Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

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PhineBuyM3
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Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

A guy at gamefaqs wants run campaign to get Extreme Vs localized overseas, and I told him I'd help him spread the message by going to different Gundam communities. Here's what he has to say:


Gr3gSolidus:
Hello, I and a few like minded people from the Gundam Extreme Vs board are trying to gauge community interest in a "campaign" of sorts that would hopefully result in the overseas release of the game's eventual console port. The idea arose from the lack of major Gundam releases besides Dynasty Warrios:Gundam for the past five years and the belief that Namco Bandai does not see a market for the games here. Before I go into the details it would be better to tell you what the game actually is for those who don't know about the series or haven't imported recent entries.

Gundam Extreme Vs is a two on two arcade fighter featuring Mobile Suits from a multitude of Gundam universes. At the beginning of a match each player chooses a Mobile Suit that is ranked at 1000,2000,2500,or 3000 points and each team is given a 6000 point life bar. Each time a unit is destroyed its cost is subtracted from its team life bar, when it hits zero you lose and if a unit costs more than what is remaining in the teams health bar it suffers an HP loss as soon as it spawns. The cost system adds an interesting meta game to combat where selecting less costly suits like the Gouf Custom and Zudah allow you to be more daring in your attacks since they are both worth 1000 while choosing a 3000 suit like the Master Gundam or Strike Freedom will give you a general edge in power but this is mitigated by the steep cost of failure. Between this and more traditional mechanics like the "Extreme Action" system which functions as a dodge but doubles as a step cancel and the "EX Burst" which can either be used to initiate a special attack or a super mode of sorts, EXVS is a easy to learn but hard to master fighter created by Capcom. That right, the same people who made Street Fighter IV and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 made this game. Isn't that a confidence booster? Now that I've put things into context here are a few gameplay videos.

Wing Zero (EW): http://bit.ly/qmA4I2
Strike Freedom: http://bit.ly/oCwACN
00 Raiser: http://bit.ly/nHXllE
Master Gundam: http://bit.ly/oXOge1
Zeta Gundam: http://bit.ly/pdpCA2

The details of the "campaign" are simple. We believe that after multiple failed releases of admittedly poorly made Gundam games Bamco has written offAmericaas a loss due to a lack of interest instead of a lack of quality. While the Gundam community may not be huge it is still more than a viable market and a well made fighter like EXVS would most definitely pique the interest of the unaffiliated, with this in mind we wish to get as many people as possible to email Bamco's main site and post messages on their Facebook page as well as that of their community manager so that we can show them there is a market here for a good Gundam game if they choose to acknowledge it. Now due take note that I said "if", its hard to know what numbers Bamco will act upon or, due to their increased interest in the American market, if they were considering this already. Either way it would be better to make an attempt and show Bamco that we're still here instead of not trying at all and before we do this we need to see how many people are willing to be involved.

Finally I'll address some question you may have.

What suits are in the game?

OYW: Gundam (2000), Char's Gelgogg (2000), Acguy (1000)
Zeta: Zeta Gundam (2500), Hyaku Shiki (2000)
ZZ: Full Armor ZZ Gundam/Enhanced ZZ Gundam (2500), Qubeley (2500), Qubeley Mk2 Puru 2 Custom (1000)
CCA: Nu Gundam (3000), Sazabi (2500)
F91: Gundam F91 (2000), Belga Giros (1000)
V: V2 Gundam (V2 Assault/V2 Assault Buster - 3000), Gun-EZ (1000)
G: God Gundam (2500), Master Gundam (3000), Dragon Gundam (2000)
W:EW: Wing Gundam Zero EW Ver (3000), Tallgeese 3 (2500), Gundam Deathscythe Hell EW Ver (2500), Gundam Heavyarms EW Ver (2000)
X: Gundam DX (3000), Virsage Chest Break (2000)
Turn A: Turn A Gundam (3000), Turn X (3000), Gold Sumo (2000)
SEED: Strike Gundam (Aile/Sword/Launcher/IWSP - 2000), Forbidden Gundam (2000),ProvidenceGundam (2000), LaGOWE (1000)
DESTINY: Strike Freedom (3000), Infinite Justice (2500), Destiny (3000), Gunner ZAKU Warrior (2000)
ASTRAY: Astray Red Frame (Powered Red - 2000)
00: 00 Qan[T] (3000), 00 Gundam/00 Raiser (3000), Cherudim GNHW/R (2500), Susanwoo (2000), Exia/Exia Repair (2000)
UC: Unicorn Gundam (3000), Kshatriya (2500), Sinanju (2500), Delta Plus (2000)
Crossbone: Crossbone X1 Kai (2500),Crossbone X2 (TBA)
0080: NT-1 (1000), Zaku Kai (1000)
0083: GP01Fb (2000), GP02a (2000)
08MS: Gundam Ez8 (1000), Gouf Custom (1000)
MS IGLOO: Zudah (1000), Hildolfr (1000)
Original: Extreme Gundam (Boss only)

