Some suggestions

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

Why not make the packaging for soundtracks more "USA" friendly? I have purchased the Rockman Zero Remastered set with beautiful packaging yet most of it is irrelavent to me since I can't read 90% of it (Japanese). Maybe there could be two versions of the text? Doesn't seem like it would take that much effort since some of it is in english anyway, like the titles, and yet the page after page of desciptions are in Japanese, or maybe have an area here at the site where it is all translated?

How about an area where we can write reviews for the soundtracks we buy? I love writing reviews, true we could write them on the boards but a collective area would be more fitting.

Lastly, I LOVE the Remastered Zero stuff and would like to see most or even ALL of the Gameboy Rock Man games with remastered soundtracks. I just can't see myself purchasing $40 cd's with such limited sound capabilities, the remastering with REAL instruments is the way to go. The melodies are great but it takes real instruments, IMO to bring out the true beauty.

[cubed]

The deal is that you are paying for IMPORT stuffs, hence the japanese stuffs interest.

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

The deal is I'm ordering great music as an import because there is no other way to get it and I'm sure the people making the discs know many many people who order from the States do not speak Japanese. Besides, why not at LEAST have the text translated here at the site? And at the very least maybe translate the highest sellers or most requests. Not sure why you resist people wanting to fully enjoy their purchase, especially when a selling point is a "12 page booklet" etc.

[Eriol]

Why not make the packaging for soundtracks more "USA" friendly? ....

Because the Japanese companies produce these albums for consumption in Japan first and foremost. Japanese companies do not care about the overseas market. Cocoebiz is a reseller of albums, not a publisher. We can't dictate what album packaging will look like.

Cocoebiz has been trying to convince artists and publishers to produce some materials in English or overseas-friendly. Some things, such as making the Motoi Sakuraba Live DVD region 0, were successful initiatives. Most times, however, Cocoebiz cannot convince them, even with some marketing data.

Many Japanese companies are simply xenophobic and refuse to do business outside of Japan.


How about an area where we can write reviews for the soundtracks we buy? I love writing reviews, true we could write them on the boards but a collective area would be more fitting.

That is something planned in the future.

Lastly, I LOVE the Remastered Zero stuff and would like to see most or even ALL of the Gameboy Rock Man games with remastered soundtracks. I just can't see myself purchasing $40 cd's with such limited sound capabilities, the remastering with REAL instruments is the way to go. The melodies are great but it takes real instruments, IMO to bring out the true beauty.

That is solely dependent on the license holders how they wish to release the music. Music is still a business.

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

Again, about the translations: I realize these are made for the Japanese market but that doesn't explain why this site cannot have a translation of some of the more popular soundtracks. Someone who could read Japanese and English could probably translate it in 5 minutes per page.

I'm almost afraid now to KNOW what is in the text because people around here seem awfully resistant to letting the public know what has been written.

[Karizuma]

I'm almost afraid now to KNOW what is in the text because people around here seem awfully resistant to letting the public know what has been written.

...with that comment, I'm going to have to ask you to stop being ridiculous. What do you think the artists are saying in their liner notes? "Overthrow the U.S."? Stop being ridiculous.

I'd like to know what comments the artists put in their inserts, so I go to this site: http://www.chudahs-corner.com/ ; it has a large information database on video game music, and for some entries, even has liner notes for them.

Fact is, the publishers can't make separate English and Japanese versions, and they're not going to print English alongside Japanese, because then, they'd start having to print these in every language imaginable. Gotta be fair to everyone, y'know? But there's no way they could possibly do that, seeing as how many languages there actually are in the world.

That, and multiple, different printings of the same product are annoying. "Wait, this's the Japanese version? I want the English version! I don't like Japanese version!!" Seems like a problem on your part, that you aren't able to appreciate import items that are in the language of their country of origin.

FURTHERMORE, printing them in the language for the country that they are selling them in, doing so would probably decrease their collectibility. Import items have that novelity, collectible value.

So, yeah, you want English translations for the liner notes to your favorite Japanese video game soundtracks? Go to: http://www.chudahs-corner.com/ and click on the link "liner notes" in the left-hand panel.

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

I guess sarcasm is lost on this board. But like any other board it seems you only get replies when there is some sort of "contention." Funny to see other posts I ran that have 40 views and NO replies, because there is nothing to bicker about.

Truly thanks for the liner notes tip, I even knew about that site but not that particular feature. But we do realize this is a SUGGESTION BOARD for this site... right? I gave a "suggestion" that they could translate some of the liner notes at this site (last case) and what I hear is a lot of excuses. What I think is odd is how Rockman X8 OST the titles of all the songs are in english and yet the tidbits are all in Japanese. For marketing this to Japanese I don't see the logic, cuz honestly I'd rather know the song titles. Yet the Rockman X Command the titles are in Japanese.

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

Not a Rockman game on that liner notes page, in fact it has NO ''R's'' at all and NO s/t's I own. Thanks though. Now... can this site translate them...?

[Eriol]

Again, about the translations: I realize these are made for the Japanese market but that doesn't explain why this site cannot have a translation of some of the more popular soundtracks. Someone who could read Japanese and English could probably translate it in 5 minutes per page.

Cocoebiz translates track names for albums it sells. Liner notes, however, would take too long and copyright muddles the issues. Often, a written work protects the writing and its translations. If the copyright hodler does not permit translation, then nobody is supposed to translate it. Cocoebiz abides with all copyright laws.

We cannot explain why publishers translate some thing with English and others don't. Originally, English was considered exotic and cool to the Japanese, so publishers would allow a sprinkling of English. That is how Engrish showed up in the packagin. Later on, some publishers did realize an international presence, so they provided a courtesy of using English track names (often still accompanied by Japanese). Nonetheless, this is at the publisher's discretion, and Cocoebiz, as a business, cannot violate their copyrights.

