DOAX vs. AAI2: Sometimes Niche Games Aren’t Localized
I’ve never played the Dead or Alive series, or its spin-off series Dead or Alive Xtreme. But when Team Ninja announced yesterday that Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 would only be released in Japan and Asia, the fan reaction surprised me.
I expected fans of the series to be upset and start campaigning for its localization, which they did. However, the majority of DOAX fans seem convinced this game isn’t coming to North America or Europe because people will complain about its sexual content.
There has been nothing to suggest this, particularly with the continued success of the main Dead or Alive series, which saw a third version of Dead or Alive 5 released across all territories this past February. Yet Team Ninja’s decision has somehow led its fans to believe the company is afraid of backlash.
Maybe it’s because I’m such a fan of series like Ace Attorney, but every time I hear about a cool game announced for Japan, my immediate question is, “Will it be localized?” I know there’s a very real chance it won’t be.
Just look at our fight for Ace Attorney Investigations 2. Localization has been a concern for Ace Attorney, Fatal Frame, Yokai Watch, EarthBound, and many other Japanese video game series… not because of content, but because of the market size.
Why else do fans start localization petitions? To show interest. It’s at the core of the Xenosaga HD situation and the potential for Baten Kaitos 3. And controversial though it is, Shenmue 3’s Kickstarter proved there was enough interest for Sony to back the game.
In 2013, Team Ninja had no plans to make Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 because “there isn’t much of a demand for the DOAX series at the moment.” Yosuke Hayashi encouraged fans of the series to make their interest known.
In other words, this game very nearly didn’t exist at all. Apparently enough fans showed interest to justify the game’s development… from Japan and Asia.
Stop looking for a conspiracy theory. Maybe Team Ninja has become mysteriously afraid to release a sexualized game in markets that already accepted Bayonetta, Dead or Alive 5, The Witcher 3, and Senran Kagura. Or maybe, it’s just the simple, sad truth: sometimes niche games aren’t localized.
All we can do is import them… and fight as hard as we can for localization.
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