Keeping Storytelling Alive: Localization and Legacy in Vampire the Masquerade

It’s been more than two years since the release of Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New YorkFast one-and-a half years ago Vampire: The Masquerade – Shadows of New York premiered. It was officially launched. Well, not quite!

Vampire: A MasqueradeAnd World of DarknessProperties are loved all over the globe, and in general they’re beloved by everyone. There is a huge fan base all over the world, especially those games which rely heavily on written content. CoteriesAnd ShadowsDo, it is vital to localize. Back in late 2019 Draw Distance was just under 20 people strong (we’re somewhat bigger these days), and the team responsible for the standalone follow-up to Coteries, Shadows of New YorkIt was approximately the same size. As you can imagine, when it comes to translations – which are crucial to let as many players as possible enjoy the stories we tell – outside help is needed.

And it’s not an altogether easy process, either! It requires coordination among the core team, translators and license holders. They ensure that game content aligns to brand standards and make sure each game uses the same setting-specific terms for every language. This takes the form of a huge glossary that answers nine out of ten questions, but some specific terms might have a history of being translated differently in the past, having fan-favorite terms that might or might not be reflected “officially” etc. – these need additional consulting with the license holder. Navigating all of that is no easy feat: it’s time consuming and requires the work of many people before a language update is released for the players to enjoy.

To date, Coteries of New York’sThe original English text has been translated from the Japanese into French, Brazilian Portuguese and Chinese. Shadows of New York enjoyed a French, Brazilian Portuguese and Russian translation – and we’re not done yet! In this way, our Vampire: The Masquerade games keep living on and being supported despite being “done” many months ago.

That’s not the only way in which our creative work becomes part of the World of Darkness story legacy, however. The Masquerade is an important link between Vampires and our games.  World of Darkness brand team announced that next official Vampire tabletop actual play stream, “New York by Night”, is inspired by both CoteriesAnd Shadows. This chronicle will first be broadcast on Twitch, then later on YouTube. It features characters and events from both Draw Distance games. This story begins chronologically after the events in CoteriesProceeds in paralel with the events Shadows of New YorkVideo game. The events are outpaced by the streaming chronicle ShadowsThe ending does not have to be a certain one, so everyone can play both. We’re very excited to be bringing this new dimension to World of Darkness transmedia storytelling.

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Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York

Draw Distance S.A.

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Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York presents the conflict between two vampiric factions: the traditionalist Camarilla and the fiercely independent Anarchs. This is a single-player, unique narrative experience that’s atmospheric and moody. It takes place in Vampire: The Massquerade 5th edition.

– Choose one of three pre-defined characters and play as a Ventrue, Toreador or Brujah
– Each playable character offers a selection of powers (Disciplines), different ethical approaches to certain issues, and unique dialogue lines
– Character-oriented quests allow you to meet four unique NPCs: a Tremere sorcerer, a Nosferatu detective, a Gangrel of conflicted loyalties and a Malkavian multifoliate online personality with their own agendas. You can win their hearts and minds, and two or more of them may assist you at the final.
– Depending on your choice of the Clan you will be able to see the events from a distinct perspective. It takes more than one playthrough to fully appreciate the game.