Lots of people working in RPG Maker, Ren’Py and similar engines seem to have some very basic knowledge of the Japanese language (or someone who can help them with Japanese text in a pinch). However, for various reasons, utilizing the resources that can be found on Japanese websites can still prove challenging.
The main reason, I think, is that while it’s easy to learn the basics (just about anyone seriously interested in Japanese-style games seems to have either taken a basic Japanese class, went trough some free online lessons or even just picked up a phrase or two from their favourite anime), it’s much more difficult to learn specialized vocabulary related to game-making, especially since there seem to be no books available in English dealing with the subject of Japanese game-making terminology. The terms are sometimes counter-intuitive for an English speaker – when looking for character graphics to put in your visual novel, for example, you don’t search for キャラクター (although the term does mean “characters”) but for 立ち絵 (“standing pictures”). To complicate matters further, the “English” on Japanese websites doesn’t necessarily mean what it says (“free” being a good example of this). Read the rest of this entry »
