Gothic IV Gets New Name, Needs Another One

News by John Walker Contributor

Published on May 19, 2008

Gamespot reported some peculiar Gothic 4 news this weekend. Not least that it's no longer called Gothic 4.

The series, while huge in mainland Europe, hasn't managed similar success in the UK, and hasn't really managed to break North America at all. In an attempt to address this, and hopefully relaunch the franchise for the Anglos, it's to be called, Arcania: A Gothic Tale. More strangely, the US and European versions of the game are going to be different colours.

Gamespot explain,

"The team invested months of research into the differences between European and American gaming preferences, so much so that there will be two different color palettes for Arcania: North American (bright and beautiful) and European (muted and gritty)."

Bright colours for the Americans! America: feel a bit patronised now.

I'm not sure about the title change. Clearly "Gothic 4" isn't going to sell a single copy to a region that ignored the previous three. But if I spent my evening building a PERL script that generated the most generic fantasy-fiction name imaginable, I don't think it could beat Arcania. (That, and I'd have to learn PERL, and figure out what a PERL script is).

So what should they have renamed Gothic 4, readers? I suggest: THE BLACK BLADE OF GOTHORIA.

(We'd link to a game site, but someone needs to remind JoWood that they're publishing it).
[Via Shacknews]