A Stroke of Fate Info

Does anyone have any inside information to whether this game will have an English translation???

A Stroke of Fate was released in Russia by Akella in 2008 I believe. At the time it was stated they were working on an English release. I believe it was in late 2009 that it was stated they were close to finishing the localizations and release. There doesn't seem to be any news in the last year.

hatshepsut

Why is it that some Russian games have a hard time or never get released in English? Case in point, Dead Mountaineers Hotel.

GreyFuss in answer to your question 'Why is it that some Russian games have a hard time or never get an English release'. Lighthouse, Dreamcatcher and The Adventure Company were the publishers for most of the Russian games. Lighthouse was publishing Dead Mountaineers Hotel when they went out of business.

hatshepsut

GreyFuss wrote:

Why is it that some Russian games have a hard time or never get released in English? Case in point, Dead Mountaineers Hotel.

I've seen a German release of this game on Amazon.de . Published by whom , I don't really know .

I believe it was published by Akella. Most of the Russian games do get released in Germany and Europe.

Dead Mountaineers Hotel
Tale of a Hero
Nightwatcher
Stroke of Fate
Phobos 1953
Black Sails ( although on second thought I think that was a German developed and released game )

Just to name a few.

hatshepsut

I wonder though Hats , how difficult it could be to add English subtitles , at the very least . A wider audience could be reached that way .I also wonder , if Akella ever approached any other studios , such as DTP or Tri Synergy , about Dead Mountaineer's Hotel , or any other game they have . I'm quite sure that the whole process is no easy task though !

Actually some of them do have subtitles and some have the English voice acting. But it isn't as easy as it seems sometimes. The publisher holds the rights to publish or release the game. Even when the company goes out of business they still hold the rights. In some cases the rights do expire or they relinquish their rights. The developer and publisher did manage to regain their rights to a couple of games held by NA publishers who went out of business. With Dead Mountaineers Hotel it becomes a question of what kind of deal did they have with Lighthouse. And then it is an older game, it might not be that easy to find a NA publisher. And the NA publishers are going to be looking at things like interest in the games. Will the game sell. I think that when publishers look at some of the things that are said on some forums they decide not to take a chance on some games.

However one never knows in the publishing game. I think most people had given up on The Book of Unwritten Tales ever seeing a NA release when it was finally picked up.

hatshepsut

I was one of those who stopped expecting Book of Unwritten Tales to ever get an English release. I think though that for every positive outcome like that there are probably 5 negative outcomes. Publishers for adventure games are just in too much flux at the moment.

I think you are right lakerz. It does seem for every positive there are five negatives. I don't think we are ever going to see a NA release of Dead Mountaineers Hotel, Nightwatcher and several others that I have been watching for years now. The last few years have not been kind to publishers who released games in NA. I was saddened when I discovered that almost every publisher who released games for Akella here in the US has gone out of business. City Interactive is still in business but they seem more interested in casual games these days.

hatshepsut

Forget English subtitles, if it isn't voiced then I have no need for it. Think Yoomurjaks Ring....English subtitles ruined what could have possibly been the game of the year...I think, as I don't know because I was too busy trying to keep up with reading the text at the bottom of the screen and completly missing what was going on in the screen above. The when they where talking faster in the second part of the game because it was getting more exciting for the characters I couldn't keep up so I had to stop the game, go back to the menu to where I could re-read what was said completely ruining any flow to the game. No, no subtitles for me.

I think Yoomurjaks Ring would have been much more successful and one of the top FMV games if it was dubbed. After all look at the successful job they did with Conspiracies 1 & 2 with English dubbing in a FMV game.

I agree GreyFuss, if the game was dialog heavy it would be distracting and very likely much would be missed while reading the subtitles.

hatshepsut

Hmm, I'm still interested in Dead Mountaineer's Hotel if it ever comes out this way, with subtitles would be okay with me. I still can recall a very interesting screenshot from the game, so it stays in my mind.

Me too mindysue. At this point if I could get my hands on Dead Mountaneers Hotel I would learn German in order to play it. I keep hoping for an Englush release but I think it's more than likely at this point that Akella isn't really interested in an English release. ( sighs )

hatshepsut

I think I don't know this game. Is it good?

Hi tsampikos. Are you referring to A Stroke of Fate or Dead Mountaineers Hotel ? In either case they both look very good but they have not been released in English in NA or the UK only in Germany and Russia so we haven't been able to play them. There is always the rumor of A Stroke of Fate being released in English. It was released a couple of years ago so it's still possible it might get an English release. In the case of Dead Mountaineers Hotel it was due to be released in NA when it's NA publisher went out of business. No other NA distributer has picked it up. There are a few members here that keep hoping for an English release. Both games still have websites that you can google.

hatshepsut

Lucky me that i speak perfect german....

But it's true I do prefer the english versions of the games too. I only would buy a german one only if an english version is not available. I think that the english language passes better to games than the german one. I can somehow understand that Germany is the major Adventure games Market and that many games are published first in german, but this is not a reason to ignore the english speaking gamers. In any case I know "the dead mountaneer's hotel". The "stroke of fate" is the one I don't know. Perhaps I have heard the name of this game a couple of times, but i have no idea what is it about.

Dead Mountaineers Hotel is a 4 year old game that , according to the original release date , was supposed to be released 3 years ago . It has been released in German & Russian , but no release in English . I agree with hatshepsut , in that Akella (the game's publisher) probably has lost interest in an English release . If that is the case , sell the rights to an English version , to someone who will care about an English release .

Hi Faust I agree I wish they would sell the rights for an English release.

tsampikos yes the German and Russian Advebture game markets are huge. Tou are lucky that you understand German vecause there are many games in German that are yet to be released in English. Sadly most of them probably won't be either.

A Stroke of Fate is an adventure about:

If you had the chance to change history would you? Could you?
In Germany hurtling towards the global catastrophe in the second world war, you step into the murky arena of international espionage as you try to alter the course of history and try and achieve what so many failed: the assassination of Adolf Hitler.
As a special agent trained in the latest sabotage techniques you have to infiltrate Hitler's inner circle and avoid the ever-watchful eyes of the ever-dangerous Gestapo. And they will be watching you, they always are...
A Stroke of Fate transports you into the world of the 1940s, mixing with the most hated figures in European history; Himmler, Goebbels, Muller and Hitler himself. While you are there though, do you have what it takes to achieve the impossible task that eluded so many others, the final solution to the Hitler problem?
Key features:
Compelling pseudo-historical plot
Ingenious puzzles and quests designed to reflect the German peculiarities of the 1940s
Realistic, period graphical setting
Authentic locations and historically accurate characters: Himmler, Muller, Goebbels, and Hitler
Travel through historic settings, such as Hitler's private study and the Gestapo's headquarters


hatshepsut

Interesting story this game has (like...Yoda would say ) . I will open a thread about a new game... Haunted, is it called and there will ve an english version of it! It's now available in Germany (of course).

I didn't recognize A Stroke of Fate by the title, but reading about the story I can recall wanting this game a few years back. I was in high school when Hitler came into power and I remember news reels of him making speeches from a balcony and the goose-stepping soldiers passing in parade in the street below. I also remember the storm-troopers. So yes, I was interested very much in the game. I was really curious about how the plot would turn out considering history. Would the man be caught, or escape in the nick of time, or what?