Would Shenmue have more success on the Saturn?

[Alex_Star]

But yeah it really sucked that we had to wait until late 2000 for the western Release. A earlier NTSC/Pal release could have helped the game and the DC itself a lot.

Why did they took a full year before releasing it in the West though? All for English dub

 

[Seaman]

Also it wasn't easy to localize, translate and dub in less than a year with such amount of dialogues, notebook entries..
Let's remember that by then it was almost a rule to lose features when localizing games, specially dialogues even full history modes where lost on the way.
Racing Lagoon or Rival Schools for example, story mode just for Japan because "no way we're translating that".

 

[Alex_Star]

Also it wasn't easy to localize, translate and dub in less than a year with such amount of dialogues, notebook entries..

Dub I could understand but simple translation could've been done in a few months for sure. Either way Sega should've taken care of it before launch but they did not

 

[Seaman]

Dub I could understand but simple translation could've been done in a few months for sure. Either way Sega should've taken care of it before launch but they did not

Besides the previous titles I mentioned, from big studios like Capcom and Squaresoft, there's also the case of:
.FF7, delayed half a year for translation to some languages (spanish among them)
.FF8, same.
.MGS, same.
.Tail Concerto. Many voicetracks cut.

As you can see Shenmue's delay was annoying, yes but not unusual.

 

[Alex_Star]

How the times have changed. New consoles that came out in Japan a year earlier than in the west. Hard to imagine that today.

 

[jurassicriveria]

I dont have an answer to this question but it Saturn copies would be super expensive now like Panzer Dragoon saga. My DC copy of Shenmue i bought in Japan is not worth alot

 

[Seaman]

How the times have changed. New consoles that came out in Japan a year earlier than in the west. Hard to imagine that today.

Today that's inconceivable, within many old-ways from the mid-late 90s. For example imagine this and compare it with today:
digilatized character sprite (Mortal Kombat style), which clothes will the character wear? back then: the ones the actor/ress is wearing already, maybe adding some cheap prop; today: brainstorming, twitch session to vote, research on clothes, the madness.

XD not only was that consoles released in Japan with a year of advance, but we got in magazines the "big in japan" sections making us feel a void in the stomach because many games looked amazing (for the time) and usually the article mentioned "it will probably never leave Japan". In that aspect, we improved but sometimes I miss that "Videogameland of the East" times and the arcades

 

[9dragons]

Yes things were very different back then. In the past the market was separated. Each region had their own ways of distribution. Various regions even had different publishers.

For Example the first 2 Resident Evil games were only published directly by Capcom in the States and in Japan. The publisher here in Europe for Re 1 and 2 was Virgin Interactive. Re 3 and RE Code Veronica were published by Eidos Interactive. A global launch of games back then would have been impossible.

Sega back then was especially separated. Sega of Japan and Sega of America acted like they very different entities and each side had their own ideas of distributing stuff and they both sides thought that they were the best.

Such things also would make a global launch very difficult to say at least.

 

[Alex_Star]

not only was that consoles released in Japan with a year of advance, but we got in magazines the "big in japan" sections making us feel a void in the stomach because many games looked amazing (for the time) and usually the article mentioned "it will probably never leave Japan".

What happened? Did Japan suddenly lose all previous interest in video game consoles?

 

[Seaman]

What happened? Did Japan suddenly lose all previous interest in video game consoles?

It's bit complicated to answer. As always, many things happened. Surely I'm leaving things behind, Japan developers were less prone to collaborating between them not to mention sharing engines, tools, techniques... Usually they patented.
The West, since Net Yaroze days has been always more indie in this aspect.
So eventually the West reached Japan level.
The .dot bubble burst also damaged globally but in special Asia. I don't remember if Nokia was victim partially of that, but what I mean is that releasing hardware became a more risky adventure. Many big and cherished studios (real quality guarantee seals) closed doors due bankuptcy, dissapearing like Psygnosis or Probe/Acclaim and being bought and kept the name like SNK by Playmore.

Internet, time, audiences taste shifting and consequent gaming platforms changed the market basis or arcade saloons, where the next hardware was teased and we got home versions.
Ah, the online gaming ate consoles once. The early days of Counter Strike was massive obsession at leatst where I live. And Diablo 2.

@Bob's Pizzeria I dont have an answer to this question but it Saturn copies would be super expensive now like Panzer Dragoon saga. My DC copy of Shenmue i bought in Japan is not worth alot.

More than that, if for example you or me find by chance a copy of Shenmue Saturn, that moment on our lives are inmediatly in danger. Trust no one should be applied in that case. Contact this site using Tails OS for example.

 

[Alex_Star]

It's bit complicated to answer

As far as I know, mobile gaming happened and Japan in particular jumped on it and majority of people stopped playing console games. At least I've remembered to have read about that

 

[xatruio]

unfair to criticise with over 20 years retrospect. Games back then simply did not have simultaneous international localization teams.

Especially the biggest game ever made at the time.

 

[Nigel]

unfair to criticise with over 20 years retrospect. Games back then simply did not have simultaneous international localization teams.

Especially the biggest game ever made at the time.

This is more or less my read on this question (and, although I know many of us wonder, questions of what S3 on the Dreamcast or Xbox would have been like). There are just too many factors for us (some which even Sega couldn't have controlled) to make a reasonable claim.
I don't say this to kill speculation and fun, but I'm sure there are many factors which framed even the release of S1 and 2 that we'll never know. Even in terms of this localization concern: it's now cared for much more than it was in the past. For instance, I teach languages, and one of my most requested LinkedIn recommendations is to apply for video game companies. I doubt accurate translation was as much of a concern back then (as S1 actually evidences), regardless of how the job was advertised by Sega in those days.

 

[Seaman]

As far as I know, mobile gaming happened and Japan in particular jumped on it and majority of people stopped playing console games. At least I've remembered to have read about that

Mobile is just another factor undoubtly as it has been another platform but not just the main motive, even not that biggest influence. Nothing its that easy or single origined.
There's a lot of media today doing lobby so inflating the mobile game market and showing tricky charts. Probably you seen a chart displaying the mobile game park with a huge graphic, eating the tiny, dying console market. They don't disclose if they're counting all the crap at app stores, way beyond worst than Steam bad titles.
In addition, I been hearing the so called end of consoles since 15, almost 20 years now... And kids on xmas papa I want the Ps5, Xbox etc. Consoles are simply too cool items to let it go.
I see more factible a landline phone revival than no more consoles, despite the mobile lobby claims.