Key Takeaways
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- Toby Fox, the developer of Undertale and Deltarune, has not officially translated his games into languages other than English and Japanese due to his desire to maintain creative control, but this decision faces criticism, especially from Latin American fans who make up a significant portion of the player base.
- Fox works with a translator for the Japanese version of his games, which inherently affects the original text, and while fan translations are available for players, some argue that an official translation would improve accessibility.
- The author suggests that Foxs decision not to localize his games for Portuguese and Spanish may reflect a disconnect from his Latin American fanbase, who often have to navigate games without understanding the language.
- In contrast, other developers like Eric Barone of Stardew Valley and creators of games such as Yakuza and Disco Elysium have translated their games into multiple languages to reach a global audience.
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EDUMAETRIX
By Victor Hidalgo, Journalist and Author on the Twitch channel Camarada Hidalgo and on YouTube. Recently, Toby Fox, the developer of Undertale and Deltarune, addressed why his games are not officially translated into languages other than English and Japanese. In a recent post on Bluesky, Fox acknowledged fans’ concerns and apologized for the lack of official translations. He also addressed the absence of Latin American tour dates for the Undertale: The Determination Symphony concerts and high Fangamer merchandise shipping costs in that region. Fox assured fans that concert organizers have noted their excitement for Undertale: The Determination Symphony in Latin America and that he will continue collaborating with Fangamer to find cheaper merchandise shipping solutions. However, his explanation regarding the lack of translations was met with criticism from Latin American fans. Fox stated that he hasn’t translated his games into other languages because he doesn’t speak them. He added that he used a translator to localize the game in Japanese to maintain creative control, something he doesn’t feel equipped to do for other languages. He also pointed out that fan translations are available for players.
This justification faces scrutiny, as Fox admits to working with a translator for the Japanese version, which inherently affects the original text. According to Gamalytic, over 52% of Undertale players do not speak English. The author of this blog asks how, given these facts, Fox can be open to adapting the game for Japanese while choosing not to do so for other languages due to his desire to maintain creative control. Furthermore, Fox stated that translating Deltarune into other languages isn’t feasible from a development standpoint. The author notes that Undertale’s success on Steam has provided Fox with ample resources to employ a localization team. The author suggests that the decision not to localize his games for Portuguese and Spanish may reflect a disconnect from his Latin American fanbase. For years, Latin American players have often had to navigate games without the benefit of understanding the language. While the industry has increasingly recognized the importance of localization, Fox has so far resisted, despite profiting from his Latin American audience. As someone who lacked a powerful PC, the author recalls being grateful to be able to play Undertale on older hardware.
Creative Control vs Global Reach: Toby Fox’s Decision and Its Impact on Language Diversity
The author contrasts Fox’s approach with that of Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, who translated his game into 12 languages. They also point to the Yakuza series, which gained popularity in the West through its English localization and now offers games in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as Disco Elysium, which is localized into Portuguese. Ultimately, the author questions Fox’s rationale for not translating his game, suggesting that his Latin American fanbase may perceive it as disrespectful, especially given his financial gains from them. (Note: This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Portal Uai.)
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