However these facts raise an important questions: when does the “localization” of content stop being “localization” and turn into full-on “censorship”? Should gamers accept this?

I will show you a simple example, Yakuza 3 on PS3 shows well how thin the frontier between censorship and localization can be. A lot of gamers complained because some scenes and important elements of the games where changed when the game made it to US.

Now the question is: do all of these elements actually required to be changed? Isn’t that just based on a stereotype that American gamers tend to be more religious and concerned about nudity and violence? I assume that someone purchasing the third installment in a game series would normally have a pretty good idea as to what kind of content they were getting into, especially with a series such as Yakuza, which is relatively well-known. The games even receive ratings similar to films, giving the consumer an even better idea of what the game in question contains.

Most of gamers are reasonable adults who just want to enjoy the game as it is, instead of playing an edited, censored version of it. So please, developers, think of gamers first when you are localizing your games.

Game translation is not censorship and should be adapted to players in a certain territory.

Reacting quickly to change is imperative to success. This means understanding your workforce and being able to quickly shift directions. Whether your organization is growing, reorganizing or merging, it is essential to make informed decisions and take action.

[My Twitter comment was "I wonder if they modeled me out of a job..."]

[I'll probably address some of these more deeply in future Patterns.]