I need to decide what languages to support.  So far I've looked into Japanese and German.  I want to translate Duality ZF into all languages of XBLIG.  Is there an Xbox LIVE Indie Game country / language list you can point me to?  Perhaps one with population size or Xbox LIVE user size?

Feel free to contact me if interested in translating for us: http://xona.com/contact.html

From the FAQ:

Consumers in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Singapore and Spain are able to download Xbox LIVE Indie Games for purchase. We are continually working to add additional regions.

It looks like your hot language options are English, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Swedish, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. (see Zman's comment below)

My personal opinion: Given how hot Japanese gamers generally are for shmups, Japanese should probably be your second priority language after English. Beyond that, I don't know whether the ROI is worth it for any other language. You could mitigate this by making your game as navigable as possible, regardless of language.

While those are valid sales territitories the only valid languages for the review process are English French German Spanish Italian and Japanese.

You cannot translate into any other languages becuase that will circumvent the review process as nobody can review the content.

If you only want to make money with your game, probably the effort to translate it into many languages don't compensate... Seeing this thread, it looks like the IG not sell well in France, Spain and Italy, but maybe this could be because a lot of them only are in english :-)

It's too bad Xbox LIVE doesn't show supported games in everyone's language.  If Duality ZF was translated into Spanish for example, having everyone from Spain see Duality ZF as supportive of their language would be a good thing.

I am certainly doing Japanese.  I may even dual the title screen to show English and Japanese together (like Raiden IV does), as it may have a positive effect for sales outside Japan.

Matthew Doucette:

I may even dual the title screen to show English and Japanese together (like Raiden IV does), as it may have a positive effect for sales outside Japan.

Mixed languges are likely to get your game a quick fail - reviewers need to be able to understand all the content.

The ZMan:

Matthew Doucette:

I may even dual the title screen to show English and Japanese together (like Raiden IV does), as it may have a positive effect for sales outside Japan.

Mixed languges are likely to get your game a quick fail - reviewers need to be able to understand all the content.

Really???!  I don't follow the procedure.  Doesn't someone who understand Japanese pass it?  How can you fail a game for a language you can't read?  I would assume you only pass it for the English content and wait for someone else to pass it for the Japanese content.

When you pass a game you say 'I promise there is no content in here that is bad' and you are required to check the box that you reviewed. If you can't read content then you can't say that... there's at least 3 other threads on this right now... here's the biggest http://forums.xna.com/forums/t/36495.aspx

If you want to support multiple languages then detect the current language and switch to that one. Then reviewers will see their language and can review correctly their translated version.

Ah, thanks, ZMan.  I see how the review process works now.  So we can't have our game logo (in the box art or title screen) in two languages?  Even if the rest of game is properly split up?  We have to detect which language it is and switch our game logo, too?  How does that work for the box art?  Maybe the effect I want will still work if only the box art has both languages.  Would that pass?  Or are their two options for box art as well?  (Lots of questions!)

That's an interesting question with the box art. Here's my take on it: I would say, that if the box art contains only languages for which you also have a description supplied (which therefore inherently also means that it can contain only the six allowed languages), then it should be OK.

My reasons are best explained with an example: Let's say you have English and Japanese on the box art. Now assume that you have also supplied an English and a Japanese description. Because of the latter, the framework will require both English and Japanese reviewers of your game (even if the game itself would be in English only!). So the framework will make sure that both people that understand English and people that understand Japanese will look at your game. And for all of them, part of the review procedure is to also review the box art. Now, when they review the box art, the English reviewer will see the Japanese text which he probably can't read. So normally he would have to fail the game (can't make sure that there is no forbidden content). But if the reviewer sees that there is a Japanese description too, then the reviewer knows that at least some other reviewers who know Japanese will also look at the box art, so if there is anything forbidden in the Japanese text, they should find it. So the English reviewer should be able to pass the box art under these conditions (and vice-versa for the Japanese reviewer who maybe doesn't understand English well enough, who would review and pass only the Japanese "part" of the box art).

So in a more formal fashion:

If a reviewer sees mixed languages on the box art, then he must make sure that:

• All text is from one of the six supported languages.
• For any language that appears on the box art, a game description in that language must also be supplied (so that the framework requires reviewers for that langauge).
• Nothing in any of the languages he understands is "forbidden".

If these conditions are met, the reviewer should be able to pass the box art, even if it contains some text he doesn't understand.

But: This is my interpretation of the rules and of the workings of the review process only. There's no guarantee that MS sees this the same way!

Doc

The box art is something that can't be translated... I'm guessing we will have to make an exception for that somehow. e.g. allow the title only to be mixed language as long as both languages are listed with the game/description. Of course thats the sort of thing that needs a sensible discussion but if you waded through that thread you would know thats not how these things go... I'd update an FAQ but I would be accused of making up rules I am sure..

Sorry for bringing this back up, but what should I do to make sure that my English/Japanese box art and English/Japanese title screen graphic logo are ok?  As mentioned here, the box art and logo will be tested individually by reviewers of both languages, the rest of the game will either be in English or Japanese (never both at the same time), so it shouldn't be a problem.  Should I post in that other thread (it might be locked now) or is there a ruling on this already I missed?  Thanks so much...

With what you described, I think you'll be in the clear.

Even before the multi-language debate, I doubt anybody would flag you for multi-language box art, since there's nothing else that can be done there.

Matthew Doucette:

Should I post in that other thread (it might be locked now) or is there a ruling on this already I missed?

Yes, there was a ruling that mixed languages are allowed, as long as all languages are from the allowed languages and all are declared:

http://forums.xna.com/forums/p/41041/241105.aspx#241105

Doc

Thank you.  And, because technicalities can equal failed and pulled games, I have to ask this part again:  Is my *inside-the-game* bilingual logo acceptable?  It will be the same bilingual logo as in my box art.  I know I can actually code in two logos, but there isn't two logos, there's only one, and it's bilingual! :)  From a design point of view, they do not look so great separated now that they've been designed to fit together.

Yes as long as you check English and Japanese. The Japanese reviewers will validate that it doesn't say anything that breaks the rules.

EDIT: The ZMan was faster. He says so well in one line what I need several paragraphs for... ;-)

Well, the whole multi/mixed language topic is a bit of a sensitive topic around here by now, so I don't think you will get a more detailed statement than what is in Kathleens posting. ;-)
And to be honest, I don't think it needs any more additional explanation anyway, as I think it's perfectly clear from what Kathleen wrote: She explicitely mentions "multiple/mixed language" games as allowed (under the given restrictions). I don't know how else she could phrase it to make it clearer...
My interpretation of it is therefore straight forward: Yes, your logo is fine in-game too. It would be fine even if you had other Japanese/English mixes in-game (as long as you declare both languages).

Doc

Thank you, both.

@Spyn Doctor's reply... Sweet!  That is a great answer from Kathleen.  Of course we need to allow multiple languages for many of the cases presented in that thread including my own!  I'm so glad they have allowed it! :)