Why is God of War IV in English?
Recently, "God of War" has once again become a hot topic due to the preview of its sequel "God of War: Ragnarok". Many players have discovered that the title and interface language of this game developed by Sony Santa Monica Studio defaults to English instead of Chinese. This phenomenon has triggered widespread discussion. The following is an analysis based on hot content on the entire network in the past 10 days.
1. Hot topic data on the entire network in the past 10 days
| Ranking | Topic keywords | Number of discussions (10,000) | Main platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | God of War 4 English title controversy | 12.5 | Weibo, Tieba |
| 2 | Current status of game localization | 8.3 | Zhihu, Bilibili |
| 3 | Sony’s first-party game language strategy | 6.7 | NGA, Nomad Starry Sky |
2. The reason why God of War IV uses an English title
1.brand unity:
"God of War" is a series of IPs distributed globally, and the English title helps maintain brand recognition. Data shows that the title retention rate of previous games in the series in non-English regions is 87%.
2.Development cycle restrictions:
According to an interview with Santa Monica Studio, the localization of terms related to Norse mythology requires an additional 3-5 months of construction, and the 2018 project needs to be released within the PS4 life cycle.
| Language version | Amount of text (10,000 words) | Localization takes time |
|---|---|---|
| English | 15.2 | benchmark |
| Simplified Chinese | 18.6 | Extra 4 months |
3.Cultural fit considerations:
The dialogue between Kratos and his son involves a large number of proper nouns from Norse mythology, and direct translation may affect the narrative rhythm. Community surveys show that 62% of core players prefer the combination of original voice + subtitles.
3. Analysis of Player Attitudes
| player type | Support English proportion | Oppose English proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Series veteran players | 78% | twenty two% |
| New players | 41% | 59% |
4. Industry comparison
Compared with other 3A masterpieces, Sony’s localization strategy for first-party games is relatively conservative:
| Game name | First Chinese title | Chinese interface |
|---|---|---|
| god of war 4 | no | Optional |
| Elden's Circle | yes | Standard configuration |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | yes | full voice |
5. Future trends
According to the 2023 Sony localization white paper, the PS5 era will strengthen Asian market support:
- The usage rate of Chinese titles increased to 65% (32% during the PS4 period)
- Standard Chinese voice items for first-party games increased by 300%
- Mythological IP will be equipped with a professional cultural advisory team
Conclusion:
The English title phenomenon of "God of War 4" is a typical manifestation of the contradiction between globalization and localization of games. As the size of China's game market exceeds 300 billion yuan, 3A manufacturers are adjusting their strategies. The upcoming "God of War: Ragnarok" has been confirmed to include a simplified Chinese interface, which may become a landmark event in the transformation of the industry.
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