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General discussion (archive)Subtitles in Video Games(37 posts)(37 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted February 26, 2011
What's up with so many people using subtitles in games?

I am playing the Dead Money expansion to Fallout: New Vegas and there is a mute character who you can only speak to with subtitles on because the subtitles describe her gestures. This struck me as really odd since I am not hearing impaired and obviously have subtitles off, so I had no idea what was going on at first.

Thinking about it though, a lot of games have subtitles on by default and I have to go turn them off. Also watching walkthrough videos on sites like giantbomb or gametrailers I see that journalists usually play with subtitles on. Same thing with random youtube videos.

So my question is: do you use subtitles? If you are not hearing impaired why do you do it? Do you do it for movies too?
Posted February 26, 2011
I never use subtitles for movies, but I constantly use subtitles for games. There have been games where an in-game ally will be somewhere behind me, and you can hear her speak very faintly but have no idea what she's saying. After that happened a number of times, I was fed up and started turning on subtitles for almost all of my games.
Posted February 26, 2011
I use subtitles for video games, but not movies (unless they're foreign flicks, then it's subtitles all the way).

A lot of the time I can read faster than the voice actor can speak, so if a game allows you to skip dialogue, it means I can get back to the action faster, without having to hear everything. It's also good for avoiding duplicate dialogue (you know what's coming up).

Also, if I have to turn the sound down for whatever reason, I'll still be able to know what's going on.

TheCheese brings up a good point too.
Post edited February 26, 2011 by GoJays2025
Posted February 26, 2011
It's useful if there's something you can't quite hear, or generally if you just didn't hear it. For those of us that like reading, it can also be used to go through dialogue faster.

And yes, I use it for movies too. Though not if there's only the option for hearing impaired. I know what an explosion sounds like. :P
Posted February 26, 2011
I pretty much always have subtitles on if a game has the option and it does annoy me a little when a game doesn't have them. I quite often watch TV/movies with subtitles too.

My main reason is simply that I like reading them but a contributing factor is that I sometimes have trouble processing speech. Having the subtitles there means I can be sure I didn't miss what was said.

I don't have any hearing problems (I'm a musician and sound engineer) so I think the speech thing is a problem with my brain. As an example, I don't hear the lyrics in songs usually, I just hear the melodic and harmonic components for the first few times I listen to it. I'll also quite frequently miss what people have said, say pardon and then work out what they said just as they're about to repeat it.
Post edited February 26, 2011 by eyeball226
Posted February 26, 2011
I started gaming with subtitles (since I was still learning English). I am now bilingual, but I keep them out of habit (and that I don't want to miss anything).
Posted February 26, 2011
I always play with subtitles, because as non-native English speaker it's a lot easier for me to understand what's going on the screen. I hate Assasin's Creed for beeing unable to turn on subs ;]
Posted February 26, 2011
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eyeball226: As an example, I don't hear the lyrics in songs usually, I just hear the melodic and harmonic components for the first few times I listen to it.
I think that's more common than you think. For example, several of my friends love listening to Passion Pit, but they don't register that under that cheery melody and synth, there's a lot of brooding lyrics about pain and sadness.
Posted February 26, 2011
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StingingVelvet: So my question is: do you use subtitles? If you are not hearing impaired why do you do it? Do you do it for movies too?
I do; I am not an native English speaker so having subtitles sometimes help, especially if character have strange accent, use outdated words, or if there is a lot a ambient noise.

I could play my games in French but I don't like french dub (Have been traumatized by Baldur's Gate 1 French version).
Post edited February 26, 2011 by Gersen
Posted February 26, 2011
I always play games with subtitles on and can't stand when a game doesn't provide them (like Singularity). Primarily because it's often hard to hear what's being said; doubly so if there are no options to reduce accompanying sound effects/in game music. And with subtitles on, I can ensure I don't miss important plot points.

For movies, I tend to watch first without subtitles, then with. I do this for Japanese as it keeps my knowledge of kanji and their association with certain words/phrases, fresh. I do it for English pretty much as I'm used to doing it for Japanese.
Posted February 26, 2011
I always turn subtitles on in games. Mostly incase I mishear something, then I can check the subtitles.
Post edited February 26, 2011 by Aatami
Posted February 26, 2011
Sure I use subtitles, in movies they usually make sure that you hear everything, but in games it's not all that possible. Besides, sometimes soundtrack covers something up, or when person you're talking to speaks really silent and there are raiders shooting defenders shooting scorpions attacking NCR in the background and ... generally stuff like that
Posted February 26, 2011
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eyeball226: I pretty much always have subtitles on if a game has the option and it does annoy me a little when a game doesn't have them. I quite often watch TV/movies with subtitles too.

My main reason is simply that I like reading them but a contributing factor is that I sometimes have trouble processing speech. Having the subtitles there means I can be sure I didn't miss what was said.

I don't have any hearing problems (I'm a musician and sound engineer) so I think the speech thing is a problem with my brain. As an example, I don't hear the lyrics in songs usually, I just hear the melodic and harmonic components for the first few times I listen to it. I'll also quite frequently miss what people have said, say pardon and then work out what they said just as they're about to repeat it.
That's very strange, I thought I was the only one with this problem. It's like my brain keeps a backlog of what someone just said, but I have to keep checking it or I miss it.
Posted February 26, 2011
This is weird. I honestly never have a problem hearing video game dialogue and whatnot. It's the same as a movie to me.
Posted February 26, 2011
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StingingVelvet: This is weird. I honestly never have a problem hearing video game dialogue and whatnot. It's the same as a movie to me.
Well I've played Mass Effect without subtitles. They were really, REALLY conter-immersive there
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)Subtitles in Video Games(37 posts)(37 posts)
(37 posts)