Jade Empire Further Delayed

GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that much anticipated Oriental influenced action title Jade Empire will be delayed another month. From the article: "The Bioware-developed title is one of the most eagerly anticipated games on the Xbox, and marks a departure from the company's normal style of gameplay by veering into action RPG territory with multiple martial arts styles to learn."

Comments

eka posti!

[Anonymous Coward]

ha!

Don't worry about it:

[tod_miller]

"Xbox-exclusive...R..P....G...."

zzzzz.

PS2: GTA:SA - out now :-)

In other news: Microsoft ot aquire bioware, and they have delays already!

pesky.

Re:Don't worry about it:

[EddieBurkett]

Given that E3 happens in May, and that article is dated April of 2004, I would highly doubt Microsoft would start planning to announce their acquisition of Bioware over a year ahead of time.

Re:Don't worry about it:

[Anonymous Coward]

This acquitision rumor was actually a rumor for E3 2004. Please don't pass off rumors as facts.

Re:Don't worry about it:

[dragoncortez]

Awesome troll post, dude. Keep it up!

Re:Don't worry about it:

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to forget that the same rumour was circled at E3 2003...

Re:Don't worry about it:

[tod_miller]

Awesome redundant post, dude. Keep it up!

"Oriental"?

[blacklite001]

This isn't 1985. Use 'Asian' if you have to. But ideally, be more specific.

Re:"Oriental"?

[Pseudosapiens]

What do we do if we're too ignorant to be more specific? I always thought "Asian" got the job done well enough. :|

Re:"Oriental"?

[suineg]

You realize that the time frame this game takes place it was called the orient and not Asia I am pretty sure.

Sometimes historical names are different then post '85 terms.

Re:"Oriental"?

[blacklite001]

Asian is pretty good, but, if you'd like, refer to a country.
Or even a direction. Southeast Asia. East Asia.
"Oriental" is just silly-sounding at this point though.

Re:"Oriental"?

[Anonymous Coward]

The reason why I'm not looking forward to this game is that it will likely contain cringingly-bad, borderline racist content. Bad (fake) Chinese accents and other displays of ignorance are not my idea of good entertainment.

Re:"Oriental"?

[MBraynard]

This isn't an anal retentive left-wing politically correct website. Oriental will do just fine, thanks.

See here for what it means unless you are too niggardly in developing your knowledge of the real meaning of the term.

Re:"Oriental"?

[Beyond_GoodandEvil]

1996 called, it wants its cry-baby liberal politcal correctness back. After all the game isn't about opening a dry cleaning business so stop pretending to be offended.

Re:"Oriental"?

[SetupWeasel]

If someone called the "Dukes of Hazzard" game a "Honkey influenced action title," I would laugh my ass off.

It's time to lighten up. It is not an insult unless the person is trying to hurt your feelings.

Re:"Oriental"?

[emilng]

It is not an insult unless the person is trying to hurt your feelings.

Just because it's not an insult doesn't mean it's not offensive.

In this case Oriental might be appropriate because it just plays off of more stereotypes in CRPGs where the women are just sexual objects and all "orientals" know martial arts. I wonder if there is even going to be a dry cleaner and fruit stand in every town you visit too.

Re:"Oriental"?

[bynary]

People are fickle. Anything that one says can be misconstrued to be an offense. Just because someone uses a certain, racially-charged term, does not mean that it is offensive. You have to look at context, intent, and the intended audience.

I am offended by your use of the word "fruit" in describing a produce stand. Let's not use such offensive language.

Re:"Oriental"?

[emilng]

I am offended by your use of the word "fruit" in describing a produce stand. Let's not use such offensive language.

You're right.
CRPG makers would never allow "fruit" stands in their games.
A produce stand would be more likely.

Re:"Oriental"?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, I remember you! You're the Occidental Burger-boy! Gee, I almost forgot what a proponent you were of keeping archaic and otherwise inappropriate language in common use, for no reason save contrarianism.

Back to powering my motorcycle with rice grains for me!

Re:"Oriental"?

[Anonymous Coward]

Good thing this isn't an "anal retentive left-wing policically correct website" or else I might get in trouble for calling you a douche bag, douche bag.

Re:"Oriental"?

[MBraynard]

Why is it inappropriate?

Use the term 'occidental' if you want and it is ineffective because no one knows what that means. Everyone knows what 'oriental' means.

Re:"Oriental"?

[Anonymous Coward]

Plenty of people know what 'occidental' means. Not everyone is as stupid as you are.

"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[AtariAmarok]

"Asian" is not the best word either, for talking of what is merely East Asia. Asia, after all, includes Turkey, Iraq, Israel, India, Irkutzk, etc. At least the term "Oriental" tends toward East Asia in common use.

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[Pseudosapiens]

A friend once told me that using "Oriental" was inappropriate because people aren't rugs. I'm so confused. :( What do I call these people?!

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[Anonymous Coward]

Gooks.

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[centauri]

Why call them anything besides "people"?

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[AtariAmarok]

"Why call them anything besides "people"?"

Because it makes the review we are discussing look even worse: GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that much anticipated people infuenced action title Jade Empire will be delayed another month.

...and what/who is Durga?

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[centauri]

...and what/who is Durga?

Good question. Here's another: What/who is google? Answer that and you'll answer both.

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[Anonymous Coward]

Oriental can be refering to any of the countries of Asia, not just East Asia. For example Mark Twain uses the phrase in describing Turkey:
http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/twain2www?specfil e=/lv6/workspace/railton/texts/public/twainpub.o2w &grouping=match&docs=TEI2&query=oriental&sample=1- 100&id=TwaInno

The word is rather archaic and Eurocentric, however, and as a result Asian is now the preferred term.

