Exclusive Interview with Atlus' Tomm Hulett
Posted by Shawn Struck on 09.25.2006
The Project lead for the Wii launch title Trauma Center: Second Opinion sits down to give 411 an exclusive interview. He gives us the scoop on Altus' first Wii game, insight into writing game dialogue, his tips for getting a job in the video game industry, and more. Read on for the full interview!
Recently, I got the chance to bend the ear of Atlus' Project Lead Tomm Hulett, who was Project Lead and Localization Editor for the original Trauma Center for the Ninentdo DS, PLaystation 2's Steambot Chronicles, and the upcoming DS game Contact. He also localized games like Digital Devil Saga, River City Ransom EX, and Phantom Brave.
First, I picked his brain on the upcoming Wii game Trauma Center: Second Opinion.
The original game for the Nintendo DS was a sleeper hit, garnering praise from critics and gamers alike. Atlus recently announced that they would be releasing a "Wii-make" of Trauma Center: Under the Knife, and questions have been swirling about this launch title for weeks. Who better to tell what the game is all about than the Project Lead?
Shawn Struck, for 411Mania Games: What's behind the name "Trauma Center: Second Opinion"? Tomm Hulett: Well, most people agreed that the original game's title, "Trauma Center: Under the Knife" was catchy and suited the game perfectly. So, for the second game, we needed a name which had the same catchy quality, featured a similar play on words, and fit the setting of the game. Several employees thought about it for a while and eventually my wife suggested we try out "Second Opinion." We continued the debate for a while, but once we had more concrete details on the game, "Second Opinion" was the only logical choice. Feedback since E3 has been just as positive as it had been a year ago with the original.
411Mania Games: You said Second Opinion is going to be a "Wii-make"-- what do you mean by that, exactly? Hulett: That's right. When gamers heard that Second Opinion featured plot from the original game, most jumped to the conclusion this was a dirty port, where the code was quickly adapted to Wii and just tossed in as a launch title. Something like Gun or King Kong on XBox360, where the game was identical to the versions on weaker systems. Not only is that a false assumption, but it would be a stupid idea. So yeah, Second Opinion does follow Derek Stiles through the first 5 chapters of the DS version, but all the graphics, sounds, levels, controls, etc have been rebuilt. He's still doing the same operations, but you won't be playing the DS game again. Plus there's a new doctor, a new sixth chapter, and more Wii-specific features. So by "Wii-making" Trauma Center, we're providing players with the "complete" version of the story. Imagine if Peter Jackson had created the Extended Cut of Lord of the Rings by refilming everything after the theatrical release with new super HD film and even better props. That's your Second Opinion.
411Mania Games: What new features in this "Wii-make" are you most excited about? Hulett: I think the new plot scenes really lend a new dimension to the storyline. I also like the new controls and the defibrillator, since we here at Atlus USA had a hand in suggesting them. However, the coolest feature for me (and I'm not even sure why) is the force-feedback rumbling while you operate. It just adds a very tactile element to the game that draws players in.
In addition to his Project Lead duties, Hulett has also served as localization editor; in essence, he's one of the people who helps bring a Japanese RPG to the English-speaking market. This important, yet oft-overlooked job is responsible for some of the most memorable parts of your favorite games, and Hulett chatted with 411 with a little insder insight.
411Mania Games: What’s the job of localization editor like (what do you do in an average day)? Hulett:I'm not sure we have "average days" at Atlus, as we're all pretty busy and doing a bunch of different things at once. But, the general process behind a localization is that after discussing different elements with the Project Lead and translation staff (such as character names, the tone of the game, different plot elements), I will receive some translated text. This text is a direct translation from the Japanese, and usually a little janky.
So my job is then to write it so that it isn't only correct English grammar, but also so that it sounds natural--like it was originally written for an English audience... it's really important that our editors understand characterization and can write consistent dialogue. We also need a good idea of the game as a whole, since the text we receive isn't generally in a particular order. We might jump from writing the game's ending to NPC dialogue from the first town, to doing item text.
If there's voice acting in anime/CG scenes, I have to watch that and sort of speak along with it to make sure my English dialogue will fit the lip-flaps when the new dialogue is recorded. It's REALLY hard to fit coherent English into the same lip movements as the Japanese voices, but it's also pretty fun when you get it right.
411Mania Games: On your 1UP blog, you say your official localization policy is "ACCURATE translations require one to change the literal meaning of the text to preserve the intent.". Why do you feel this is a better approach than a more "strict" interpretation of the source material? Hulett: There's a misunderstanding among gamers these days. Most hardcore RPG gamers think that the creator of a game wants people to experience his story in Japanese. However, most game designers don't even think about "the language issue" because if they speak Japanese, their story is going to be in Japanese, so they're just thinking about it as "their story." Designers who do have all territories in mind (let's say Hideo Kojima) go to great lengths to make sure all versions are great (as Kojima-san has oft-praised the American voice acting in the MGS series).
Japanese and English are VERY different languages. There's a lot of subtlety and wordplay in Japanese that can't translate. Someone could be totally calling you out in Japanese with language that made him sound polite...if you translate that directly as what he is actually saying, the character will be very polite. But, polite isn't what they're really SAYING, if you catch my meaning. Or, the Japanese writer might have used English words to sound cool in the Japanese version--but in actual English, those words aren't very cool. But they WANTED whatever words fit there to be perceived as cool. So, a localization would need to think up actual "cool words."
