Why the different names?

[BigHandInSky]

Yesterday,when looking for some Ratchet&Clank 3(I think)walkthroughs, because I was stuck on a level (the one with a load of sewage tubes and crystals).

I came across how the American version was called 'R&C: Up Your Arsenal', when the European version I have was called 'Ratchet&Clank 3'

Why is that?, also feel free to post other variations and ideas etc. etc. etc.

 

[Legion]

I'd say it's that market research has shown that US fans tend to respond well to innuendos and tag-lines whereas Europeans (especially the British) are a lot more "no-nonsense", it's the third game and that's all that is needed to be told.

I'd hate to say that the US dumbs things down, but "Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone" was changed to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone" so I think in some cases that's a factor too.

 

[Joe Deadman]

Who knows? Maybe some kinda copyright problems?
Another example of this is that Dark Cloud 2 was called Dark Chronicle here.

 

[Trifixion]

Like Machines said, different cultures respond better to different marketing slogans.

Could be worse...there was, after all, a kid-friendly movie series in the U.S. called Free Willy that had to be retitled when it was sent over to the U.K. for obvious reasons.

 

[MetalDooley]

It's not unusual tbh.Games are often retitled for different regions.Sin & Punishment 2:Successor to the Sky is called Sin & Punishment 2:Star Successor outside of Japan.StarFox 64 was called Lylat Wars in Europe.The Contra games were changed to Probotector in Europe(although that was due to the Germans)

 

[More Fun To Compute]

The Contra games were changed to Probotector in Europe(although that was due to the Germans)

Contra was called Gryzor on the British home computers and Gradius was called Nemesis. Very confusing.

Another one is that UFO: Enemy Unknown was renamed to X-COM: UFO Defense for the Americans. It's a shittier name in my opinion but I guess that it stuck due to the X-Files and it being an easier trademark to defend than UFO.

 

[MetalDooley]

The Contra games were changed to Probotector in Europe(although that was due to the Germans)

Contra was called Gryzor on the British home computers and Gradius was called Nemesis. Very confusing.

Another one is that UFO: Enemy Unknown was renamed to X-COM: UFO Defense for the Americans. It's a shittier name in my opinion but I guess that it stuck due to the X-Files and it being an easier trademark to defend than UFO.

So they were just called Probotector on console so?

 

[More Fun To Compute]

So they were just called Probotector on console so?

I'm not German so I don't know about no stinking Probotector.

It was Contra on consoles and Gryzor on home computers.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

International Regional copyright issues?

 

[reg42]

I've wondered that myself. It's always confusing when someone talks about "Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando" and I have to check Wikipedia to know what they're on about.

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

I always wondered why my Spyro 2 had the tagline "Ripto's Revenge" while nobosy else's did. Turns out I had the pirateded version of the US game, given to me by my cousin.

This reminds me of how on US versions of the newer Kirby games, Kirby is frowning on the box art.

Was this also they remodeled the SNES for the US audience? To make it look cooler, edgier, more agressive etc?

 

[Hawk of Battle]

Fahrenheit is another one, being renamed Indigo Prophecy in the US. I think the reason there was they were worried americans might confuse it with Fahrenheit 9/11.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Well, here's an example: Fahrenheit in Europe is Indigo Prophecy in the U.S.A.
As far as I know, the US name was changed to avoid similarities with Fahrenheit 9/11.

Fahrenheit is another one, being renamed Indigo Prophecy in the US. I think the reason there was they were worried americans might confuse it with Fahrenheit 9/11.

You sneaky ninja.

 

[MetalDooley]

So they were just called Probotector on console so?

I'm not German so I don't know about no stinking Probotector.

It was Contra on consoles and Gryzor on home computers.

I'm not German either dude.And in Ireland the Contra games(the ones released on Nintendo consoles anyway)were called Probotector and the 2 dudes were changed to robots due to Germany's laws regarding violence against humans in games

 

[Burningsok]

yeah im not sure why we do it. Its just like With the RE series. We call it Resident Evil while in Japan it's called Bio-hazard. we just have different tastes in naming games I believe. I think that we (the U.S) thought it was just a corny/simple name and so we created (in our minds) a more creative title for the series.

 

[rokkolpo]

Like Machines said, different cultures respond better to different marketing slogans.

Could be worse...there was, after all, a kid-friendly movie series in the U.S. called Free Willy that had to be retitled when it was sent over to the U.K. for obvious reasons.

and ofcourse the game:destroy all humans, big willy unleashed!

 

[Meggiepants]

Like Machines said, different cultures respond better to different marketing slogans.

Could be worse...there was, after all, a kid-friendly movie series in the U.S. called Free Willy that had to be retitled when it was sent over to the U.K. for obvious reasons.

Heh, well, Free Willy's title was ridiculed pretty badly in the U.S. as well, from what I recall. I think they should have scrapped that title altogether and tried for a different approach.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I'm not German either dude.And in Ireland the Contra games(the ones released on Nintendo consoles anyway)were called Probotector and the 2 dudes were changed to robots due to Germany's laws regarding violence against humans in games

I might be getting it confused with Gradius which definitely switched to the original name when the Japanese consoles were released in the UK.

 

[MetalDooley]

I'm not German either dude.And in Ireland the Contra games(the ones released on Nintendo consoles anyway)were called Probotector and the 2 dudes were changed to robots due to Germany's laws regarding violence against humans in games

I might be getting it confused with Gradius which definitely switched to the original name when the Japanese consoles were released in the UK.

No I googled it and your right about it being called Gryzor on computers but the console versions were called Probotector.Talk about confusing

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

Yesterday,when looking for some Ratchet&Clank 3(I think)walkthroughs, because I was stuck on a level (the one with a load of sewage tubes and crystals).

I came across how the American version was called 'R&C: Up Your Arsenal', when the European version I have was called 'Ratchet&Clank 3'

Why is that?, also feel free to post other variations and ideas etc. etc. etc.

The same reason they changed the hand on L4D2 for the UK version so it didn't look like the V's: in America, they just don't care as much.