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[DAldredge]

Because the game is very much influenced by the culture and people of that area of the globe and it helps if you have something to call that area...

Re:"Asian" is not a good term, either.

[Anonymous Coward]

You realize Asian culture is distinct from non-Asian culture, right?

EB is a credible source?

[SammyJ]

Considering that BioWare hasn't actually announced a release date, ever, I don't know how you can say this game is delayed. Take a look people, this information is coming from EBgames, not exactly the most authortative source for game release dates...

Re:EB is a credible source?

[nicksthings]

Not necessarily. Retailers often get dates from the vendors directly and if not exact dates, they do get a general idea. In terms of ordering quanitities and business end type things, they need to be "in the know." They're often the best sources of this information, particularly when a delay is concerned.

Re:EB is a credible source?

[Anonymous Coward]

EBGames and GameStop use no such strict protocol, and are almost never useful in this regard (they are much worse than other online means of acquiring the same info). Basing your purchases around either retailer's announced shipping dates is foolish, unless the ship date is within a maximum of two weeks from the present date.

Just FYI, since someone might actually place faith in EBGames's or GameStop's ship dates after reading your post.

Re:EB is a credible source?

[nicksthings]

Well, from my experience (as someone who works for one of the two companies and who sees release dates set and changed daily), they're for the most part very accurate, even more so than any publication, both online and off. Do not, however, base your dates on those seen on their respective websites - they're often out dated and bizarre.

In this case, both retailers have the same ship date which makes a pretty good case for it not being released in March (although I know stores - and OXM - will see a playable demo before then).

It's lousy

[AtariAmarok]

"Asian is pretty good, but, if you'd like, refer to a country"

It's lousy when you want to refer to some sore of culture/motif/milieu. Unless you think that bedouins in Yemen, Orthodox Jews in Tel Aviv, Punjabis, Khmers, and Japanese are "all alike".

I knew it was looking bad

[Anonymous Coward]

I knew it was looking bad when the beta version of this game was entitled "Walliors of the Jade Empile".

Asian does not work either

[AtariAmarok]

"The word is rather archaic and Eurocentric, however, and as a result Asian is now the preferred term."

How can it be preferred? Most Asians do not use "Asian" to mean just those on the eastern edge.

Re:Asian does not work either

[Anonymous Coward]

(Note: I'm not replying to any one poster, just following the thread.) We refer to each other by regions in general, nations when wishing to be specific. South, Southeast, and East Asians, for example, all refer to people from Asian regions comprising vastly different ethnic and culture sets. The answer to the question "How do we refer to the Asians" can be answered by asking another question: How do the Americans and Europeans do it?

Minding Asian regions (and the populations thereof) is no more difficult than minding American regions or European regions. When you talk about the American South, people know what you're talking about. The inhabitants of these states are still Americans. When you mention Eastern vs. Western Europe, there is no confusion. The inhabitants of both regions are still referred to as Europeans when speaking generally. So what, then, is the problem with referring to Asians of any type as Asians, then identifying us by region or nation when applicable?

There's no damn difference in protocol here. It's just that usage of the term "Oriental" for Asian people and culture is archaic, for the same reasons you don't use the term "Occidental" ("Oriental's" counterpart) when talking about "Western people" or "Western culture." Similarly, and in scenarios you might more easily relate, you don't walk around Harlem referring to black people as negroes, or call white people caucasoids on the CBS Evening News. Such terms are simply not in use, but WERE in use during times of huge scientific and cultural ignorance. Partially for that reason, they are considered, logically or not, to be distasteful. It's all just a simple matter of contemporary language usage. I fail to see the difficulty here, when even children can pick up such concepts easily.

Anyhow, the game looks based on a mish-mash of pan-Asian mythologies, leaning mostly on Ancient Chinese lore, like so many Western-developed games that have come before it. I don't _really_ care how they refer to it; it just doesn't look all that interesting.

Re:Asian does not work either

[Anonymous Coward]

There's no damn difference in protocol here. It's just that usage of the term "Oriental" for Asian people and culture is archaic, for the same reasons you don't use the term "Occidental" ("Oriental's" counterpart) when talking about "Western people" or "Western culture."

It's interesting that you also put the modern terms in quotes. Unless there's a more modern term I haven't heard for referring to the West. You can talk about "HUGE scientific and cultural ignorance" all you want, but I fail to see how "Western" is any less eurocentric than "Occidental". It's just that such terms grow out of style or social acceptability occasionally for no real apparent reason. "Asian" is probably safe because, the name of you continent probably can't be called racist.

That said, when I was in school a Singaporen of Chinese descent asked me if I thought Indians counted as Asians. Silly American (there's a debate in itself) that I am, I couldn't see how they wouldn't be--it's still Asia, right? (subcontinent blah blah whatever). In his mind, only East and Southeast Asians (and maybe Central Asians, I didn't press for distinctions) counted as Asians. In retrospect, I see his point--the whole concepts of Europe and Asia are completely manmade constructs. For my part, if I'm talking about "Asians", I'm probably not talking about Russians, and I may not even be talking about Arabs. Indeed, I guess I've come around to that Chinese student's thinking completely--there aren't many times when I need to refer to the people or culture of all Asia as a collective whole, so I usually use "Asian" as shorthand for "East and Southeast Asian", just as I use "American" as shorthand for "associated with the United States of America". (For all the complaining that we should be called 'USians' or some other unpronounceable monstrosity, I've never come across anyone genuinely and honestly using "American" to refer to both North and South America.)

Pan-Asian?

[AtariAmarok]

"Anyhow, the game looks based on a mish-mash of pan-Asian mythologies"

Oh? Is it really Pan-Asian, including Hinduism, Judaeism, and Islam... or is it (once again) just from one small part of Asia?