The State of Falcom Localization In 2024

Edit: Of course not long after this video released we get the news of Aksys Games going forward with a Switch port for Tokyo Xanadu eX+ along with a revamped localization. Good on them!

Edit number 2: Ys X has been announced for Fall 2024! Things are looking even more optimistic in the chase for the West.

Edit number 3: Trails in the Sky remake is real and Daybreak 2 is coming in 2025. Well they the games keep coming and they don't stop coming.

Crossbell, Nayuta, and Reverie are out. Daybreak has been announced, but there's still much we don't know about NISA and Falcom's plans for 2024 and beyond. Will the localization gap be closing in the next few years? What is going to happen with the recent ports of XSeed localized Falcom games? All this and more discussed in this video. Enjoy!

[jmporkbob]

Given how at the time Trails in the Sky released in the west, we were FIVE Trails games behind and who knows how many Ys games... The fact that even if only for a few months, we will be ONE Trails game behind and only 2 Falcom games behind total is a good reason to be happy. Not even Nayuta left behind. Let us not forget the gargantuan effort over the past 10-15 years it took to get here.

[odthzdf]

I sent Xseed an e-mail message asking them when they were going to put their Falcom games on the Switch. The response: "Unfortunately, we don't have the capability of taking on a huge undertaking like that, but if Falcom were to ever create the Switch ports themselves, we would love an opportunity to work on them."

[casualmusicnerd]

Great video!

A couple things to note:
1) XSEED’s most recent Falcom release was actually the PS4 version of Ys Memories of Celceta which originally came out in Japan in 2019 and then released in the west in 2020, it doesn’t make that much of a difference timeline wise but when considering that plus the Felghana Switch port was the next Falcom developed port for a game XSEED localized after Celceta PS4 and it hasn’t even been a year since that port’s release, I would say we still have a little more time before I start to worry about XSEED’s willingness with future Falcom ports.
2) the console versions of Ys Origin from DotEmu are actually not completely the same as the XSEED PC version. The script is the same but the other localized things like the area name cards that flash on the top of the screen seem to be from the Japanese version (they have English name for the areas underneath the Japanese names so you still know what things are called) that makes me wonder if Falcom has the rights to the English scripts for their games but not the rights to English graphical elements that might’ve been made and added in by XSEED themselves. Obviously that’s just speculation from comparing the PS4 and PC versions of a single game but since they were released by 2 different companies, it makes me think.

Like you I find this topic interesting and fun to speculate about even if realistically we will likely never know the ins and outs of how Falcom localizations happen. Here’s hoping we’re in a better place in the next few years, the pieces have certainly fallen into place for that to at least be a possibility which is kinda wild to say.

[MankeyMusics]

I am very excited to see what the future holds for Falcom and their localizations! I can’t wait for daybreak this year

[KarakuraNinja]

I was in tachikawa city over a week ago, tokyo xanadu town is real.

Saw where the falcom office was too but there is this dedicated store section with trails merch in Kotobukiya.

All trails fans should check it out.

[millasgameroom]

12:21 Regarding XSEED and Falcom localised titles, another possibility is that Falcom owns the translations that localisers produce for their works, . This happens with other companies. It really depends on the exact terms of publishing contracts (which varies with each title, whether it's ports, scripts or voiceovers, even between the same parties on different contracts, licensing can be a huge nightmare). Only XSEED and Falcom really know what's going on and they'll likely never discuss it publically. All we can do as outsiders is speculate and help people realise localisation is a lot more nuanced than the "XSEED own the rights in the West" blanket statements you often see online.

[greedx__]

it's definitely a tiring conversation, but it's still an important one to have.

at the end of the day i just hope those working at falcom AND nisa, aren't being put through the wringer to pump out games

[BlueGrovyle]

As someone who has 4 more already-localized Trails games awaiting him, I cannot be more excited to see if NISA will take on the challenge of catching up even further on Falcom's titles. I'm also not in a hurry because I have so, _so_ many other JRPGs to try after playing almost exclusively Trails games over the last year (Sky SC through Azure, which I'm almost done with).
Thanks for your insightful and passionate videos.

