Subtitles: looks like Bethesda hasn't learned yet. : Fallout: New Vegas

» Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:35 pm

It wouldn't hurt if game designers added a simple question when booting the game for the first time: "Would you like to enable subtitles?" Seems like this would be easy to implement and make a number of folks happy.

While that option would in fact be simple, the core of this thread seems to point to the overall extensiveness of those subtitles. I would argue that the debate would eventually extend much farther than simply subtitles. Missing a sense is a result in loss of content in every aspect of your life. I just question why even debate this on this forum. It's undisputed that F:NW is a large step in terms of subtitles over Fallout 3 and Oblivion. Shouldn't this game be praised rather than scolded for not going "far enough"?

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:44 am

What "large step" has F:NV taken over FO3 or Oblivion?

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:24 am

I just question why even debate this on this forum.

This is the official forum for Fallout: New Vegas and this thread is about the subtitles in Fallout: New Vegas. It's a perfect match and there couldn't be a better place to have a debate about this.

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:18 am

Legitimately it svcks, and I would certainly hope that future games are as accessable to as many people as possible.

However, let's at least be thankful you can take advantage of the core gameplay.

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:30 am

Im not trying to be mean to anyone who may be deaf but most video game designers dont care much fo any minoritys. most deal with there primary customers who would be the hardcoe games which is why new games for pc always need the top of the line pc. thi is because the hardcoe gamers will have a good pc and the rest kindof get left out. the videos hardly tell anything anyways...

I hope you're kidding. I am a competitive gamer and I have a top-of-the-line PC and work in the software industry and make as much money as any other hearing person. I also label myself as a hardcoe gamer, probably going to play 40+ hours of this game this week. How can you honestly say that the deaf people are a minority when being 'deaf' doesn't matter when it comes to competitive gaming? Sure, hearing players also have sound and they can work with sound to know what's going on, but deaf players naturally have a stronger visual sense as a result of losing one of our five senses. So it's a fair trade in the end.

Deaf people generally don't play games competitively, but they'll play multiplayer alongside hearing players, no doubt.

Either ways, to the other people who were saying 'I thought they offered subtitles?' - they do, but even if you turn them on, they only work in-game, not during the intro cinematic :/

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:23 am

Sure, a developer can add subtitles to an opening sequence. However, how would you recommend that option being implemented? Would you see it without subtitles and then realize you need to set that option by closing out, going to the settings, setting the option and then starting a new game? I'm sure someone would complain about that too. If it showed up with subtitles 100% of the time, more people would complain about that.

I'm pretty sure that deaf people make a point of going into the options menu and looking for a subtitles option before they actually launch a game.

But yeah, the lack of subtiles in the intro/ending movies is an odd oversight.

Compare to Valve Software, the makers of Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Left 4 Dead. All of those games not only feature subtitles, they feature an option of captions with sound effects for the hard of hearing. So you see subtitles saying stuff like [Explosion!] [Zombie moan] [click, click].

Subtitles are useful for non-deaf people too - it's nice being able to play a game or a movie or TV at 3am with the volume low so as not to disturb other people. With the volume low most people will still hear 95% of what is being said but the odd word or two might be missed, and so subs are handy.

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:41 am

As a side note, please don't tell me the 10 minutes I scrutinized over that opening cinematic to transcribe the subtitles were for nothing.

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:48 am

As a side note, please don't tell me the 10 minutes I scrutinized over that opening cinematic to transcribe the subtitles were for nothing.

I read it all, somehow through reading it I forgot to reply and say thanks!

So...

Thanks!

» Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:48 pm

As a side note, please don't tell me the 10 minutes I scrutinized over that opening cinematic to transcribe the subtitles were for nothing.

Certainly not, well done

» Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:25 pm

It's Okay I got it:

War. War never changes. For years mankind was at war. Vaults something something nuclear holocaust. Except, you see, Las Vegas. Gambling. Gambling never changes.

