Video Games Chronicle: "Final Fantasy 16 is prioritising 'British English', producer reveals"

[Dakhil]

Final Fantasy 16 is prioritising ‘British English’, producer reveals | VGC

Yoshida previously claimed that the RPG's English voice work was nearly complete…

www.videogameschronicle.com

The Square Enix series usually prioritises Japanese as its primary recording language, however Naoki Yoshida explained in a new Japanese interview (translated via Dualshockers) that the decision to use English was made due to the requirement to capture performance actors' faces.

"We've been prioritizing English voice recording. And we're specifically doing it in British English," the producer said. "We're using facial capture, so later on, we won't have to adjust by hand each of the faces during cutscenes.

"And it's full capture, as in, the motion capture actors are also doing the voice acting simultaneously. Well, we're not doing it for every single cutscene though. But anyway, that's why English dubbing has progressed the most. The Japanese dubbing will start soon."

Final Fantasty 16 was announced last summer as a PlayStation 5 exclusive release. The game features a medieval-inspired setting and, going by its debut trailer, a cast of mostly British voice actors.

Yoshida's comments come after he claimed in a Square Enix live stream earlier this month that the English voice work for FF16 was almost complete, leading some fans to assume that meant Japanese work had also been nearly finished.

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In the same interview, Yoshida said Square Enix would ideally like to show the new game at Tokyo Game Show, which runs September 30 – October 3.

However, he suggested that the game's development team might not make the deadline, and indicated that he'd like to next show FF16 when it's closer to release.

"We really want to show something for Tokyo Game Show 2021, but we probably can't make that deadline… we definitely want to show it, but isn't it better if when we do, you're able to play it right after?

He added: "I personally don't like it when small bits of info is release to string people along. I talked about this with the team and director Takai-san. We want to reveal something where people will say, 'I want to play it now! Release it now!' And we can reply, 'sure, here you go!'"

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[8bit]

Chocobo Suppers all round, Guvnor!

 

[Belthazar90]

Recently a thread with this same subject was closed due to xenophobic generalizations of Japanese media and culture derailing the discussion. I don't know if this one will be allowed to stay open.

 

[Strafer]

cheerio

 

[Rodrigues solitaire]

Marvellous

 

[Billdrew]

Oh god I hope this doesn't end up like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 where loads of people thought the voice acting was bad because they used unusual accents like Welsh and Lancashire…
I personally loved it though

 

[platocplx]

I think this is good for them to get what tone they are looking for the game, but then now the japanese actors will have a good reference point for what they are looking for the game.

I hope people dont see this as one better than the other vs what I see this just as them getting their initial tone right and then cascade it to their other main capture language.

I would think of this being the same if the game was set in feudal japan or another Japanese setting and they want to capture that tone then have it cascade to other main capture languages.

Recently a thread with this same subject was closed due to xenophobic generalizations of Japanese media and culture derailing the discussion. I don't know if this one will be allowed to stay open.

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Yeah that was a mess. they read way into this more than just being them having a reference point for other capture actors To emulate in their mother tongue.

 

[snausages]

This definitely isn't going to end up like Zenoblade chronicles, check out some Shadowbringers cutscenes. Has got some Game of Thrones alumni in them as well.

edit missed the point of that post, but the VA in XIV is actually very good so I think this will be as well

 

[The Silver]

Hoping we can reach the heights of FF12 again

*i have not played FF14*

 

[Hybrid Rainbow]

Didn't we have a thread about this before?

 

[Sawyer]

Last thread got locked.

 

[Valcrist]

Hoping we can reach the heights of FF12 again

*i have not played FF14*

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[AdvancedWind]

Speaking of the acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, isn't that how it works there too?

 

[The Silver]

Did you know that the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has a free trial, and includes the entirety of A Realm Reborn AND the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 with no restrictions on playtime? Sign up, and enjoy Eorzea today!

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I actually already bought it up the Shadowbringers during a sale a while ago.

My backlog is simply too large to handle an MMO timesink lol

 

[Beth Cyra]

Super awesome for people who love British English and I can't say I hate it.

That said I'm absolutely not in the camp that thinks that British English is somehow better/the right choice versus NA English when it comes to dubbing Japanese games.

Like the love and praise XII and Xenoblade get so often being their British English translations sound just as goofy and daft as any of the NA stuff.

 

[Deleted member 6263]

Rally ho

 

[criteriondog]

Excited for the English dub, British English is really nice. Can't wait to see more of this game.

Sadly this is like the third thread about this news, because the last two got derailed and had to be shut down. Hope this one can stay open.

 

[obsoke]

I trust YoshiP on this.
I'll play with English VO but I hope people who prefer JPN voices are happy with those in the end as well.

 

[Jetsun Mila]

Absolutely prefer British English so I'm all for it

 

[dorjjj]

Oh god I hope this doesn't end up like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 where loads of people thought the voice acting was bad because they used unusual accents like Welsh and Lancashire…
I personally loved it though

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Nia's Voiceactor made her sound like she was 60

 

[Dot-N-Run]

I hope this applies to the spelling too.

 

[ara]

Very cool. I fucking love the voice acting (and dialogue in general) in FFXIV so I'm definitely looking forward to this.

 

[SilverArrow20XX]

I assume they're just using the same studio as XIV's been using since HW, which is in the UK somewhere.
So I expect similar direction.

 

[Deleted member 721]

old news, but the other thread got locked.

i honestly dont care, i go to the voices that fit better for me or have a better direction.

 

[nsilvias]

as long as the vo is better than xv.

 

[matrix-cat]

Hopefully this means British actors and not just American ones doing trying to do British accents.

 

[Ivory Samoan]

Purely for my own fun in game, this is amazing.

I think Yoshi-P is also doing Japanese lip sync too - not sure where I saw that, but correct me if wrong.

 

[The Dink]

I hope this applies to the spelling too.

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Time to equip some "armour".

 

[Spehornoob]

Are they gonna speak English English?

 

[ARobotCalledV]

I'm a bit cautious about this news because I fear it means for a lack of diversity in the game.

 

[Mr.Fletcher]

Cockney
Scouse
Midlands
Welsh
Scottish
Irish
Brummie

Give me them all and then some.*


*We'll get middle of the road southern accents and like it.

 

[RockmanBN]

It was cool in Xenoblade

 

[pillowtalk]

Time to post that Urianger copy pasta

 

[Vault]

All the farmers and peasants will have west country accents

knights will be from Yorkshire

 

[Nakenorm]

Sounds great in XIV so this is definitely good (but a couple of days old) news.