Stop language lock your games for Russia and CIS countries!

The Issue

Lately there has been already 2 known to me attempts to region lock games Ubisoft has been releasing. First in my experience was Watch_Dogs title, there even was a notification by Steam that following game will support only Russian language for purchases in Russia and CIS countries. Basically that fact stopped me from purchasing the game, until creative people posted a solution on how to unlock other languages (including English) for your game. This solution actually included you downloading pirated version of the game from torrent in order to extract the necessary language files and editing registry of you operating system. Then same happened with recent release of Assassin's Creed Unity game, except now on Steam store there has been no notification that this particular game will support only Russian language in RU\CIS. but this isn't the main point, because Valve might have simply forgot to include this information on store, the point is why language lock the game in the first place?  Now tell how is it fair, that you, a paying customer, who wants to enjoy the game and support it's developers so they could make more and more of the games like the ones you love so much and pay for and get such kind of attitude towards you? Why Russia and CIS is actually getting CUT (yes, this is called cutting and restricting some of your game content!) version of the game, while others can enjoy it's full version? Now let me explain why language locking games is wrong, especially when you set only Russian language as the one available:

1. Russian language is one of the most complex languages in the world. Learning this language as a secondary one is quite hard and takes more than just finishing high school to have basic level, even for actual CIS residents, especially now, that some of these countries considering removing Russian language from their school programs.

2. Text writing. Each localization contains flaws compared to original version, no matter how professional you are when it comes to translating, because some things you can never accurately translate on the other languages. It is always possible give a general idea of what's going on or been said, but is rarely possible to save the actual style and emotion, that has been originally intended in the text writing. This is especially notable when you play game with original voice acting and subtitles of other language.

3. Voice acting. This is similiar to the previous point, but per my personal opinion - even more important, considering how much I and many other people dislike Russian voice actors in nowdays game idustry, who feel so fake and dull.There is no excuse for being forced to play a game with the voice acting you personally dislike, escpecially, when you can compare it to another voice acting, which is, unfortunately, not officially available in your particular software package.

4. Learning a new language. Yes, belive it or not, even though my english isn't all that perfect, but I learned it from watching movies on English with Russian subtitles and playing games the same way! I haven't ever attended any courses or anything, it is pure gaming\movie watching and later actual practice talking with native english speakers. And I believe that I'm not the only one who, intentionally or not, honing their skills and knowledge that way. By letting us chose the language we want you help us learn this language. I always believed that while games intended for enterainment, it never hurts when through your hobby you can also learn something useful.

5. Pirating. Yes, you actually encourage your customers to stop supporting your work and simply pirate your games, which 1st - have all the content that has been intented (except for online features, but who cares, it's free after all and not everyone exceited about it). 2nd - being released earlier than officiall versions.

6. You discriminating. Yes, people feel being treated like lowlifes becuase they're getting smaller slice of pie than others. Which leads them to point 5, Pirating.

We are yet to understand why it is so important to language lock the games in 2k14, escpecially for a company, who started out without region\language locking their games. I own the whole Assassin's creed franchise, and all of them has an option to download whatsoever language pack has been released for them. Except for recent Assassin's Creed Unity. 

So, Ubisoft, please. Stop ruining the gaming experience for us. Even it is minority of the gamers, that are concerned about language\region lock, I still do not understand why you put an additional effort (because you intentionally cut a piece of your work and remove it) to anger and dissappoint us?

This petition had 296 supporters

The Issue

Lately there has been already 2 known to me attempts to region lock games Ubisoft has been releasing. First in my experience was Watch_Dogs title, there even was a notification by Steam that following game will support only Russian language for purchases in Russia and CIS countries. Basically that fact stopped me from purchasing the game, until creative people posted a solution on how to unlock other languages (including English) for your game. This solution actually included you downloading pirated version of the game from torrent in order to extract the necessary language files and editing registry of you operating system. Then same happened with recent release of Assassin's Creed Unity game, except now on Steam store there has been no notification that this particular game will support only Russian language in RU\CIS. but this isn't the main point, because Valve might have simply forgot to include this information on store, the point is why language lock the game in the first place?  Now tell how is it fair, that you, a paying customer, who wants to enjoy the game and support it's developers so they could make more and more of the games like the ones you love so much and pay for and get such kind of attitude towards you? Why Russia and CIS is actually getting CUT (yes, this is called cutting and restricting some of your game content!) version of the game, while others can enjoy it's full version? Now let me explain why language locking games is wrong, especially when you set only Russian language as the one available:

1. Russian language is one of the most complex languages in the world. Learning this language as a secondary one is quite hard and takes more than just finishing high school to have basic level, even for actual CIS residents, especially now, that some of these countries considering removing Russian language from their school programs.

2. Text writing. Each localization contains flaws compared to original version, no matter how professional you are when it comes to translating, because some things you can never accurately translate on the other languages. It is always possible give a general idea of what's going on or been said, but is rarely possible to save the actual style and emotion, that has been originally intended in the text writing. This is especially notable when you play game with original voice acting and subtitles of other language.

3. Voice acting. This is similiar to the previous point, but per my personal opinion - even more important, considering how much I and many other people dislike Russian voice actors in nowdays game idustry, who feel so fake and dull.There is no excuse for being forced to play a game with the voice acting you personally dislike, escpecially, when you can compare it to another voice acting, which is, unfortunately, not officially available in your particular software package.

4. Learning a new language. Yes, belive it or not, even though my english isn't all that perfect, but I learned it from watching movies on English with Russian subtitles and playing games the same way! I haven't ever attended any courses or anything, it is pure gaming\movie watching and later actual practice talking with native english speakers. And I believe that I'm not the only one who, intentionally or not, honing their skills and knowledge that way. By letting us chose the language we want you help us learn this language. I always believed that while games intended for enterainment, it never hurts when through your hobby you can also learn something useful.

5. Pirating. Yes, you actually encourage your customers to stop supporting your work and simply pirate your games, which 1st - have all the content that has been intented (except for online features, but who cares, it's free after all and not everyone exceited about it). 2nd - being released earlier than officiall versions.

6. You discriminating. Yes, people feel being treated like lowlifes becuase they're getting smaller slice of pie than others. Which leads them to point 5, Pirating.

We are yet to understand why it is so important to language lock the games in 2k14, escpecially for a company, who started out without region\language locking their games. I own the whole Assassin's creed franchise, and all of them has an option to download whatsoever language pack has been released for them. Except for recent Assassin's Creed Unity. 

So, Ubisoft, please. Stop ruining the gaming experience for us. Even it is minority of the gamers, that are concerned about language\region lock, I still do not understand why you put an additional effort (because you intentionally cut a piece of your work and remove it) to anger and dissappoint us?

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This petition had 296 supporters

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Petition created on November 13, 2014