Dude your getting sigged XD

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:02 am

Spoiler

**Cinematic opens with Sinatra's "Blue Moon" playing, slower than normal**
**44 seconds in, the music fades and you hear the various sound effects associated with whats on the screen**
**cue Ron Perlman's beautiful narration voice at 1:22**
"War, war never changes. When atomic fire consumed the earth, those who survived did so in great, underground vaults.
When they opened, their inhabitants set out across the ruins of the old world to build new societies, establish new vilages, form new tribes.
As decades past, what had been the American Southwest united beneath the flag of the New California Republic, dedicated to old world values and democracy, and the rule of law.
"As the republic grew, so did its needs. Scouts spread East seeking territory and wealth in the dry and merciless expanse of the Mojavi Desert.
They returned with tales of a city untouched by the warheads that had scorched the rest of the world,
and the great wall spanning the colorodo river.
"The NCR mobilized its army and sent it East to occupy the hover dam and restore it to working condition.
But across the colorado, another society had arisen under a different flag.
A vast army of slaves forged under the conquest of 86 tribes. Caesars Legion.
4 years have passed since the Republic held the dam just barely against the legions onslaught.
The legion did not retreat.
Across the river, it gathers strength. Campfires burn, training drums beat.
Through it all, the New Vegas strip has stayed open for business;
under the control of its mysterious overseer, Mr. House,
and his army of rehabilitated tribals and police robots.
You are a courier, hired by the Mojavi Express to deliver a package to the new vegas strip
What seemed like a simple delivery job has taken a turn for the worse..."

**Cue dialogue between two thugs and Benny

Thug 1: you got what you were after, so pay up
Benny: You're crying in the rain, pally
Thug 2: guess whos waking up over here
Benny: time to cash out
Thug 1: will you get it over with
Benny: Maybe cons kill people without looking them in the face, but I'm not a fink, dig? You made your last delivery, kid.
Sorry you got twisted up in this scene. From where you're kneeling, must seem like an 18 carat run of bad luck. Truth is, the game was rigged from the start.

**gun shot**

Awesome. I hear thanks from everyone who needed these.

» Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:42 pm

As a side note, please don't tell me the 10 minutes I scrutinized over that opening cinematic to transcribe the subtitles were for nothing.

Thanks for putting the spoiler tag, I'm going to sneak out of work early to load the game and I'm excited to see the opening cinematic for myself...

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:31 am

As a side note, please don't tell me the 10 minutes I scrutinized over that opening cinematic to transcribe the subtitles were for nothing.

No, it's very valuable for me. I'm not good at english and sometimes I get lost when come with hearing this cinematics. Thanks to you this will be more easy to understand this.

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:31 am

I'm not deaf, but I consider the lack of subtitles in any game to be unforgivable. Its not that hard to do, we've had them long before fallout 1 - once upon a time the basic game didn't include the speech files, you just got the text - some games charged extra for "Speech Pack"

I consider partial subtitling to be even less forgivable. Its like you decided it was important enough to do, but not important enough to do properly.

Subtitles aren't just for the deaf - they're for the considerate "I'm going to turn down the volume" gamer too.

Fallout 1 subtitled the intro cinematic - thank goodness as I didn't have a sound card when I got it. Yes younglings, computers once upon a time didn't make any more noise than "beep".

» Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:06 pm

If you're deaf, then I don't think you should be too worried about that. Its not like you're missing a massive part of the story.

If I were you, I'd be more worried about the glitches. DUN DUUUN.

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:40 am

Maybe someone could edit the opening movie file to include subtitles. Replace the intro movie and bam! Problem Solved... Wait I just checked... it's a BIK file? It may still be possible.

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:17 am

bethesda actually can't do this, whenever they play a video everything stops possessing until the video is over

» Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:00 am

It's undisputed that F:NW is a large step in terms of subtitles over Fallout 3 and Oblivion.

I don't see that large step myself.

Gameplay (Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas) = subtitled
Cutscenes (Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas) = not subtitled

For a deaf gamer nothing has changed, no step to speak of. http://www.deafgamers.com/ gave both Oblivion and Fallout 3 a C (E is worst) in their http://www.deafgamers.com/dgclassification.htm and I don't see how this game will be any different.

bethesda actually can't do this, whenever they play a video everything stops possessing until the video is over

There are plenty of other games that offer optional subtitles over pre-rendered cutscenes using the Bink format, such as Hitman: Blood Money. So it's certainly possible to do.