What stages are there?
OYW: Side 7
Zeta: Colony Laser
ZZ: Moon Moon
CCA: Londenion
V: Angel Halo
G: Gyana Highlands
W:EW: Bruxelles
X: NT Labs
Turn A: Manubiche
SEED:AfricaDesert
DESTINY: Messiah
00:AfricaTower, REBIRTH (Not selectable in VS)
MS IGLOO: Toochika Base
Crossbone: Colony Iao
UC: Industrial Seven
Original: Extreme Universe

Do we have to fight 2v2?
Most likely not.The ports featured one on one for both single and multiplayer so this will most like be the case for EXVS.

Isn't it too early to start this?
It may seem that way but now would be the best time. While the console port hasn't been officially announced yet the last two entries were ported and were announced when all of the timed unlocked suits were released, EXVS is nearing this point as well. Now, when funds haven't been fully allocated, the major decisions haven't been made, when there is time to properly consider such a thing, and major adjustments like preparing for an international release can be made, is the optimal time for us to take action.


Why not just import it? Localization isn't important because it's a fighting game.
Your right but this isn't about language barriers,this is about trying to get Gundam games back to our shores.If Bamco is willing to take a chance and sees the EXVS was received warmly we would be that much closer to getting more mainstream titles like the Gundam Battle series and the sequel to Battlefield Record 0081 (if they ever decide to make it) over here as well. The G Gen series and Gihren's Greed are probably lost causes though…


How well balanced is this game?
Since it was developed by Capcom it is as balanced as it could be excluding a few small issues here and there that are bound to be fixed eventually.

Why do we have to contact Bamco in so many different ways?
To make sure your voice is heard and not lost in the bureaucracy that is corporate communications.By sending your message to as many appropriate places as possible you insure that message is passed along to someone that matters.

Why not have an online petition?
Because they are synonymous with failure which is caused by people signing it multiple times and generally being a poor gauge of interest. By emailing and posting to Bamco directly you allow them to properly judge interest.

What console would it come out for?
Since the arcade game runs on the equivalent of a PS3 it's almost certain to appear there but that doesn't rule out a 360 release. A PS Vita version is also a possibility.

Lol,this will fail,why bother,etc.
We don't know unless we try.Its difficult to predict what if anything will happen.


Why was Catalyst byLinkinParkused as the theme song?

I have no idea.



So who's interested?
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hotlimit
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. The only way it'll make it to America is if Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 sells a billion copies in the US AND Extreme VS is announced for Vita as a launch title. Neither are very likely.

Just be glad the PS3 is region-free, so if this game ever has a console release you'll be able to vote with your wallet in a big way.

EDIT: Actually, that's a great idea. If they want to take REAL action, rather than sending a bunch of obnoxious e-mails that will get ignored (just like 'Operation Rainfall') - have everyone involved buy 5 copies of Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3. Have them fill out the little survey or whatever, and mail them to Bandai saying they bought the game because they LOVE Gundam. And they want to see MORE Gundam games. Now is the perfect opportunity for this type of action.

Honestly, the argument that Gundam VS is going to resonate with a larger audience because it's a good game is a little flawed. There's no evidence good games make more money. Popular games make more money, and flooding the inbox of some low-level corporate secretary is not a measure of popularity.
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AmuroNT1
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

Petitions like this never work, and I'm speaking as a huge fan of the Vs. Series. Even if it did get released here, we'd still get the same half-assed localization that Bandai does with the DW:G series, with generic music and poor replacement voice actors. If you really want to play the game, do like hotlimit suggested and import it. It's not like this series is really language-intensive anyway.
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MV6000 the Ace Zeon Pilot
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

I wish that game was being sent our way but I know it would never happen.

