Japan is getting a weird PlayStation VR game. That’s a shocker, right? It’s a Bandai Namco game called Summer Lesson that’s being produced by Katsuhiro Harada, the man behind Tekken . In it, people get to talk to a schoolgirl in her bedroom or a blond woman by the sea. And, when speaking to DualShockers , Harada expressed doubts it will ever be localized.
Harada thinks there are two complications to Summer Lesson ever coming to the West. One is that it would need perfect lip syncing for every language, as this is primarily a communication game where players are a silent protagonist responding to the girls, flirting with them, and forming bonds. The other is his concern that people in the West might be more concerned with active PS VR experiences, like The London Heist , rather than a more low-key and social one. He isn’t sure people would respond as well to it outside of Japan.
I’m a huge proponent of localizing every possible game, even if they’re incredibly weird. I think there are definitely people who would want to play Summer Lesson . But I think the reliance on language and cultural references would make this too difficult a project. Especially since having subtitles would take away from the immersion. We’ll have to wait and see how popular PS VR turns out to be… or if people are adamant enough about asking Bandai Namco for this schoolgirl conversation simulator!
Source: DualShockers