If you want more translations, you should search the Internet for fansites, such as Chudah's Corner that was mentioned.

[Karizuma]

In other words, just be grateful for whatever English the Japanese put in their albums.

The Japanese do think English is cool, and will put English in their albums to the extent that appeals to their fans, but not some much that it will not be understood.

Plus, there's an issue of patriotism; the people of a country aren't going to put alot of another country's culture or media in their own culture or media, because it might be deemed unpatriotic, as if they were shunning their own culture and language for another culture and language.

And of course, adopting alot of another country's culture or language to the extent that it becomes popular or fashionable might be deemed as disrespectful, because it's being treated as a novelty.

So you see, it's issues of practicability and principle.

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

I think we are all past the fact that they will not make an effort on the cd makers side for help with the English, but time and again my "suggestion" that THIS SITE MAKE AN EFFORT TO HAVE SOME TRANSLATIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE ITEMS THEY SELL SEEMS TO GET LOST OR IGNORED. So, that is my suggestion and hopefully we can leave it at that. We can start with the Rockman Zero 1, 2, 3 which encompass about 30 unreadable pages. I love the music so much it kills me not to be able to read all the notes about the songs. As a pseudo-musician I would like to know what was written.

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

"Cocoebiz translates track names for albums it sells. Liner notes, however, "would take too long" and copyright muddles the issues."

Btw, I'm not buying that. Just sounds like laziness. If they have the copyrights to sell the items it's a far reach to think they cannot at least obtain the permission to print what is written in the liner notes. Like you said, Chudah's Corner can do it but if you've ever actually visited the liner notes you'd realize there are very few available. I like the "would take too long" comment cuz I notice they don't take too long to accept my money for items.

[cubed]

I think you still don't get, so that's why they were still talking about the PUBLISHER instead of the RESELLER. How can a RESELLER distribute stuffs the PUBLISHER don't want to print? Especially when it's the first time of my life I hear someone wanting to get english content instead of the original stuffs and making it like a real serious complaint.

Btw Chudah's Corner is not a RESELLER nor a PUBLISHER. It is a fan website, which have the time to translate the liner note and the tracklist. They have content that official resellers or publishers don't share. Just like nintendo fan website that have more stuffs than the official nintendo's website.

And just like you say, money rules the world. There's nothing you can do about it. If the publishers don't see any profit to be made by publishing english items, I doubt Cocoebiz can do anything about it.

EDIT:

I didn't want to be harsh or something, I figured that you were simply posting suggestions.

[Gunvalkyrie4life]

"It is a fan website, which have the time to translate the liner note and the tracklist." I was just pointing out Cocoebiz should TAKE/MAKE THE TIME.

"How can a RESELLER distribute stuffs the PUBLISHER don't want to print?"
It's pretty obvious I suppose that the Publisher isn't going to spend thousands to make 2 versions of the same thing, but it would hardly be costly for CocoeBiz to obtain permission (which I doubt is even necessary) to have a small liner section for their items. In fact I would think the publisher would be delighted about it since more people would be open to making a purchase on items they are more informed about. I sat on the fence for the longest time with the Zero Remastered stuff but had their been a section where I could read what it was I was actually buying I would have bought it long before and I bet their are countless others contemplating purchases but don't go for it, cuz let's face it, these s/t's are costly.

[Eriol]

Gunvalkyrie4life:

Barring all other obstacles we have cited, even if Cocoebiz received permission to translate liner notes, Cocoebiz has insufficent staffing to conduct this endeavor at the moment. Cocoebiz is effectively a one-person business at the current moment. There is no large staff here, nor can any be hired right now. I, myself, am only a volunteer. You are free to email Cocoebiz at info@cocoebiz.com and make the suggestion that Cocoebiz translate liner notes for items it sells. It might happen in the future, but probably not right away.

In fact I would think the publisher would be delighted about it since more people would be open to making a purchase on items they are more informed about.

As I've told you before, nearly all Japanese companies that Cocoebiz has dealt with do not concern themselves with overseas sales. Any sales through Cocoebiz counts effectively as a sale in Japan, as far as these companies are concerned. Japanese companies are simply not listening to arguments like yours. Cocoebiz has told me that. It baffles Cocoebiz as well, since logically, it would be nice for them to increase business, but that evidently isn't the way these Japanese companies see it. You can't reason with those who will not be reasoned.

I'm sorry that you are not satisfied with the current situation, but that is the way it is right now.

[PB8J]

I remember buying the Ingmar CD and it came with a translation of the liner notes...it was very nice that Cocoebiz offered a translation for that. But it's definitely not the norm for them to do that from what I can tell.

[GoldfishX]

Just be thankful that the guys doing the translations at Chudahs Corner actually know their stuff and they don't have those of us that are strictly review staff doing them...Normally, I just romanize the katakana and hiragana and just write -(unknown kanji)- for every kanji sign I have to look up. Trust me, you don't want us to resort to that.

Seriously, try and at least learn katakana. It's extremely basic stuff (VERY simple characters...it's used for sounding out foreign words...mostly English) and often means something significant when it pops up amidst kanji/hiragana, due to a reference or something similar.

[BAMAToNE]

I would suggest making the link on the old boards to the new boards a little bigger and bolder. I had the forums page bookmarked and only saw all the threads locked for like a week or something before I saw the link to these new boards about 30 seconds ago.

[Eriol]

I would suggest making the link on the old boards to the new boards a little bigger and bolder. I had the forums page bookmarked and only saw all the threads locked for like a week or something before I saw the link to these new boards about 30 seconds ago.

We're going to drop the old boards soon.