If Battlefield Record 0081 doesn't get released overseas I highly doubt this game would.
*Im not removing this signature until ZZ Gundam gets dubbed and is released in America*

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Mark064
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

To run a campaign to truly prove has to do a lot with the numbers, if you don't have enough numbers you are proving the exact opposite to the company. For example say Bandai is considering releasing this game in North America and some campagin goes under way. The campaign is pathetically small say a few 100 people. You've done a good job of doing market research for Bandai to show that bringing the game over here is a bad idea and not enough fans of the product actually care.

tl;dr Run a campaign with small numbers, like this one undoubtedly and you prove that exact opposite of your intent.
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iKhaotic
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

Off topic, but to answer that last question in the quote as to why Linkin Park's "Catalyst" song is used in the game, it's because Linkin Park (the whole band) are very into Gundam/Transformers/mecha. In their music video for their song "Somewhere I Belong", they emphasize on a few Gunplas (Wing Zero EW ver, GP01fb, and Sazabi) at the beginning as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcs5PRxEXq4

Next up, the album cover of their "Reanimation" has a mecha on there that looks like a cross between a Zaku II and the Gundam X: http://www.chartattack.com/files/imagec ... k_Rean.jpg

Meh, halfway through typing this, I found this article, so here lol:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... stic-model
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PhineBuyM3
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

AmuroNT1 wrote:Petitions like this never work, and I'm speaking as a huge fan of the Vs. Series. Even if it did get released here, we'd still get the same half-assed localization that Bandai does with the DW:G series, with generic music and poor replacement voice actors. If you really want to play the game, do like hotlimit suggested and import it. It's not like this series is really language-intensive anyway.
This isn't a petition in the sense of everyone signing onto a list then expecting things to go our way; this is to gather interest from different sites to see how big our numbers are if we band together.
GregSolidus
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

hotlimit wrote:I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. The only way it'll make it to America is if Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 sells a billion copies in the US AND Extreme VS is announced for Vita as a launch title. Neither are very likely.

Just be glad the PS3 is region-free, so if this game ever has a console release you'll be able to vote with your wallet in a big way.

EDIT: Actually, that's a great idea. If they want to take REAL action, rather than sending a bunch of obnoxious e-mails that will get ignored (just like 'Operation Rainfall') - have everyone involved buy 5 copies of Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3. Have them fill out the little survey or whatever, and mail them to Bandai saying they bought the game because they LOVE Gundam. And they want to see MORE Gundam games. Now is the perfect opportunity for this type of action.

Honestly, the argument that Gundam VS is going to resonate with a larger audience because it's a good game is a little flawed. There's no evidence good games make more money. Popular games make more money, and flooding the inbox of some low-level corporate secretary is not a measure of popularity.
You hold up Operation Rainfall as an example but fail to take Nintendo's odd way of treating hardcore fans,the fact that they were asking for three separate games, and the genre the games in habit into consideration.EXVS definitely wouldn't make as much as the next mainstream game but it would make a sizable some if marketed properly.Also,we plan to cantact more than low level secretaries.
GregSolidus
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

iKhaotic wrote:Off topic, but to answer that last question in the quote as to why Linkin Park's "Catalyst" song is used in the game, it's because Linkin Park (the whole band) are very into Gundam/Transformers/mecha. In their music video for their song "Somewhere I Belong", they emphasize on a few Gunplas (Wing Zero EW ver, GP01fb, and Sazabi) at the beginning as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcs5PRxEXq4

Next up, the album cover of their "Reanimation" has a mecha on there that looks like a cross between a Zaku II and the Gundam X: http://www.chartattack.com/files/imagec ... k_Rean.jpg

Meh, halfway through typing this, I found this article, so here lol:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... stic-model
Thanks for letting me know.I'll fix that soon.
GregSolidus
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

AmuroNT1 wrote:Petitions like this never work, and I'm speaking as a huge fan of the Vs. Series. Even if it did get released here, we'd still get the same half-assed localization that Bandai does with the DW:G series, with generic music and poor replacement voice actors. If you really want to play the game, do like hotlimit suggested and import it. It's not like this series is really language-intensive anyway.
I just copy paste this.
" Why not just import it? Localization isn't important because it's a fighting game.
Your right but this isn't about language barriers,this is about trying to get Gundam games back to our shores.If Bamco is willing to take a chance and sees the EXVS was received warmly we would be that much closer to getting more mainstream titles like the Gundam Battle series and the sequel to Battlefield Record 0081 (if they ever decide to make it) over here as well. The G Gen series and Gihren's Greed are probably lost causes though…"

I would much rather have good Gundam games with bad dubs than not have anything other than more DWG for another five years.
GregSolidus
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

Mark064 wrote:To run a campaign to truly prove has to do a lot with the numbers, if you don't have enough numbers you are proving the exact opposite to the company. For example say Bandai is considering releasing this game in North America and some campagin goes under way. The campaign is pathetically small say a few 100 people. You've done a good job of doing market research for Bandai to show that bringing the game over here is a bad idea and not enough fans of the product actually care.

tl;dr Run a campaign with small numbers, like this one undoubtedly and you prove that exact opposite of your intent.
If Bamco doesn't think there is a market to begin with ANY kind of turnout would prove them wrong,the only question is what would be a number large enough for them to consider viable.Before someone posts some arbitrary number (people love to do that for some reason) keep in mind that companies do not believe one email equals one sale,they round up.
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Mark064
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

Of course there is a market, there is a market for anything out there no matter what kind of wacky idea you can come up with. What matters is the size of the market, anyone can invent any kind of ridiculous product and there will be some market for it, no matter how small that market is. Does that mean it's a good idea to release said product? That all depends on the size of the market.