While there ARE gamers who are willing to do a bunch of research to understand the subtleties of Japanese in order to understand the language as-is, they represent a very small minority in gaming. They represent a bigger percentage of our fans than the gaming mainstream of course, but we still have to make sure our products can be fully understood by ANY English speaker. If any Japanese consumer could pick up a game (say, Persona 3) and enjoy it to its fullest, our job is to make sure any English-speaking consumer could pick up our version of Persona 3 and have the exact same experience. The designer in Japan never intended for players to enroll in a Japanese culture class just to understand his or her video game.
So, the reason I think my approach is "correct" is because my job is to write the game so it will be enjoyed by English speakers, not just English speakers who have studied Japan. This isn't because I want to "water the games down" or anything--but because whoever created the game wanted people to enjoy it, not just "l33t" people.
411Mania Games: What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your job as a localization specialist?
Hulett: I'm not sure if there's any one "challenge" that stands out for me, because I really enjoy writing game text. Well, one thing I've tried to do this last year is spend extra time on the instruction manuals of the games I work on. Manuals, for some reason, are notoriously soul-rending to work on. They take far longer to write than you might think (1 - 3 weeks), and it's just so tedious and seems to take forever. So, since it's going to suck anyway, I tried to put a bit more soul into the manuals to make them interesting to read. So I guess the biggest challenge is manuals, and I made it even more challenging by trying to actually care. Check out Steambot Chronicles, Contact, or Devil Summoner (which was actually written by Nich Maragos) and let me know how I've been doing.
411Mania Games:Are there any elements of a translation you tried your best to preserve in a game, but had to cut for some reason-- you couldn't translate something, you were under too tight a time constraint, or the like?
Hulett:Time is always a factor, but I usually know what I'm getting into there and don't "dream too large" as it were. There are always little regrets here and there of things I could have done that I only notice at the end of the project, but those aren't worth mentioning (and I force myself to forget them, lest I sink into crippling depression).
There never seems to be enough time to make NPC dialogue interesting, and I wish there was. Back in the day, I was one of those weird people who talked to each and every NPC as often as possible, just to see what they had to say. Now our games can have way more NPCs and they can say a great number of things...but it's not interesting anymore. That's a problem, in my opinion.
So in games I work on I'd LOVE to just amp up the NPC dialogue so it's worth going through to talk to them all. Steambot Chronicles has that to some extent, but there were SO many NPCs and not a lot of time to write them, so it isn't as fantastic as I would have liked. I also like changing "Yes/No" prompts into actual responses. I did that in Steambot Chronicles a lot, too.
411Mania Games: If someone asked you to point out something you've done that you were most proud of ( a scene, a line of dialogue, a particular character), what would it be and why?
Hulett: Hmmm... That's a tough one. "The big flashback" in Digital Devil Saga 2 (DDS) is amazing, and I love the writing and voice acting. This was similar in a lot of ways to a plot I had come up with for my own RPG years and years ago, so writing a similar scene that people would actually get to see was a lot of fun.
There are a number of lines in Trauma Center that I'm proud of, so if there's any one line you find while playing (say, something Hoffman says in episode 5-1) that is especially over-dramatic or cheesy, I'm probably proud of it.
As for characters, Heat in DDS and the Professor in Contact are two of my favorites.
411Mania Games: Have you ever managed to slip in any in-jokes into the games you've worked on, and what unique/personal touches do you bring to your localization?
Hulett:I put a lot of hidden lines in the games I work on. None that change the Japanese intent of course, but if a character says "hit the enemy's weakpoint" there are any NUMBER of different ways to say that in English. So, personal preferences sometimes dictate word choice. I watch GameFAQs carefully to see when/if players pick up on various injokes I might drop in. This is a pretty standard practice in localization, if games from NOA are any indication. Simpsons and Metal Gear dialogue has probably severely mutated my writing process, so I might slip in phrases that are reference even *I* don't know about.
One thing I do enjoy "slipping in" are the actors I select for different roles in games that feature voice acting. The only thing better than listening to my favorite voice actors in Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, or Metal Gear Solid is writing dialogue and then hearing them deliver it.
Ahhh, good times. It's especially good when I know they are cast ahead of time, because then I can give them APPROPRIATE LINES, hint hint.
411Mania Games: Finally, what you recommend for our readers to do if they want to get a job doing localization work for video games companies, and what backgrounds and skillsets should they focus on?
Hulett: Well, obviously an English background is of key importance, since you're expected to write GOOD English dialogue. Anyone can write serviceable English, so you really need to set yourself apart. Japanese helps too, especially if you are fluent in BOTH languages, cause then you can do the jobs of two people.
It's important that you at least understand Japanese culture, so that you know what is intended as a joke, why it's funny, and how you should adapt it. But, if you're reading this and play games, you are probably interested in Japan as it is.
College diplomas are a must, because they show potential employers that you can finish what you start and that you're self-motivated. Also, move where localization companies are. Nobody is going to pay to ship you across the country to write English text (some might, and consider yourself lucky if they do) without prior experience.
This is one of the few jobs where you can start as a tester and get noticed--because good editing in a test setting directly translates to good editing before the testing process begins. That's how I got started, anyway.
Also, beg a lot.
It was a pleasure speaking with Mr. Hulett, and you can find out more about some of the games he's worked on by visiting http://www.altus.com . Be sure to check back with 411 Mania Games for a full review of Contact when it's released, and more exclusive features and interviews like this one.
