Gaming Why doesn't Nintendo state what languages their games support?

[Deleted User]

I live in Australia. Australia is a part of the PAL region. I can say from personal experience that there are many Chinese and Japanese people living in Australia. But not all PAL Switch games include Chinese and Japanese language options. According to this post only the Japanese version of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 includes a Chinese translation. Nintendo does not state on their website, or even on the box which languages a particular region of a game supports. While Nintendo did take a step in the right direction by making the Switch region free, it is still more complicated than necessary for customers to do their own research and purchase a game which supports their native language or a language which they are learning.

EDIT: Australian and American copies of games do not state the supported languages on the box, however European copies do. Thanks @Armadillo @oji @Lumstar .

 

[Youkai]

I don't get your problem ... it should be pretty clear that usually there is no Asian language on a Pal game, if it is than maybe they just had enough storage and didn't care for removing them

And no matter how many foreigners live there it is still an English speaking country and even these foreigners should learn that language instead of insisting on their own

 

[Armadillo]

Europe ones say on the box.

Xenoblade (picture from ebay as it's the only ones I can find with a proper picture of the back).

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/57MAAOSwQUhav6lJ/s-l1600.jpg

Little box says software and for Xenoblade EN, DE*, FR*, ES*, IT*. * text only. That's pretty clear as to what languages it supports.

My Mario oddysey has the same on the back, lists the languages the game supports. So they do tell you on the box.

 

[Deleted User]

I don't get your problem ... it should be pretty clear that usually there is no Asian language on a Pal game, if it is than maybe they just had enough storage and didn't care for removing them

And no matter how many foreigners live there it is still an English speaking country and even these foreigners should learn that language instead of insisting on their own

Some PAL games like Mario Odyssey do support Chinese and Japanese. Most foreigners in Australia speak at least a workable level of English. If a translation of a game in their native language exists they should have the option of playing the game in that language.

Europe ones say on the box.

Xenoblade (picture from ebay as it's the only ones I can find with a proper picture of the back).

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/57MAAOSwQUhav6lJ/s-l1600.jpg

Little box says software and for Xenoblade EN, DE*, FR*, ES*, IT*. * text only. That's pretty clear as to what languages it supports.

My Mario oddysey has the same on the back, lists the languages the game supports. So they do tell you on the box.

I wasn't aware of that. Australian copies do not state the supported languages on the box.

 

[oji]

Europe's one definitely have languages on it's back cover: https://imgur.com/bdQIChk
It's maybe different for an Australian release though, which is despite being EU compatible is still a separate region with its own versions of games.

 

[Lumstar]

Some PAL games like Mario Odyssey do support Chinese and Japanese. Most foreigners in Australia speak at least a workable level of English. If a translation of a game in their native language exists they should have the option of playing the game in that language.


I wasn't aware of that. Australian copies do not state the supported languages on the box.

Much the same here. It's always been normal for American console games to not state the supported languages.

While rare until the 2000s, systems dating back to the NES have gotten Japanese options.
Sometimes hidden away by secret codes (like NES Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dragon Strike, or PS2 Ys The Ark of Napishtim)