State of the Arc Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How Alan Wake Was Created | Alan Wake Analysis: (Ep.1) | State of the Arc Podcast Nov 04, 2024

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In today's episode, we begin our deep dive into Alan Wake, a 2010 action-thriller game from Remedy Entertainment. In this first episode, we'll tell the story of the game's development, getting into the creators' headspace and setting up the themes and deeper meaning the game will explore. Join us!

Alexander O. Smith Returns to Discuss Localization | State of the Arc Podcast Nov 04, 2024

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Alexander O. Smith returns to talk game translation and localization. What words did he sneak into every Final Fantasy game that he translated? How would he have tackled current controversial translations? All this and more are discussed in this exciting episode of the Resonant Arc Podcast. Alexander's Instagram account: http://www.instagram.com/aokajiya/ The "Shogun" breakdown Alexander mentioned from Hiroko Yoda: https://blog.hirokoyoda.com/p/jidaigeki-made-in-usa **We’re Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

Afflicted By A Hero | Dune: Part Two Analysis | State of the Arc Podcast Oct 29, 2024

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Disclaimer for this episode: It has come to my attention since recording this episode (months ago) that there is some controversy surrounding the discussion of Paul Atreides as a "hero" among fans of the series. There are many who reject the idea that Frank Herbert's intention was misunderstood, as I state at the beginning of the video. I hope people watching this who are suspicious that I am going down the "Paul is actually the villain" route will give my take a chance. We set up how Villuneuve views this, as well as Frank Herbert's son Brian, and many people oppose those interpretations. All of that aside, I hope you give my take on this movie a chance, because I DON'T believe Paul is the "villain" of the story. I simply believe he is a human being, and human beings are complicated. I had a deeply emotional experience with this film, one that draws on a lot of my most raw personal experiences, and that is what I refer to when I make my analysis of this film. I hope it will be of some merit in this discussion. -Mike In today's episode, we're covering Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve's follow-up to the 2021 epic sci-fi film. This time, we get the second half of the adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel and the conclusion to the story. In the film version, Villeneuve focuses on the danger of messianic figures and shows how heroic, charismatic leaders manipulate the beliefs of passionate people to achieve their own aims, for better or worse.

Have Translators Gone TOO FAR? | State of the Arc Podcast Oct 27, 2024

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How far is too far? If a translator tries to use common phrases and manners of speaking in the target language but does so at the expense of the source language's intention, who is to blame? We conducted an interview with Zakogdo over text and asked him some of these exact questions. Zakogdo is someone who talks about the localization of Japanese games on X and has gotten lots of traction this year by critiquing the translations of games like Unicorn Overlord and Eiyuden Chronicle. The interview was conducted over text, and we sought to find places of agreement and understanding. Find Zakogdo here: x.com/zakogdo Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Why Are We Doing This? (1:22) 3. How Did Zakogdo Learn Japanese? (20:00) 4. What Are Our Blindspots In This Conversation? (23:45) 5. How Have We Misrepresented You? (48:15) 6. What Points Have We Made That You Would Like To Rebut? (1:18:20) 7. What Does A Successful Translation Look Like To You? (1:44:10) 8. What Do You Think Is The Solution To All Of This? (1:52:15) **We’re Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

Dreams Are Messages From The Deep | Dune: Part One Analysis | State of the Arc Podcast Oct 21, 2024

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Today, we'll be analyzing Dune: Part One, the 2021 film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic 1965 novel. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, renowned director of Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and Sicario, this movie tells roughly the first half of the story. It is filmed to the brim with great filmmaking to break down and is without question one of our favorite films of the last five years.

