If you're looking for a UMD version of
Half-Minute Hero in Quebec, stop trying. A
Destructoid reader looking for the game was surprised it had skipped a release altogether in the Canadian province -- and it's all thanks to
the law. "Canadian distribution is always tricky because of the bilingual law that Quebec enforces, so for titles with limited distribution we do not create a second bilingual version specifically for Canada because it's too expensive. Unfortunately, that's what happened to
Half-Minute Hero," an XSEED representative stated.
Thankfully, digital distribution offers a workaround. PlayStation Network appears to be exempt from Quebec's bilingual laws, so a simple visit to the PlayStation Store is all it takes to bypass the French language police.
{ Oct 29th 2009 at 1:00PM } 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Derek @ Oct 29th 2009 1:40PM
Premier!
Akronon @ Oct 29th 2009 2:57PM
Firsters are douchebags no matter what language you post it in.
Downvoted. Time to move along.
Jampirow @ Oct 29th 2009 1:55PM
Zis iz horríblé!
Fresh Bryce @ Nov 1st 2009 2:04PM
People from France speak like that. People from Québec speak much more differently.
draco @ Oct 29th 2009 2:18PM
don't they have a EU version with French included? plenty of games go that route.
Jenny Lee @ Oct 29th 2009 2:29PM
Oui, mon pays est terrible!
I don't speak much French, and I don't have any sympathy for Quebec right now with all their attempts to undermine English education in their province and try to separate from Canada. But for French speakers of all places in Canada (including Quebec I suppose) there should be a French language option, always.
calgaryalta @ Oct 29th 2009 4:56PM
While I agree that their laws regarding english education in quebec are restrictive, it isn't done out of spite but out of defence for their language and culture.
In some cases I think they are a little heavy handed in their approaches but then again I'm not quebecois.
S. Tiger @ Oct 29th 2009 8:17PM
So they should...
Move back to France! Hah! Simple.
calgaryalta @ Oct 31st 2009 6:08PM
Their language and culture are different from the French in France.
Move back to your cave! Hah! Simple.
Fane [Grammar Police - Power Of Pedantry] @ Oct 29th 2009 7:23PM
Tabarnak!
Abebe @ Oct 30th 2009 7:15AM
As a Canadian myself, I think the whole bilingual packaging is ridiculous. From the French Canadian perspective it does not make any sense; French instructions will make little difference if the game is all in English. Moreover, when it comes to small release games like these, the people playing them will a)be the type that can find a FAQ online and b) would much rather get the game in English packaging than not at all.
From an English Canadian's perspective (mine) it's also annoying. It means that we often have to wait longer for a game to come here, it wastes paper, and (it may sound silly), but it can ruin the case itself. The bilingual instructions for FF tactics PSP, for example, were so thick that they warped the game case.
Quite simply, it's a bad idea all around that simply exists because of an overly protective and bureaucratic government.
Fresh Bryce @ Nov 1st 2009 2:17PM
I get what you're saying. Also I have some games that have both english on french on it and there's not much room on the box/case so it kinds of ruins the packaging. Words be overlapping the graphics and such.
Fresh Bryce @ Nov 1st 2009 2:11PM
There are already games in Quebec that are only english. Also I have a friend who speaks french [I](and spanish)[/I] and he bought Fallout 3. So I was like "oh, you got Fallout 3. The game's sick uh." and he was like, "I don't know, I didn't really play it cuz it's only in english and I don't really understand what going on." So it was really a waste.
Lucas @ Nov 2nd 2009 6:49PM
That's more problematic that you might think. The main issue with selling retail game packages in Canada is having bilingual back-of-the-box and instruction manual. XSEED is really saying they can't justify even that much expense, which doesn't surprise me at all. This is niche as 'ell.
The game itself doesn't need to have French audio or even subtitles, proven because most don't. AAA titles or anything released by Ubisoft usually does, and you can find "vf" (version francais) titles on Amazon.ca, where French is the default language. Incidentally I think this is why Amazon.com won't ship US game inventory to Canada, since the boxes themselves say they can be sold within the entire hemisphere.
As for "EU versions" of games, I assume you mean 4-5 included language options on a PAL format disc, because they don't make one generic box with all the different rating systems and languages on it... Seeing as EU releases are normally an entirely different schedule with a different localization team, I doubt it would be reasonable to let a pittance of Quebec sales affect that. Especially when most people in Quebec can make a day trip to Ontario for shopping if they want to.
ag @ Nov 8th 2009 7:39PM
They'd rather release a PAL version in Quebec rather than having to rehaul the whole NA content.