Tokyo Fan Fest - Only keynote to be translated

[RagingAvatar]

I was at Paris Fan Fest and found it pretty amazing that the whole thing was available in English, and probably most of it understandable for Japanese people too while being live streamed on Twitch.

Why isn’t the Tokyo Fan Fest available wholly in English on livestream?
The fact that the key note is being translated makes me feel like Square Enix just don’t want to deal with the expense.
Heck, I’d be happy to pay $5 to watch the Tokyo Fan Fest in English and I suspect I’m not alone.

What do you guys think about this?

[Kaedan]

The Europe Fan Fest was in English because it was being held in Europe. They couldn't very well have the thing in Japanese while it's being held in Europe.

But since Tokyo Fan Fest is being held in Tokyo, there's really no need for them to have English for anything but the keynote. The attendees are going to be 99% Japanese, with maybe a small number of foreigners. So it really doesn't make sense to translate the side panels.

Later, when the side panels are available online, I'm sure some FF fan will translate them (and I think they often post summary translations here on the forums). I've done a bit of translating as well, if I have the time.

[RagingAvatar]

There’s no reason S-E couldn’t translate the side panels on stream is what I’m saying.

Obviously they’re not going to translate it live for a predominantly Japanese audience.

An MMO game is a worldwide game, trying to communicate with as wide an audience as possible is always a good idea.

[Lambdafish]

But since Tokyo Fan Fest is being held in Tokyo, there's really no need for them to have English for anything but the keynote. The attendees are going to be 99% Japanese, with maybe a small number of foreigners. So it really doesn't make sense to translate the side panels.

Except the whole thing is being live-streamed online to a worldwide audience. I kinda understand why generic live letters aren't translated given their small scale, but this is a Fan Fest.

[Barraind]

Except the whole thing is being live-streamed online to a worldwide audience. I kinda understand why generic live letters aren't translated given their small scale, but this is a Fan Fest.

I actually dont understand the lack of official translations on things being delivered to the community as a whole.

At this point, more people playing 14 speak English than any other language, and they employ people for that purpose.

[kikix12]

Except the whole thing is being live-streamed online to a worldwide audience. I kinda understand why generic live letters aren't translated given their small scale, but this is a Fan Fest.

Live translation takes time, more than anything. They will have to interrupt speaking to let translator speak the same thing just in different language. That interrupts the flow and takes away from what they are able to present.

The Live-Stream is there, yes, but who exactly told you that it's "for you"?! It may be for the Japanese that could not attend the Fan Fest, and you are just allowed to latch on.

Just wait for the translation or depend on the fan translations. Live translations are not only inaccurate but interfere with the event.

[TarynH]

Live translation takes time, more than anything. They will have to interrupt speaking to let translator speak the same thing just in different language. That interrupts the flow and takes away from what they are able to present.

If that were the case, they could just have someone come out and give the keynote in English (at NA/EU events), while Yoshi stands and smiles at them. I personally don't mind the "flow being interrupted" if it's done professionally. Koji and Yoshi are a good team on stage.

Oh. I just read the thing. It says on a separate channel. Wonder if that means at the same time or after.

If it's like the last Fan Fest in Japan, it'll be someone that is so excited about what is being announced, that they'll "ooh" and "aww" instead of translating. Or talking nonsense back and forth, while missing information. I'd rather have Koji there live, with the back and forth.

[Burningskull]

If it's like the last Fan Fest in Japan, it'll be someone that is so excited about what is being announced, that they'll "ooh" and "aww" instead of translating. Or talking nonsense back and forth, while missing information. I'd rather have Koji there live, with the back and forth.

Eh.. Just post all the pictures on the forums then lol. I'll miss Koji doing a live tanslation tho. Him and Yoshida are rather funny to me.

[kikix12]

Seems odd that they would do live translations for NA and EU but not JP when they made the point of making the streams free.

They didn't make live translation for the NA and EU streams. They made live translation for the guests on the premises. And that was simply streamed live. They went to a foreign country with mostly foreign spectators paying for actual tickets to see them. They could not ignore the translation for the people at the venue.

But with the next Fan Fest in Japan, the entire audience is expected to know Japanese so no on-venue translation is needed. Even if there are foreign guests as well (there surely will be), some of them will know Japanese all the same (most people simply wouldn't go there otherwise).

And the remaining few?! Sorry, but the concept is the same as in EU. There was no German, French, Spanish, Polish, Danish etc. translations for the EU Fan Fest even if it was in France. If you want to see some foreign event held in some foreign country (or internationally)...it's on you to learn the universal language in the area. In Europe English is the most universal as it's taught across all the countries plus it's the primary language in England and Ireland, plus a very strong second language in numerous others. In Japan...it's Japanese. It's as simple as that.

I personally don't mind the "flow being interrupted" if it's done professionally. Koji and Yoshi are a good team on stage.

Flow being interrupted means that less information is being given in the same amount of time. Not only is the information given repeated an additional time, but the in-between and the translation process itself (the translator needs to "translate" it in their head due to different way that phrases are built in the two languages, if nothing else).

As a result, to match the same duration, the information is condensed and some is omitted. What's worse, the more information is condensed and omitted, the easier it is to make a mistake while translating something.

So yeah, flow is actually a lot more important that "I can understand only half of what they're saying".

Well, you may still say that you don't mind it being interrupted...you're free to do so. But clearly Square Enix chose the practical option.

Yup. It seems like by not making the information translated so everyone can know, they are shooting themselves in the foot a bit. Also often times fan translated things are wrong, which leads to misinformation being spread, and then disappointment eventually when its released and nothing like "they promised at the fanfest!"

Did you actually look at the posts after key notes and live letters?! Do you know how many people were spreading misinformation about something that was clearly written and translated properly, just cause they cannot read fully?!

The people that spread misinformation from fan translations often are the ones that have difficulty with reading comprehension, a problem that affects huge chunks of humanity. Functional illiteracy is a thing, you know, and that's only for those most severe cases. There are countless more that make frequent mistakes when reading even if they can do so with some degree of accuracy in general. No amount of on-the-fly translation (which is AS PRONE to mistakes as fan translations) is going to prevent that.

Look at forum posts and comment sections. How often do you see an exchange similar to this:
MR.A: "I like Big Bad because he shows us how to make a well written character. I hope to see him in the sequel if it'll ever be made."
MR.B: "Big Bad is not good, he's evil! Did you even watch the show? And no one said there will be sequel either, don't lie to people!"

The above exchange may be just an example...but I've seen even more obvious cases of illiteracy of people that "can" read and write (type) "on paper".

[Iromi]

Except the whole thing is being live-streamed online to a worldwide audience. I kinda understand why generic live letters aren't translated given their small scale, but this is a Fan Fest.

Yup. It seems like by not making the information translated so everyone can know, they are shooting themselves in the foot a bit. Also often times fan translated things are wrong, which leads to misinformation being spread, and then disappointment eventually when its released and nothing like "they promised at the fanfest!"