I asked Iwai to clarify if Tales of Graces F would be released on PlayStation 3 and Wii. “We’ll see. We’re working on it. We’ll make the announcement later on,” Iwai replied.”
I don’t want Bamco to get my hopes up, but they’re making this very hard on me. Like many, I was waiting for the Wii translation, but when this Graces F was announced, I was disappointed. Then I read thsi article. I’m happy that they are at least looking at the possibility of bringing Graces F to the Wii.
Thank god I didn’t import it! XD
I just wish they gave me a reason to play my Wii again. After the travesty that was TOS:DOTNW, I gave up on it and only played Xbox. I don’t even care about all the extras and whatnot, I just want a decent Tales game for Wii.
Yeah, I was disappointed about Vesperia PS3 not coming out here.
But, I really don’t care that much. I bought Vesperia for the 360.
I was disappointed about Graces not coming out on the wii. I now have to get a ps3… but I wanted one anyways for disgaea 3… (hoping I get one as an early birthday present.)