Hey there, Warriors of Light!
Three days ago, on Lodestone, we had a chance to look for the first time on the updated Stage Schedule for Final Fantasy Festival in Tokyo. Beside introducing guests that are coming to FanFest, we were informed about lack of the real-time translation at the event itself. Instead we'll receive a commentary that will be separated from the main event.
My question is: why? Both American and European FanFests were bilingual and it worked nicely. Suddenly, Tokyo FanFest, which no doubt will introduce plenty of new features and content connected to incoming patches for Stormblood and launch of the Shadowbringers expansion. Mind you, I have not watched the Japanese FanFest last time and it might be that the formula is the same as last time. Still, in those two years, game evolved, became bigger and more international then it was by the time of the last FanFest in Japan.
Yet, with the most important, since it is the last one before the expansion, FanFest we (and I mean here, widely spread ''non-Japanese speaking fan base, whose common language became English" - not to mention other groups) were in a sense disregarded for the favour of Japanese only audience. I do understand that FanFest is happening in Tokyo and most likely great majority of participants will be speakers of Japanese. At the same time, FanFest in Paris was not conducted in French at all, not even in passing - same with the one that happened in Frankfurt, if I'm not mistaken. I was not present on that one.
With all due respect to Japanese audience, but the signal for speakers from other regions seems to be quite clear. It is Japanese audience that is more important than other groups. I confess, and here I am writing my personal opinion, plus certain people's from my surroundings, that it made me feel rather forgotten about, as a non-Japanese speaker, or, more accurately: it feels like the aforementioned English Commentary was created as an afterthought, so that we could still in some way participate in the stream from Tokyo.
The reason I am only mentioning English is not in favour of it over other languages but because I have a feeling that it became a second language for ''Final Fantasy XIV'' over the years, as the chosen language of the ''other'' audiences, those different from the Japanese players.
You may not share my opinion, and you have full right to it. I'm interested in feedback on how this information about lack of real-time translation affected you or whether you don't mind it at all. What is your opinion on this?
May you ever walk in the light of the Crystal!