The Perfect Remake? | Silent Hill 2 w/ Max Derrat | State of the Arc Podcast Oct 17, 2024

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Silent Hill 2 Remake has delivered a new experience to fans of the original while taking great care to maintain the spirit of the original and the result is something that comes as close to perfection as I've ever seen. They threaded the needle perfectly and even improved the experience in many ways. Max Derrat drops by to talk all things Silent Hill 2 Remake. Subscribe to Max Derrat: https://www.youtube.com/@maxderrat @maxderrat Time Codes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Max Derrat (1:14) 3. SPOILERS! (7:37) 4. Characters (19:19) 5. Jung and Alchemy (59:18) **We’re Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

Localization Controversy | Representing The Other Side Of The Debate Oct 15, 2024

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Localization Controversy | Representing The Other Side Of The Debate by Resonant Arc

Too OLD For Gaming? | State of the Arc Podcast Oct 14, 2024

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Are you too old to play video games? Are we? Is there a cut-off somewhere? In this episode, we dive into the age old question, "When are you too old to still be playing video games?" It's a good question. Also, it's a bad question. Which games are we referring to? What else are these games keeping you from doing? Is our civilization going to end? Or will it keep coasting by? When will I stop asking these questions?? If you have answers or insights relating to anything in this video, please leave a comment. If you enjoy this content, please consider subscribing. Thank you, you all rock! **We’re Now On Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3 **Listen On Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc **Listen On iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837 **Listen On Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/resonantarc Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/resonant-arc Twitter: https://twitter.com/resonantarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonantarc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonantarc TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resonantarc

A Story With No Words | Hyper Light Drifter Analysis | State of the Arc Podcast Oct 09, 2024

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Hyper Light Drifter is brilliant. The incredible depth of its narrative, delivered without a single word of text, is a testament to how creative and evocative its music, sound, and visuals are. Today, we dive into what makes this game so special and how it has inspired both of us to live our lives to the fullest. 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Setting Expectations On How We Do Analysis (3:20) 3. What Is Hyper Light Drifter? (8:46) 4. Development History (11:39) 5. Hyper Light Drifter's Design Foundations (47:12) 6. Interesting Trivia About The Real World Immortal Cell (56:40) 7. Discussing The Game's Monoliths (1:02:09) 8. Why The Egyptian God Anubis Is Relevant To This Game (1:14:22) 9. Analysis Of Judgment (1:28:48) 10. How Tarot Is Used In The Game (1:32:54)

Localization Controversy | A Discussion With Alexander O. Smith | State Of The Arc Podcast Oct 07, 2024

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It seems that with every new Japanese game released here in the States, there's another controversy about the translation. Most recently, we saw this with Metaphor: Refantasio, but the same thing happened with Unicorn Overlord and many others. This is true not only for games but also for anime and Manga. So today, we brought in Alexander O. Smith, a professional Japanese-to-English translator and game writer who worked on games like Vagrant Story, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy XII, to set the record straight about the process of game translation and localization. Is the game industry plagued with "rogue translators" who are pushing their own agenda? Is censorship the issue? In this episode, you'll learn how and why these decisions are made and learn some REALLY cool behind-the-scenes info on how Final Fantasy X was translated! Timecodes: 1. Intro (0:00) 2. Establishing Our Intentions With This Conversation (1:46) 3. What Got Alex Interested In Learning Japanese? (6:36) 4. How Different Are Japanese And English Fundamentally? (15:51) 5. How Much Oversight Do Japanese Devs Have Over English Translation? (28:48) 6. How Much Of The Changes Between Japanese And English Are Marketing Decisions? (35:57) 7. How Often Are The Japanese Teams Requesting Changes For Other Markets? (44:24) 8. Should Translators Also Be Good Writers Themselves? (58:24) 9. Why Did Alex Change "Arigato" to "I love you" in Final Fantasy X? (1:19:00) 10. Alex's Biggest Translation Mistake On FFX (1:30:09) 11. Alex's Feelings On Working With Yasumi Matsuno (1:39:36) 12. How Do You Approach Translating Song Lyrics Like Melodies of Life? (1:57:56) 13. How Did You Master Older Forms Of English? (2:03:43)

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