Nintendo despide a un empleado tras su participación en un podcast (actualizado)

[zothenr]

La semana pasada se publicó un┬ápodcast de┬áPart-Time Gamers en donde un miembro de Nintendo┬áTreehouse,┬áChris Pranger, habló de forma sincera sobre diversos asuntos de la compañía americana. Fue una participación que ha tenido repercusión en muchos medios de comunicación, aunque realmente no hubo puntos demasiado polémicos en la entrevista.

Habló sobre el nombre de Wii U y, quizás, la parte más polémica fue sobre el proceso de localización en Nintendo América. El miembro de┬áTreehouse reconoció que juegos como 'Xenoblade' no quisieron ser localizados en América debido a las pocas ventas que generan, no siendo rentables, y que el título finalmente llegó a América gracias al trabajo de Nintendo Europa. Fue, como digo, quizás el punto más polémico de la charla.

Lamentablemente, según parece Chris Pranger no tenía permiso de sus superiores, para hablar de algunos asuntos de los que charló en la entrevista del┬ápodcast. Nintendo es una empresa que normalmente no permite apariciones públicas de sus empleados, a parte de los representantes como los┬áPR específico de cada producto. Todos los demás empleados firman┬áacuerdos de confidencialidad, que no pueden romper sin permiso concreto.

Parte de lo que dijo┬áChris Pranger era información de la empresa, por lo que, al tener tanta repercusión su entrevista, Nintendo ah decidido romper su contrato y despedirlo.┬áPranger anunció este despido por medio de las redes sociales: "como muchos de ustedes probablemente hayan visto, ya no trabajo en Nintendo. Me despidieron esta semana debido a una aparición en el podcast que hice el pasado lunes. Fue una participación estúpida por mi parte y, en última instancia, me costó mucho más de lo que podía haber imaginado", reconoce el antiguo empleado de┬áNintendo┬áTreehouse.

Pranger reconoce que, cuando la noticia comenzó a publicarse en todos los medios, y tras las participaciones de usuarios en redes sociales a favor y en contra de sus palabras, supo que probablemente se había metido en un importante lío. Finalmente este empleado ha sido despedido, como decimos, probablemente por saltarse algunos puntos de su NDA. Por su parte, Nintendo sólo ha comentado al respecto: "no tenemos ningún comentario que realizar sobre este tema que no sea simplemente el de desearle a Chris lo mejor en sus futuros proyectos".

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Lo que dijo básicamente es que muchas veces las localizaciones de los juegos producen pérdidas por que no venden lo suficiente para el dinero invertido. Puso como ejemplo Xenoblade, y la ayuda que vino de NoE era, básicamente, la traducción al inglés que se hizo en Europa.

Con lo cerrada que es Nintendo para estos temas y las cláusulas que tendrán que firmar los empleados en sus contratos no me extraña lo que ha pasado, por desproporcionada de la medida...

Os dejo lo que dijo:

Chris Pranger shares tidbits about working for Nintendo Treehouse

Chris Pranger, who works at Nintendo Treehouse, appeared on the latest episode of the Part-Time Gamer podcast. Pranger shared a few interesting details about his position his position as well as working at the company as a whole.
YouÔÇÖll find a summary of information from the podcast below. For the full discussion, visit this link.
ÔÇô NintendoÔÇÖs media policy has recently changed regarding employees being more open about talking about their work but not spoilers or anything

ÔÇô He is the voice of the first level boss in Star Fox Zero; also working on the game

ÔÇô Talks about NOA using employees as voiceovers for fun and cheap work

ÔÇô Nintendo has a game library where employees can check out games for all systems in order to be well-versed in gaming; this is how he played Bioshock Infinite

ÔÇô Sakurai kills himself for his games; he is very sensitive to fan feedback

ÔÇô Localization costs a ton of money and often the vocal minority of fans who want a game localized isnÔÇÖt a large enough consumer base to justify the localization costs

ÔÇô The original Xenoblade is an example he gives of this

ÔÇô Nintendo of Europe ate the cost on that project

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Chris Pranger of Nintendo Treehouse elaborates more on localization woes

