Figured as much. So they do not have to fear it gets taken off shelves in stores. Or they will have issues with law in this case
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Nintendo censors "human rights" and "freedom" in Chinese localization of Paper Mario: The Origami King (UP: Game was not censored. See threadmarks)
- Thread starter Atheerios
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What the fuck does where I come from matter? Are you suggesting that because I live in a shitty capitalistic society I'm not allowed to criticize it? Also, way to go to bat for a government that is literally committing a large scale genocide at this moment, very good look
I am.
It's Nintendo who's surprising me with this absolutely horrendous act.
I think it's Tencent actually, I cannot find anything on Nintendo China
Literally every company operating in China will try and self censor because if they don't they'll be blacklisted by the CCP. This was always inevitable the moment Nintendo said they were trying to penetrate that market.
Yeah, that's also an effect of censorship. People self-censor stuff preemptively to avoid conflict. At times it means there's also an overcorrection where things are censored that might have even been allowed. But in the end that's the desired effect. Have them worried about saying anything about human rights.
Companies worldwide will choose access to the Chinese market over anything else, every time. I'm not sure what to do, other than elect politicians with a hard stance on moving out of China. Consumer activism hasn't done shit.
What the fuck is this shit
What the fuck is this shit
[BBC] In China, Uighurs 'moved into factory forced labour' for foreign brands Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony
It was recommended that I cross post this from EtcetEra for awareness, particularly as we move towards a new generation of consoles. Letting people make informed decisions about where they're willing to put their money is the best thing anyone can do here. Here's the latest on the various...
www.resetera.com
Most Switches? They've just moved to Vietnam last year, and they're not moving the entire production from China either.
Yea, all three consoles are apparently being made with some Uyghur slave labour for the past several months.
There does seem to be a plan to move production elsewhere. Someone correct me if I'm wrong:
Microsoft -> South America
Sony -> Japan
Nintendo -> Vietnam
?
And with the case that China is very against human free speech and everything I can understand why Nintendo China did this.
Certainly not the first time, won't be the last. It's sadly just the cost of doing business in China and Hong Kong in 2020, whether it's something mandated by law, promoted by company policy, or implemented by individual localization staff. Fucked up world we live in.
This shouldn't be surprising to anyone. If having to do business in China means taking local politics into account while localizing a game, they'll do it. It's a small price to pay for Nintendo to make more money, and for Chinese citizens to have access to these games.
In any case, these games are localized in several languages. I'm sure the people in charge of the translations makes changes on their own based on a few guidelines. It'd be interesting to see the other translations (Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, and Korean).
Edit: Well, here's one example:
He says:
"Until a Toad finally found himself asking why they were doing that. And you know what they said? "Shut up and fold into our desires". It's horrible, I'm profoundly traumatized.
The word "pliégate" could be seen as "succumb" to our desires, but it's wordplay on fold into/crease.
In any case, these games are localized in several languages. I'm sure the people in charge of the translations makes changes on their own based on a few guidelines. It'd be interesting to see the other translations (Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, and Korean).
Edit: Well, here's one example:
Spanish localization doesn't mention anything about abuse or rights.
He says:
"Until a Toad finally found himself asking why they were doing that. And you know what they said? "Shut up and fold into our desires". It's horrible, I'm profoundly traumatized.
The word "pliégate" could be seen as "succumb" to our desires, but it's wordplay on fold into/crease.
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The issue isn't the long history of enmity between China and Japan. The issue is for whatever reason giving in to change something that isn't even critical of the Chinese government. Whether they changed it because of a request or via translation or whatever other reason, the idea that it has to be changed is astonishing.
I expect a lot of companies to bend the knee for China. I wouldn't if I attempted to do business there so I would have to settle for whatever I sold only existed in the black market.
sadly, this isn't surprising. this seems to be the cost of doing business in china. the companies self censor their content before the chinese government demands it.
User Banned (3 Months): Whataboutism around ethnic cleansing, prior infraction for whataboutism around human rights
Where you come from matters because you are more than likely living off all that sweet sweet suffering our country has inflicted across the world, and at home, for generations.
"Large scale genocide" Jesus Christ, the propaganda machine has that leash pulled tight, huh? The Australian Strategic Policy Institute is just trying to sell weapons. It's amazing how they've convinced people who couldn't be bothered for a single second about what their own country is doing in Yemen and elsewhere that they have any interest beyond business.
Weird that people still think that localisation mean a 1:1 translation.
There is no "Nintendo China".
So what is Nintendo called in China then ?
I know there is Nintendo of America and Europe.
IIRC, Tencent is only handling the official console sales in mainland China, not Hong Kong, and not the special region of Shanghai.
Since the dripfeed for mainland Chinese games is so slow, I doubt this is the mainland version. It's probably the Hong Kong version, (that should also be different than the Taiwain version ?).
