Ask John: Why Do Video Game Adaptation Always Get Released Dubbed?

Question:
Why does it seem that when an anime based on a video game is brought to the US, it’s only available dubbed?

Answer:
While this is certainly not always the case, one could get this impression based on the fact that titles like Samurai Showdown, Panzer Dragoon, Power Stone and Virtua Fighter are only available dubbed, and titles including Tekken, Sonic the Hedgehog, Toshinden, and Art of Fighting were initially only released in dubbed versions. I will hazard to guess that there are two interconnected reasons for this treatment. First of all, with unfortunately rare exception, most anime adaptations of video games simply aren’t very good. Perhaps the distributing companies realize that hard-core anime fans who prefer subtitles already know these titles aren’t very good, won’t buy them, so subtitled version just aren’t produced in the first place. More likely, though, is the fact that because most of these titles aren’t very good, domestic distributing companies may choose to release dubbed only versions in order to tie-in to mainstream awareness of the video game title and concentrate on selling copies to “mainstream” consumers through major retail outlets like Best Buy and Sam Goody.