A few days ago Nintendo TreehouseÔÇÖs Chris Pranger appeared on the Part Time Gamers Podcast to discuss what itÔÇÖs really like┬áin the process of┬álocalizing, touching on costs, to labor, to decision-making from how the market in a particular region looks. Obviously, localizing games from Japan to America is a lot of work. Tons of translations have to go into it as well as heavy┬áconsideration into how lucrative a product can be for a particular market and if itÔÇÖs worth it. Chris Pranger touched on why attempting to localizing the more obscure titles is always a tough sell, and the laborious and arduous nature of it all:

Cita:The hardest thing for everyone to understand and to accept ÔÇö and IÔÇÖve seen this first hand in the company, that this is typified ÔÇö people think that obviously theyÔÇÖre right, and what they like or dislike has to be the norm. Why would it be otherwise? And they just say the classic ÔÇ£Why do you hate money? Why do you hate money, Nintendo?ÔÇØ

And itÔÇÖs like ÔÇ£What are you talking about? WeÔÇÖre trying to makeÔǪobviously it has to make calculated risks, but at the same time, one of those risksÔǪand I mean theyÔÇÖll bring up games that are very Japanese games, like┬áCaptain Rainbow┬áfor instance. TheyÔÇÖll bring that up like ÔÇ£Look how many people want this. DonÔÇÖt you want money?ÔÇØ And weÔÇÖll be like ÔÇ£Yeah, we do want money, which is why we know itÔÇÖs a colossal waste if we ever try to localize that in this current market, because look at you people. You donÔÇÖt make up a big enough group.

The hardest part for people to realize is how much money it takes sometimes to make a game likeif its a Japense game, to bring it over the States. Not just translating and then localizing and marketing, but if its a game that has substantial voice text, oh my goodness! That is a collosal cost to bring that over. And some games you look at and youre like Well how are they going to bring that over? and its like Well, they cant.

You look at something like even Xenoblade Chronicles. People love that game, you know, within a certain group. That game is not the type of game that just pulls in enough to justify the costs on that. So thatÔÇÖs like, we got it in the States by luck, that NoE decided ÔÇ£Oh, weÔÇÖll take the fall. WeÔÇÖll localize that.ÔÇØ Okay, cause someone is going to have to eat the costs somewhere, because that game is guaranteed to not sell enough to justify how big that game is. You know, hundreds of hours, all voiced. ThatÔÇÖs a lot of money that goes into that.
And people are like ÔÇ£Why do you guys hate money?ÔÇØ We donÔÇÖt. ThatÔÇÖs why you literally canÔÇÖt make everything. And people donÔÇÖt like finding out that their fanbase is actually too small to justify the costs of the thing they want.

 
ItÔÇÖs unfortunate that a lot of games weÔÇÖd like to see localized donÔÇÖt see the light of day due to market appeal┬áin a region, but at the end of the day ÔÇô as much as itÔÇÖs great to appease the fans ÔÇô business comes first. If it makes sense, and it can be profitable, itÔÇÖll be done. If not, tough luck.

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Why Nintendo uses the word ÔÇ£newÔÇØ in game titles often

ÔÇ£NewÔÇØ is often a word that Nintendo uses in game titles. Have you ever wondered by this is so? During the latest Part-Time Gamers podcast, Chris Pranger from Nintendo Treehouse explained its heavy usage.


ÔÇ£In Japanese, ÔÇÿnewÔÇÖ is exotic and sounds cool,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£That is the exact reason why ÔÇÿnewÔÇÖ is on so many titles.ÔÇØ

Pranger went on to say that, on numerous occasions, theyÔÇÖve told the developers that ÔÇ£newÔÇØ doesnÔÇÖt bring about the same sense excitement as it does in Japan. But these game creators feel that it isnÔÇÖt an issue so long as the the word isnÔÇÖt offensive or confusing.

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Nintendo Treehouse staffer talks about SakuraiÔÇÖs commitment to making Smash Bros.

Gamnesia has since transcribed PrangerÔÇÖs comments about Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai. HereÔÇÖs what we said about the developer:

Cita:ÔÇ£SakuraiÔÇÖs outlook on the games is very dire. He gets really sad when he finds out how people are reacting and he gets sad whenever thereÔÇÖs a leak, because he really wants to create. And heÔÇÖs an auteur in the most crazy sense. HeÔÇÖs basically Vincent Van Gogh cutting off his own ear and weÔÇÖre sitting there going ÔÇÿFrick! Stop doing that!ÔÇÖ And heÔÇÖs like ÔÇÿYou donÔÇÖt get it, guys, my vision!'ÔÇØ

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