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Yugioh Reader Tips, Rants and Raves

From: ChronoMageZero@aol.com [mailto:ChronoMageZero@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 7:55 AM

Subject: Who Am I? Name and Image Changes - Ezekiel



Hey All!

Hope y'all enjoyed my past few articles and never be afriad to contact me about anything. Deck Fixes, to criticise or tell me how great I am. I will reply to them all.

Anywho in this article I will be discussing (read: ranting about) Upperdeck's changes to Card Names so that they are almost unrecognisable by the time they are release in the West.



D'ya what really grinds my gears? How 'Blood Magician - Master of Purgatory' can become 'Blast Magician'! What's with that! Why does Upperdeck have to simplify and play down to Western Gamers whilst they are called this in the East where it originates?

Let's see the differences between East and West playing of the game:-

(note this is not a race issue, rather that Upperdeck kiddy-ises it for us. Please do not take offence but if you do please contact me :)



-Do East and West people play it? - Check



-Do said East and West players contain children? - Check



-Is there an anime show in the East and West? - Check



-To Eastern gamers play differently for example actually sacrifice people to summon monsters? - Nope, the only real difference is that Eastern gamers have more cards due to

being out longer and receive more promos with the manga.



-Are Western gamers stupid in that they could not understand the difference between 'Black Magician' and 'Dark Magician'? - I hope not.



Then why is it that a Japanese Card could contain some words or images that have to be modified for Western gamers?



There are a few patterns that can be traced.

Every mention of the word 'Holy' becomes 'Mystical' eg Mystical Shine Ball, Mytical Knight of Jackal.

'Black' becomes 'Dark'

'Saint' becomes 'Faith'

However, we have the Black Luster Soldier and Black Tyranno so why make it Dark Magician? There would someday be a Magician of Black Chaos released so why change the name to Dark?



Even the types of cards have been changed such as Angels to Fairies...Demons to Fiends and Undead to Zombie.

Some cards have benefitted from the change however as 'Sakuretsu Amor' does sound better than its original Japanese name of 'Reactive Armor' (Sakuretsu is Japanese for Reactive anyways) and 'Rapid-Fire Magician' as opposed to 'Magician of Chaining Attack'



Even the card images are altered such as the Black/Magician Girls Bust and any pentagram/cross references.



I get that Upperdeck have marketed the game to a younger audience, but these kids (no offense of cource) don't care about the DMG boobs as they will probably like them ^_^ Upperdeck are afraid that some PTA group will band together declare the cards as 'filth' and they will be out of the job. Note to Upperdeck, I understand you have to please everyone with your politically correct names and removal of reliogious references. But it is acceptable in Japan so why not make it acceptable here?



Any and all references of weaponry such as guns are either removed entirely or replaced with "futuristic space guns." The kids are gonna see these things anyway so why shield them from it? You have to have a decent level of understanding to play the game so obviously 5 and 6 year olds aren't gonna be playing but rather looking at the 'pretty cards' their siblings have. The majority of tournament level competitors are mid to late teens and beyond and have a well rounded sense of right and wrong. Just because they see a card with a gun on it doesn't mean they are gonna shoot someone!



Sorry for the long rant. It just annoys me that the Japanese could get a card called "Killa the Black Demon's Knight" but in the west it'll be called something like "Gary the Badman Fighter" Okay that was a little extreme but it still highlights how the game has sacrificed integrity and coolness for money and little kids buying 12 packs in one shot with their parents money rather than focusing on accomadating the veteran players who sweep tourneys.



And that's the end of that Chapter...for now at least.



As always if anyone wants to complement or critique me email me at the usual address, flaming solves nothing (except disposing of evidence real fast)

chronomagezero@aol.com



Peace Out 'till next time,

Ezekiel