One can say that most of the LucasArts graphics adventures are still very popular in Germany. *Especially* the Monkey Island series, but also Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle and the Indiana Jones games. In fact Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is still heralded in Germany as one of the best graphics adventures of all time.
One of the reasons for this popularity - besides their obvious quality - is that they were brilliantly localized for the German market. Most of the adventures were translated by Boris Schneider-Johne who really understood their wicked humor and who was able to successfully translate the difficult parts (for example the Monkey Island fencing duels).
He not only was a games player himself but a writer and journalist for a very popular games magazine at the time and now is a product manager for the Xbox with Microsoft Germany. Even though he is siding with the evil empire one cannot deny his merits. ;-)
You may be wondering why localization is really that important as most Germans are able to understand English. Well, English language is a required subject in German schools - or more precisely: It was required in West German schools but of course not in East German ones before the wall came down in 1989.
The East German youth and other East German people interested in video games therefore had practically no means to understand these games until they were localized.
As most of the LucasArts-games got released in the years after the wall came down these very well done translations may have been an important factor of their success.
One can say that most of the LucasArts graphics adventures are still very popular in Germany. *Especially* the Monkey Island series, but also Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle and the Indiana Jones games. In fact Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is still heralded in Germany as one of the best graphics adventures of all time.
One of the reasons for this popularity - besides their obvious quality - is that they were brilliantly localized for the German market. Most of the adventures were translated by Boris Schneider-Johne who really understood their wicked humor and who was able to successfully translate the difficult parts (for example the Monkey Island fencing duels).
He not only was a games player himself but a writer and journalist for a very popular games magazine at the time and now is a product manager for the Xbox with Microsoft Germany. Even though he is siding with the evil empire one cannot deny his merits. ;-)
You may be wondering why localization is really that important as most Germans are able to understand English. Well, English language is a required subject in German schools - or more precisely: It was required in West German schools but of course not in East German ones before the wall came down in 1989.
The East German youth and other East German people interested in video games therefore had practically no means to understand these games until they were localized.
As most of the LucasArts-games got released in the years after the wall came down these very well done translations may have been an important factor of their success.
take care,
Calibrator
take care,
Calibrator