[natenbox]

Update: NIS America announced the upcoming Western release for Ys X: Nordics. Said to be coming around Fall of 2024.

[luker]

Very nice video.
tbh my frustration with the localization of Falcom games is steadily rising... Kondo saying every year the same PR bs.
Just look at how they approach releases in asia with CLE, who even got simultaneous release for Ys X, compared to how western fans are treated is just a bad joke. We don't even have a date yet... There is a lot of improvement possible, but Falcom just doesn't care enough about their western audience, so the gap will never close...

[unknown]

Thanks for another great video. Looking forward to where the Trails series goes from here. Meanwhile, I'm still going to try an catch up on the newest Trails games and then work my way through the Ys series if I have time.

[zennvirus]

Ah, Falcom... the tale is fun to watch unfold both in and out of their games.
Nevermind the new titles and the possibility of a new Tokyo Xanadu game, if they are in remake mood, aside from the missing link from the Ys series (Kefin), there's also the Gagharv trilogy, which does deserve a proper remake with all the juicy systems that Falcom has created in recent years.
Can you imagine that poor trilogy done properly?
To see the Wave, Octum, the Viola Rum and the Dark Sun done Trails-style... Oh, Mama.
Now THAT would be one hell of a curve ball.
A true Falcom curve ball.

[SuperOtakuKyo]

I have a lot of hope considering the future especially in regards to the English releases and ports from NISA and PH3. Considering how there have been multiple statements and reports that Falcom releases for NISA have been some of if not the biggest contributor to their profits the last several years, I think it's safe to say they are likely at the top of their priority list outside of maybe NIS's own games and IPs. I think the biggest wildcard are the XSEED and Aksys Falcom games that have been ported to Switch and if XSEED and Aksys will work on them or if there is hangup in regards to the English rights for those titles.

[Kyriac]

The talk of switch ports and re-releases of 10+ year old games is SO. EXHAUSTING. Maybe once were completely caught up to new releases we can do that sort of thing.

[firebreather]

First of all NISA needs to fix the flawed Reverie translation, I'm still waiting... My guess is that we'll see Daybreak 2 and Ys X in 2025, maybe we'll also see a surprise re-release of an older game. Thank you for the overview!

[MagicEcho]

I think this is Falcom's issue. I gotta give NISA credit for once: their output has been consistent over the past few years. A game every year since 2019 is very impressive. Problem is, despite all the releases in the past few years, still being nearly 3 games behind Japan is unforgivable in the current gaming landscape, and the fact that it's unique to Falcom tells the bigger picture, I think.
This is on Falcom. Something more substantial needs to change with them. Something akin to an in-house localization team or Falcom being more cooperative with the western localization companies, i.e: handing over the script quicker, for instance.
It's indicative of how Falcom views the west as a whole: an afterthought. There's no english line of communication with them, and that's despite us being a fairly decent portion of their overall revenue, with the JP market inversely proportionate.
I think with Kato as the majority shareholder, despite Kondo in the president's seat, we'll never see them truly be ambitious, take risks and rethink their priorities to be more in line with the current gaming setting.
Hope I'm wrong xD
Nice vid, mate. All the best, innit. I really dig your channel. Been watchin' for like a year

[geekgaek]

i think it is fine for 2024 to just have one major release. they might already be able to catch up everything in 2025 if they release ys x and trails daybreak crimson sin on 2025.

we finally caught up! that's great!

[Eagleknight]

Awesome video and Right on the money. I do hope that something happens later this year when it comes to Xseed. Personally, I hope it's given to NISA. They have done great work and really quality product. Especially the physical collector's editions

[OtakuDaiKun]

Maybe if they stopped making unnecessary script changes these things could be done faster.

[drakenstoc]

My personal take on the cancelled ports and the unannounced Trails game: They cancelled the Sky trilogy ports because they intend to remake them.