Medal of Honor draws its inspiration from another movie, Saving Private Ryan, from which its takes its narrative backdrop. According to US-based Electronic Arts, the game's dialogue and interface have been translated into Chinese so that, as one game tester pointed out, local players will no longer get killed off simply because they don't fully understand the on-screen instructions.
Each game has its own special appeal. Castle Wolfenstein allows players to take on the role of different military specialists (infantry, engineer, medic and lieutenant), which offers potential for a higher level of cooperation in online group play, a development on Counter Strike. Medal of Honor has the background of a familiar movie and the intimacy of a fully localized package so that non-English speaking gamers can really get into the game.
For gamers who don't really get into the killing, and with a special appeal to Taiwan's city-strapped youth, there is Microsoft Taiwan's Zoo Tycoon, which has an interface totally in Chinese. For kids who might have to queue for hours just to get a glimpse of koalas or king penguins at Taipei's Mucha Zoo, this is a godsend. Bring up your own koala, elephant or other animal -- and of course there is an extensive encyclopedia, making the game educational as well.
"In the past, these games have been dedicated to building theme parks or cities. The aim has generally been to please visitors and make money," said Gamebase editor Lu, "but with Zoo Tycoon, it is to make the animals happy, and only then to make zoo visitors happy. I think people will really put a lot more effort into this."
For every taste, the games are already out there. Just make sure that you have upgraded your video card for the holidays.
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