Companies are in it for one thing, and that is money, if they release a product which doesn't have the market support the product will fail and this will show end up a loss which companies do not want. So if a group of people intend to show their support for a product they have to have the numbers to do so. A massive amount of people is needed to show genuine support. This is also why online petitions are garbage, they don't show genuine support and are undoubtedly at least half filled with the same small group of people trying to garner up support.
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AmuroNT1
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

What Mark064 said.

Look, I love the Versus Series, and I'll gladly buy Extreme Versus when it comes out. But the fact is, no matter how much support or how many names you get on your list, it's not coming over here. Bandai pretty well killed the golden goose when they mishandled the American release of Gundam, especially in the video game market thanks to half-assed original games like Battle Assault 3 and gimped import versions of games like Musou/Dynasty Warriors. At this point, I really don't trust them to make any more good decisions regarding this franchise in the west, especially since we as a market just don't matter to them. Even if ExVs got released over here by some miracle of God, I would probably import it anyway because I know the local version would feature the same generic library of music from Encounter in Space and the same phoned-in replacement voice actors, and that would completely ruin my enjoyment of the game.
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Mu La Flaga
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

I think one of the problems is, if people want it they should let Bandai-Namco and Capcom know about it.

AmuroNt1 has the right idea online petetions only go so far.
People can make numerous signatures and fake itnerest.

Where as 100 or so people at a convention asking for the same thing is different.

To me though IGN's reiew of Gundam vs Zeta Gundam was the problem and in part the reviewer didn't even lear some of the basics, he jumped in and judged it based on that.

I mean you had transforming suits....

Besides the series went through a revamp afterwards anyway with the SEED series.
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MV6000 the Ace Zeon Pilot
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

Mu La Flaga wrote: To me though IGN's reiew of Gundam vs Zeta Gundam was the problem and in part the reviewer didn't even lear some of the basics, he jumped in and judged it based on that.

I mean you had transforming suits.....
I have both Federation vs. Zeon and Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam and love them both. What I don't understand is how Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam got a 3.4 when Federation vs. Zeon got 7.0.

Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam is pretty much Federation vs. Zeon but with Zeta Gundam factions/characters/mobile suits and with a tiny bit of ZZ characters/mobile suits.

It's just like how Gundam Battle Universe (A PSP Import) is the same thing as Gundam Battle Royale but with more everything.

You seriously cant spell IGNorant with out IGN.
*Im not removing this signature until ZZ Gundam gets dubbed and is released in America*

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hotlimit
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

MV6000 the Ace Zeon Pilot wrote:
Mu La Flaga wrote: What I don't understand is how Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam got a 3.4 when Federation vs. Zeon got 7.0.
Because the reviews were written by different people. IGN has a mix of competent and incompetent reviewers... but even so, they don't have nearly the influence you think they would.

North America never got Rengou vs ZAFT 1 or 2 because Bandai was using a limited marketing strategy with Seed after the abysmal failure of MSG*. You didn't see any t-shirts or gunpla or anything for Seed in America. I think it also had some crazy timeslot, but I wouldn't know because I saw it years later on DVD (plus I doubt the majority of US Gundam fans even watched the original run because they'd already seen the subbed version).

*I have no clue why we got the Gundam Battle Assault games, other than that they were developed by Natsume instead of Capcom, and Natsume has a track record of publishing almost every one of their games in America through Natsume Inc.

Anyway, I love the VS series because that's what got me into Gundam (literally - I bought Gundam vs Z Gundam day 1, but never saw a single episode of any Gundam show until a year or so later), and I would not be surprised to see it have the same effect on others if they brought Extreme VS (which, again, is a hypothetical release at this point) to North America. Of course that's not the way things work... you have to prove there are Gundam fans first, and complaining about Dynasty Warriors Gundam is not the way to do that.
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Mu La Flaga
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

MV6000 the Ace Zeon Pilot wrote:
Mu La Flaga wrote: To me though IGN's reiew of Gundam vs Zeta Gundam was the problem and in part the reviewer didn't even lear some of the basics, he jumped in and judged it based on that.

I mean you had transforming suits.....
I have both Federation vs. Zeon and Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam and love them both. What I don't understand is how Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam got a 3.4 when Federation vs. Zeon got 7.0.

Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam is pretty much Federation vs. Zeon but with Zeta Gundam factions/characters/mobile suits and with a tiny bit of ZZ characters/mobile suits.

It's just like how Gundam Battle Universe (A PSP Import) is the same thing as Gundam Battle Royale but with more everything.

You seriously cant spell IGNorant with out IGN.
I'm curious what score the game got on other sites besides IGN?
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Outlaw
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

AmuroNT1 wrote:Even if it did get released here, we'd still get the same half-assed localization that Bandai does with the DW:G series, with generic music and poor replacement voice actors.
DW:G uses most of the same English VAs as the dubs, and in 1 & 3 you can choose the original Japanese voices if you prefer. From what I've heard the series music is removed due to licensing costs, the "generic" music is left in because it was made in-house by Koei. Other than that I believe they have all the same content as their Japanese versions. Also, I was under the impression that Namco Bandai was simply the publisher and the actually development and localization was being done by Koei.

The only western released Gundam games I know off that got anywhere near butchered were BA 1 (character swapping) and BA 3 (um... whole genre swapping?), other than that the only big localization "insult" I think we've had to stomach is the guy who did Gato's voice in EiS. *shudder*


As for the petition: I wish you guys luck (and hope you succeed) but, the odds are massively against you. I think the only time I've heard of anything remotely like this working was FF Origins way back on the PS1.
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Amadi Akintunde
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

Outlaw wrote:
AmuroNT1 wrote: The only western released Gundam games I know off that got anywhere near butchered were BA 1 (character swapping) and BA 3 (um... whole genre swapping?), other than that the only big localization "insult" I think we've had to stomach is the guy who did Gato's voice in EiS. *shudder*
You hated his voice in that game? I liked it, when comparing it to the dub voice in the show. Sounded more natural.
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AmuroNT1
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Re: Attention: Gundam Extreme Vs localization attempt

Funny thing, Gato in EiS was Ted Cole, AKA Wu Fei.
Outlaw wrote:DW:G uses most of the same English VAs as the dubs, and in 1 & 3 you can choose the original Japanese voices if you prefer. From what I've heard the series music is removed due to licensing costs, the "generic" music is left in because it was made in-house by Koei. Other than that I believe they have all the same content as their Japanese versions. Also, I was under the impression that Namco Bandai was simply the publisher and the actually development and localization was being done by Koei.
I understand the reasoning behind these decisions, but that doesn't mean I like it. Several Gundam actors have moved on and won't be returning (Domon's VA is a doctor now, Master Asia's VA is a Christian radio DJ, and Heero's is still acting but refuses to reprise the role thanks to fan backlash). Those are things that simply can't be helped. That doesn't change the fact that most of the time, the replacement actors they get are...pretty half-assed. I'm sure they're fine actors and good people, but they just don't nearly match up with either the Japanese originals or the first US voices. Just about the only replacement voice I've been okay with is Brian Drummond as Heero, and even that was kind of strange because he slips into his Zechs voice once or twice.

And the thing about the music licensing is that it's not really an excuse. Every single Japanese Gundam game has the appropriate music, whether it's just BGMs or licensed songs from guys like T.M. Revolution. I admit I don't know about the details of DW:G's publishing, but I do know that games like Never-Ending Tomorrow also had the licensed music removed, so I'm blaming Bandai on this. Ignoring the fact that it's their own music, apparently they can't be bothered to shell out the extra money to show they actually care about doing things right.

With most anime games (and indeed most licensed games), the problem is that the publishers release a terrible product and count on the die-hard fans to buy it regardless of actual quality. Personally, I refuse to be a part of that. If a game is good, I will gladly purchase it. But I'm not going to fork over my money for a half-assed game or localization just because the RX-78 is plastered across the cover, and people who do are just encouraging the developers to continue producing these lazy products. So while I do plan on purchasing Extreme Versus when it's released, if the US version removes the actual Gundam music and gets actors who don't care, then I'm not going to waste my time or money on it.

EDIT

Also, to MV6000 the Ace Zeon Pilot: From what I can gather, Gundam Vs Zeta got a lowered score because 1) it wasn't different enough from Fed vs Zeon, and 2) the continuity made things a little hard on non-fans, especially in the UC Mode. And that's not even mentioning how UC Mode was kinda lazy at times (giving every AEUG pilot a nearly identical version of the Granada mission, for example). I think that had Alliance vs ZAFT or Gundam vs Gundam gotten released over here they would have gotten much better scores.
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Yukari: (Which lies and schemes are she talking about? It's hard to keep track of them all...)

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