Newsflash: Working Designs Updates Their Site!

[epmode]

Yes it is.

beat me to it. working designs was relevant in the pre-dreamcast days, when such companies were nearly non-existant, but it's been downhill ever since.

it's one thing to delay a game like half-life 2 for a year, but quite another to have endless trouble with games that are already finished. good riddance.

[mollipen]

If you don't already have a reason to dislike WD, watch that "making of" video that came with Lunar PSX. That, to me, pretty much cements one's dislike for the company.

WD always claimed to be about the fans, but then they'd tell the fans to piss off if they disagreed with how Vic ran things. And the way Vic ran things was like a six year old with a constant temper tantrum. Their translations have been shit, their voice acting was never of the level they liked to believe it was, and it took them far, far too long to understand that a lot of people didn't want to pay an extra $20 for a bunch of stupid "premium extras." As well, they often times "fixed" games that didn't need fixing, which no doubt caused many a delay.

Back when WD was the only company doing what they were doing, I may have disliked them, but I still wanted them around. Their usefulness, however, is now over. Many other companies are now doing what only they once did, so they are more than welcome to go away.

[ssbomberman]

If you don't already have a reason to dislike WD, watch that "making of" video that came with Lunar PSX. That, to me, pretty much cements one's dislike for the company.

WD always claimed to be about the fans, but then they'd tell the fans to piss off if they disagreed with how Vic ran things. And the way Vic ran things was like a six year old with a constant temper tantrum. Their translations have been shit, their voice acting was never of the level they liked to believe it was, and it took them far, far too long to understand that a lot of people didn't want to pay an extra $20 for a bunch of stupid "premium extras." As well, they often times "fixed" games that didn't need fixing, which no doubt caused many a delay.

Back when WD was the only company doing what they were doing, I may have disliked them, but I still wanted them around. Their usefulness, however, is now over. Many other companies are now doing what only they once did, so they are more than welcome to go away.

you know more than a lot of us about the company since you have been in the biz for so long, but I for one, do enjoy the upbeat translation for games such as Lunar...I don't think I could play the game any other way...and I love the voice actors on most of the games...but that's just me...it seems a lot better than say Tales of Symphonia, where it is so stale and boring...

But of course I wish the games would come out faster...and what the hell ever happened to my second strat guide for Arc? I mean they just sort of let it disappear...

So yeah there is a ton of ego and whatnot, but I do think the quality is there...their newer guides are gorgeous, the games are fun, Arc the Lad is a must own collection...and I would love to see a few more games out of them before they run out of money...

That being said, I like the approach of Disgaea and La Pucelle more where we get both the original Japanese dialogue and the new translation, that would be the best way for WD to make its games, but that is never gonna happen probably...

Personally, I'd like to keep them around, there are few too many companies making (translating) this type of game, so Atlus, Mastiff, WD, etc...I'll take what I can get....

Will we see the game before Christmas??? Maybe, maybe not...

[Survival Kid]

Yeah, it's all Sony's fault. I love how WD blames all their fuck ups and delays on everyone else but themselves and then people run around believing their bullshit lies. I'll give them the delay because of Sony wanting Growlanser as a compilation, but every other one? Fuck no. These delays happen with every single one of their releases. It's always happened. If they didn't bite off way more than they could fucking chew they'd probably get games out on time.

If you don't already have a reason to dislike WD, watch that "making of" video that came with Lunar PSX. That, to me, pretty much cements one's dislike for the company.

WD always claimed to be about the fans, but then they'd tell the fans to piss off if they disagreed with how Vic ran things. And the way Vic ran things was like a six year old with a constant temper tantrum. Their translations have been shit, their voice acting was never of the level they liked to believe it was, and it took them far, far too long to understand that a lot of people didn't want to pay an extra $20 for a bunch of stupid "premium extras." As well, they often times "fixed" games that didn't need fixing, which no doubt caused many a delay.

Word.

When WD dies off I'll say, "Good riddance." I never liked that company.

[kingoffighters]

Like another poster here wrote, I don't mind the delays, I have too many games left unplayed anyway.

And their packaging is always class, you might not like their translation, and I was bothered by it alittle bit by the contemporary/political jokes they insert in their translation. I don't mind humor but not too much, sometimes they go overboard. Still, they do bring out some pretty nice games (albeit sloooooooowly). I hope to play Growlanser in 2004, but it looks to be 2005.

[Yoshi]

I doubt Working Designs is going anywhere. They've been around since the Turbografx-16 era and like a bad rash, they'll be around forever.

Sort of like Sega.....

Someone please tell me that PvJ didn't just compare WD to Sega. I don't have the time right now to find him and kill him.

[JefmcC]

Didn't Vic come into the GameGo! forums way back when, and bascially act like an asshole?

Like it was said back then, as it is now, the role that WD used to play is no longer filled by them. Localizing weird imports, RPGs, and shooters is being done by a lot of companies now; and faster.

My opinion:
WD was able to get top games like Lunar because nobody else would touch it. When other companies started outbidding WD for the localization rights, they couldn't compete. Case in point: Grandia 2 and Record of Lodoss War.

I'll never understand why it took them so long to release the shooters they localized. It's like they paid all this money to get a game, and then just sat on it.

I don't really care anymore though. I wish WD would get bought by Crave or Atlus even. I'm glad they did Lunar and Popful Mail, but for a long time it's just been, yawn.

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Actually Yoshi my friend if you came down here like I stated in the DOAU thread we'd head out to bars and have some drinks.

I like Sega too but eh well. I mean weren't they relevant in the pre-Dreamcast days? Hmm..nevermind

KIDDING..kidding

[Roufuss]

Like another poster here wrote, I don't mind the delays, I have too many games left unplayed anyway.

I have other stuff to play too, but when it comes to rpg's, I do one at a time, and I'm sure many others do as well. At the time Growlanser was supposed to come out, it was pretty much coming out in a time when there were NO rpg's scheduled.

Now it's coming out in a time when people can go ahead and get Phantom Brave and Star Ocean 3, with Shin Megami Tensei 3 coming out soon, Wild Arms Code Alter F, that other rpg from Atlus, Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, and Shadow Hearts 2. That's not even counting OTHER big name rpg's from other systems (Fable and KOTOR 2).

Basacially, WD is going to release their small niche game into a market where all the other choices look so much better. I'd gladly get Phantom Brave over Growlanser if I had to make the choice.

[mollipen]

I remember back in the day, I was a pretty big fan of WD. Vic would always be in the Sega usenet group, and I ended up talking to him quite a bit. We usually had pretty decent conversations, and I thought he was a good guy.

I then got my job at GameFan, and when I told him that, he called me an idiot and started acting like a total asshole to me. I understand that he wasn't too happy with GameFan, but it really got me that he could suddenly change his opinion of me like that just because I was going to be working there.

Pretty good example of the kind of guy Vic is. I would never, ever want somebody who acts so childish and bases company decisions on his schoolyard squabbles running my company.