Usually, if something is available both in English and Italian, I choose the English version. I compared several games and films during the last few years, and I can say that while Italy has some of the greatest voice actors in the world, translations are usually worse than awful. Really, I belive that many translators don't even try to contextualize the sentences in a same dialogue, since often there is little to no attention to details, as if different people translated one line each. This is especially evident in "big" RPGs: for an excellent example, I suggest anyone who can speak even a little bit of Italian to try Oblivion in both languages. Worst-translation-ever.

Who didn't read this in Mario's voice?

I know, but I know what they mean in each variant of the language, and adjust accordingly. I read plenty of books in both British and American English, I know which is which, and know the differences in spelling and choice of words. It just seems weird to me that I (and others like me I assume) should be better at deciphering variants of a language than the native speakers of said language.

Granted, most Americans appear to have no clue what the metric system is or how it all fits together, and do not seem inclined to want to know about it either. (My apologies to any Americans who do not conform to this stereotype, that is just the impression I have gotten whenever the metric system has come up in an online discussion. I do not mean to imply that all Americans are stupid and/or ignorant, which is certainly not the case).

I don't think that any Brits have problems reading US English; you can do an occasional double-take when people start on about fannies, but other than that, it's fairly easy.

As for our use of the metric system, it's more accurate to say we use a hybrid system. For example:

Distance - imperial (nobody uses KM in the UK) for distances when driving, although walking less than a mile will be metres (e.g. 300m to the church)
Speed - imperial
Height - imperial (the vast majority of the population use feet and inches - not metres and cms)
Weight - largely metric
Soft drinks (excluding milk) - metric
Milk - imperial
Drinks in pubs, bars and restaurants - imperial, unless bottled water, which is metric

I'm sure there are other examples and exceptions.

From me, none taken. It's quite useful in my job simply because the numbers make more sense, to the point where I have some difficulty figuring some things in inches. We do get some exposure from working on cars (mostly mechanically metric due to their global nature), but with cars nowadays there is seemingly a decline in the number of shade-tree mechanics, so it might backslide a bit.

Rather than quote your most recent post, which would be an exercise in pointlessness, I'll just quote what I'm talking about and let it speak for itself. I've bolded certain bits but that's just to pick out the useful information. It's plain to see you were talking about Mandarin, but I'll leave you in your fantasy world now.

I thought you were done with this thread. The evidence speaks for itself, I don't know why you're so set on denying it. I conceded that you never said you were talking about the main language of the place, so why insist you weren't talking about Mandarin when you so obviously were?

What is the "that" in your sentence if not Mandarin Chinese?

*begins slow clap* That. Was. AWESOME. Pay attention ladies and gentlemen because this is how you troll.
Stick to your guns, believe what you are saying is fact and not open to opinion, never agree with what the others are saying regardless of personal interests.
Seriously.
I'm not even trying to come off as insulting. It's seriously impressive. Every time you post it's an utter delight.
Before I would take you seriously but then realize it's so brilliant that you can't take it as anything but. You sir, are a serious troll.
I mean serious as in literal, not entitled.

Everybody look! Look everybody! It's an internet fight! Look everybody, people are fighting! Come on, just look at it!
Wait a damned second.
I just realized no one gives a shit about another internet fight.

but let me draw you a picture, as youre so insistent on trolling an argument out of this.

the thread was about why games are only mainly in english.... ok?

someone, i forget who, mentioned that english was the second most used language in the world....ok?

to which i asked, "oh, whats the first?" (paraphrased for ease) ...ok?

he said "oh, mandarin chinese, last time i looked...." ....ok?

to which i said, was surprising as i have only been to one place in the world where they speak that..... inferring that of all the places i have been to, both in the army and in my current role, and thats alot, they have all had english and spoken it readily and freely, and there was only one place, one, where the so called first most used language, was even a resident..... ok?

now, i really have no idea why you have pursued whatever it is you have pursued, why youre insistent on me "denying" or whatever else im accused of or what....but this has ridiculously derailed the thread and the reason i came back is your whole "must have last word approach" to something so mindlessly pursued, youve either forgotten the point youre trying to make, or simply like arguing anonon the net...

ive seriously had it and didnt want to wall of text, but there you go.

now, anyone......how the hell do you unsubscribe from threads, as this is f@cking ridiculous.

my apologies to the OP and anyone else who was reading this thread with interest. it certainly wasnt MY intention to be drawn into a petty argument on an internet board, but there you go, thats the world we live in.


EDIT: to add an apology to the other users.

Adam

That was pretty spectacular. What is hilarious is you do appear to admit to have been talking about Mandarin in this post, so I'm not sure why you claimed not to be earlier.

At this point I have to say congratulations sir, you trolled me good.

Can I send you guys my brother's set of the complete Commandos series so you can release the Spanish version here? ;)

another go as the last one didnt post

youre blind mate. youre blind.

lets just leave it now. seriously. youll get no apology from me and believe me, noone cares about a battle of oneupmanship in the thread, theyre laughing at us they truly are. lets let it go now


i certainly dont care and i have no desire to feel sorry for you for feeling like you have to somehow "come out of this argument the victor"

I'm not even sure what's going on any more, but I've certainly never been after an apology.

veering the thread back on topic,

for some games, im actually quite indifferent to the spoken language, i cant explain why but sometimes it just works,

let me explain, for instance:

stalker, i always have the russian voices on

Marauder, man of prey: cool russian game with an english language text version, but all voices in russian.

my version of brigade e5 is russian talkie but english text, i alos think my 7.62 high calibre is too.

also recently i installed the fall last days of gaia, german i think, but an english text version.

there have been others, for sure, but these are a few that spring to mind. i also know that most in that small list are russian based in either development or setting, so it kind of works, i also accept that although all voices are foreign, the text is english.

my point is, sometimes, i dont seem to mind if it fits in or i can get the playing experience from it i am meant to.

however, if i was say, ukranian for instance, and didnt perhaps speak and or read english i would, im sure, be a bit miffed if i couldnt get a localisation for myself. im sure it would detract from the experience.

*raises hand*

Whether Charles Martinet is "Officialy Mario" or not, AFAIC, "Mario's voice" always has, and always shall be, provided by Captain Lou Albano, or by none!