What's up with games that don't feature subtitles?

[Matthew Rorie]

I've been playing through Mercenaries 2 and Force Unleashed lately, and neither seem to have the option to enable subtitles. As a mildly hard-of-hearing guy, this bugs me to no end.

 

And that's the end of my rant!

[Rosbjerg]

not to mention if your proficiency with english is subpar..

 

But isn't it because English/Americans aren't used to subtitles?

[Moatilliatta]

And what's up with crappily placed subtitles? I remember Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines where you had to look up in the corner everytime you watched a cutscene.

 

As someone who doesn't use english as a first language, subtitles are very important for my enjoyment of the game and it seems really strange when games seem to ignore or shaft them.

[Slowtrain]

Not to mention the fact that a lot of times games use unusual and/or made up words or the voice actors have poor ennunciation skills and without subtitles, I don't have any idea what somebody just said half the time.

[Hurlshort]

To be honest, most people in the US can't even read American.

[Volourn]

"To be honest, most people in the US can't even read American."

 

Evidence please.

[newc0253]

yes to subtitles.

 

not only are they incredibly easy to do & profoundly important in terms of making games accessible to the hard of hearing, but they're also mighty useful for hearing folk like me who want to skip through the recitation of less-than-essential dialogue (i'm looking at you, mass effect)).

[Shryke]

i prefer subtitles because i read quite quickly and after playing through a couple of times you really can't be bothered hearing the same old slow paced dialogue again and again

[Nick_i_am]

I don't use them much, but every game should have them.

[Hell Kitty]

I always use subtitles, and it seems like most of the game without them are the ones that don't have separate volume controls for voice and sound effects/music, so I'm constantly raising the volume during dialogue and then lowering during action. Annoying.

[Hurlshort]

"To be honest, most people in the US can't even read American."

 

Evidence please.

 

My evidence is seven years as a teacher.

 

 

Anyways, you can't read or write American either, Volo.

[Krookie]

"To be honest, most people in the US can't even read American."

 

Evidence please.

 

My evidence is seven years as a teacher.

 

 

Anyways, you can't read or write American either, Volo.

 

owned!

 

quick -- to the Goon Squad HQ!

[Kaftan Barlast]

I suspect that the lack of subtitles in SWFU and Mercs2 was just another corner cut in production. Since we're seeing more and more games without subtitles, I suspect some suit somewhere noticed that people didnt complain too much about it, and so decided that they could be cut.

[Nightshape]

It's a localisation saving procedure... That and implementation time is circumvented.

 

No Subtitles == Saved

[Oerwinde]

I also hate how the default subtitle setting is off. Playing GTA 4 I played through the intro until I got to the part where I could actually control it, then enabled subtitles and restarted the game because I didn't hear anything from the intro.

 

Or then you have the subtitles from Dead Rising, where some dialogue isn't spoken so you have to rely on them, but you can only read them if you're sitting 6 inches from the screen.

[Moatilliatta]

Or then you have the subtitles from Dead Rising, where some dialogue isn't spoken so you have to rely on them, but you can only read them if you're sitting 6 inches from the screen.

And you can't even read them on some screens.

[Volourn]

"Anyways, you can't read or write American either, Volo."

 

Is that the best you got? A weak flame that I've heard so many times it's beyond laughable. l0l

[Hurlshort]

"Anyways, you can't read or write American either, Volo."

 

Is that the best you got? A weak flame that I've heard so many times it's beyond laughable. l0l

 

It's not a flame. I'm just going to wait patiently and hope someone else will explain why my initial post, which you decided to jump all over, was just a silly joke. Why are you being such a bully?

[Volourn]

Bully? Asking for evidence when someone gives a blank statement is being a bully now? WOW. My apoligizes.

 

Anyways, joke or not, the bigotry - even from actual Amerikans- that deem it okay to insult my nieghbours to the south is annoying.

 

 

And, if you wer ejust joking why did you follow up with this anecdotal gem: "My evidence is seven years as a teacher."

 

L0L

 

Anyways, in the end, no biggy.

 

More on topic: Games should feature subtitles so peopel can choose to either read or listen. *shrug*

 

P.S. I'm Kanadian, I don't need to read and write Amerikan.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Volourn

[Dark_Raven]

Yeah you read Canuck and Frenchy Canuck eh?

[Volourn]

I don't read French Kanuck. That's a foreign language! I don't want (more)cooties!!!

Edited October 7, 2008 by Volourn

[Dark_Raven]

But you're Frenchy Kanadian!

 

Bah any how whats the big deal about subtitles? Listen when the character speaks or learn their langauge.

[Volourn]

"But you're Frenchy Kanadian!"

 

Don't remind me!

 

Why not give the player a choice?

[Killian Kalthorne]

Volourn, just for your information, there isn't a language called American.

[Volourn]

O RLY!?!