Like i posted on the previous page, i think Zhuge once tweeted about Nintendo's China stuff and iirc it's Tencent that handles localizations, they also handle the chinese eShop. The latter i'm absolutely sure of reading.
Does someone know if the japanese version is the same?Spanish localization doesn't mention anything about abuse or rights.
Oh sorry so Tencent is taking over for Nintendo in this case. Thanks for clarifying.
It's not a small price to pay. This isn't only local politics. China already made a law where they will arrest you for defying their will outside their borders. They framed it in terms over their management of Hong Kong but don't expect this authoritarianism to simply end there in your lifetime.
China is increasingly challenging the world order in a way that's even more unhealthy than the current dynamic of capitalism with lax borders while everything else has more restrictions.
Nintendo has a subsidiary, iQue, that handles their Chinese localizations released in hong kong and taiwan. in mainland china itself, most games aren't officially released, and tencent handles switch games there which i think only very few are officially allowed to be released (mario kart and nsmbudx, if i'm not mistaken). of course, people can still buy copies imported from Hong Kong from the black market.
An ugly literal translation would be:
"Human rights to Toads!
Freedom to Toads!"
"Human rights" is just one word in Japanese. It's not as simple as thinking " 'Toad rights' works in English, so why don't they say that in Japanese too?" Having キノピオ権 (Kinopio-ken, an extremely literal translation of "Toad rights") would just sound clunky AF to a native speaker. And what the writers went with works better as a slogan given that the two lines use the same syntax. The "human" part of the phrase in Japanese is better thought of as meaning "human-like, conscious being".
Also, Japanese video game scripts are typically way more literal in their writing than English scripts. The puns, metaphors and various flourishes you see in English localizations are just that: localizations, as opposed to translations. Trust me, if English scripts were just translations of Japanese scripts, even competent ones, they would just sound incredibly bland and functional. For better or for worse, that's just how most Japanese developers write dialogue in J-RPGs. Most likely taking cues from anime.
I'll refrain from making any comments on the Chinese localization, as I don't speak Chinese or know the culture that well. Interestingly though, the English translation doesn't have the word "freedom", so I don't feel it's fair to attack the Chinese script for not featuring the word "freedom" at least. If we're gonna do that, then let's attack the English localization as well. Each country will adapt scripts instead of slavishly translating them. This includes choosing words, concepts and phrasings that are more culturally relevant or just feel and sound better. Whether this is what happened here with the Chinese localization, or they went too far and it's actually fair to call the script watered down/censored, again, I can't say.
Ugh. Can't exactly be surprised; stuff like this should be expected from any corporation stepping into the Chinese market (which doesn't in any way excuse it, just to be clear)
It appears that every region's localisation altered the very blunt and literal Japanese script, though the English version at least retains some allusion to the original line about Toad rights (nothing about freedom though).
It appears that every region's localisation altered the very blunt and literal Japanese script, though the English version at least retains some allusion to the original line about Toad rights (nothing about freedom though).
It's a small price for Nintendo, I meant. Not for the greater good.
Tell me I'm misreading and you aren't debating the semantics of one million people being put into concentration camps called "large scale genocide." I'm misinterpreting this post right?
It's just money. Western companies (and people in general) did business with the Nazi party before the war started too. Sweden made a lot of its wealth from selling iron to Germany and letting them (and Allies) use their railroads. Money is all that matters.
Spanish localization doesn't mention anything about abuse or rights.
That damn Spanish Communist Party
The English version doesn't match the Japanese version (when translated to English which doesn't match the Chinese version (when translated to English) which doesn't match the Spanish version (when translated to English).
It's either that or not releasing their games in China. Nintendo is no NGO fighting for human rights. They are a company, and as a company, their only goal is to make profit. And you make profit by selling your products. Simple as that. A few months ago, it was Blizzard, now it's Nintendo, there are TONS of companies that do the same. Again, they have only one goal: make profit.
Fuck the chinese government. Fuck them for treating the Uyghurs like slaves and living organ banks. Fuck the chinese government. They are just the 21st century Nazi party and not a single country will do anything about that, because money. Fuck that.
Fuck the chinese government. Fuck them for treating the Uyghurs like slaves and living organ banks. Fuck the chinese government. They are just the 21st century Nazi party and not a single country will do anything about that, because money. Fuck that.
What do people aspect Nintendo to do? Giving up, there complete chance in publishing and producing anything in China or bow down to the CCP's censorship rules? It isn't like, Nintendo is a necessary company, which could use there influence to have effect on the CCP. Maybe the culture and subtle ideas, can change the view of the population in China, instead of them never having the change to play any Nintendo games.
(At least Nintendo could move there production outside of China and away from literally slave facilities ... )
(At least Nintendo could move there production outside of China and away from literally slave facilities ... )
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