I just received my first request via Goozex for Battlefield: Bad Company, and my trading experience was very positive.
However, my problem is with the game itself - how is it possible in this day and age for a game to not have subtitles?!
A little background - I'm hard of hearing, and it is very difficult for me to fully understand speech (explosions, gunfire etc I have no trouble with). Please don't tell me to turn the the volume up - this just demonstrates ignorance and no understanding of what it is like to have a disability like mine. Needless to say, with no way of participating in voice chat, I am also missing out on a whole world of interaction when playing games online (but from what I've heard about XLive users, maybe I'm not missing that much).
For those who are not familiar with Bad Company, there are no options for subtitles! I just spent the last 20 minutes trying to slog through the tutorial and beginning game and having no clue what's happening and what is being said. Beyond that, how am I supposed to know what my comrades are yelling at me during firefights?
Is it silly for me to expect a major publisher like EA to be considerate towards deaf/hard of hearing gamers (or even people who play with the sound off) and include subtitles?
If anyone needs an example of how subtitles are done right, just check out HalfLife 2. Once I discovered their subtitle option, I was in gaming heaven for the first time in my life.
Sorry for the long message, but I had to vent.
That sucks man...apparently deaf gamers felt the same way
http://www.deafgamers.com/08reviews_b/badcompany_ps3&x360.html
I'd write EA (i think) and tell them you opinion on that. Maybe they'll implement them in the future.
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is there an option to lower the volume of the background noise and increase speach volume? It could maybe help to isolate the voices? Overlooked the voice chat thing, so this wouldn't be of any help
Your best bet for finding out if a video game is friendly for those with hearing loss is to check out the following site. They review games by score for the actual game and then give it a letter grade based upon how friendly it is to deaf gamers or those hard of hearing. This should be very helpful in making a decision on getting a game for you.
http://www.deafgamers.com/index.htm
This walkthough might help with the plot
http://www.mahalo.com/battlefield-bad-company-acta-non-verba
EDIT: This one seems better when it comes to charecter and plot
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps3/file/935086/54238
Wow, I seriously was not expecting any responses to this post. I just needed to vent.
I'll definitely check out the suggestions you guys have provided.
While these links/suggestions will help, it doesn't totally diminish the disappointment I'm experiencing.
However, there is a positive note. I now know that the Goozex forum is full of helpful individuals. I think I'll be spending more time at this site..
kwaz28: Wow, I seriously was not expecting any responses to this post. I just needed to vent. I'll definitely check out the suggestions you guys have provided. While these links/suggestions will help, it doesn't totally diminish the disappointment I'm experiencing. However, there is a positive note. I now know that the Goozex forum is full of helpful individuals. I think I'll be spending more time at this site..
Yea were mostly a helpful bunch I'd say. It definitely sucks that there is no subtitles. Hopefully in the next one they include subtitles!
I'm not hard of hearing at all, random not pertinent I do have a deaf uncle, almost 100% - but I put on subtitles in movies almost all of the time, and in games sometimes, becasue it can be hard to make out exactly what is being said, especially if an accent is involved. I notice there is a great disparity from one movie to the next for the quality of the subtitles, sometimes they don't exist, sometimes there is only another language or two (que?) available, and sometimes they have english subtitles, but they just sort of approximate what is being said, not directly reproduce it. Also sometimes they are incredibly detailed down to the last nuance and background noise, and I can't tell what accounts for the difference. None of this really helps you at all, it's just something I've noticed. sound slike if there's a website you can check to find out which games are good for hoh, then you should do that. sucks that you have to eliminate some good games , but it probably comes down to cost for the developers. I only have Wii right now, I believe all of those games that have voice acting have subtitles, but I haven't checked them all. good luck with goozex, I just joined a month ago, and it is pretty sweet so far, especially for movies which are cheaper (DVD, anyhow)
I'm not hard of hearing at all, but my consoles are in the basement near our furnace. Every time the furnace cycles I have a hard time hearing game dialogue, so turning on subtitles is the first thing I do for any game. I was annoyed by this in Bad Company as well.
I'm curious if anyone has any inside knowledge as to who makes the decision to include subtitles during the game development process?
What is the cost/time requirements of including subtitles?
Would a nice set of wireless headphones help, being that the sound and dialogue would be closer to your ear then?
Doesn't fix the lack of subtitles, but could help in your (and tuesday's) situation potentially.
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GreenManGaming
I have minor hearing loss (too many loud concerts that didnt offer ear plugs) and I always use subtitles when I can.
While I can still hear fine, I have the ringing sometimes and my ears are very sensitive to high/mid range causing the ringing...
Anyhoot I can only imagine how much worse it must be to have significant hearing loss and no subtitles... IMO all games should take the time to offer visuals for those with hearing issues
We are especially helpful to most things, unless it has to do with adding a section for SNES and N64 games or putting in a Fast Pass option
Kenny007: Would a nice set of wireless headphones help, being that the sound and dialogue would be closer to your ear then? Doesn't fix the lack of subtitles, but could help in your (and tuesday's) situation potentially.
Yeah, I have a game rocker that has speakers right up by the head. The wireless audio kind of sucks, though, so I have just gotten used to using subtitles. I don't think twice about it unless the game doesn't have any.
no possibility of you getting a hearing aid?