this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2026
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What I mean by distinguishing art from product here is the desire to strip out human intention. Undertale and Deltarune were intentionally designed by Toby Fox, not merely built up as a collection of gameplay elements chosen for marketability. As such, the writing carries specific authorial intent. In the Japanese translation, which was done in cooperation with another person, the bilingual Toby Fox was able to ensure this intent remained. In other languages, this is just not possible, and so they will never get an 『Official』translation unless Toby Fox learns another language. However, art, especially in the digital era, once it has entered into the view of the public, carries with it the inevitability of transformative works. The only limit is the law, and Toby Fox clearly states his support for unofficial translation rather than being a litigious landlord of ideas. What the fans are demanding in an official stamp of approval on translations he can't functionally oversee is the transformation of "Toby Fox" from a name of an author into a brand.
Unofficial translations are great (sarcasm) for people who own consoles where modifying the game files is not allowed or for people who don't know how to obtain those translations in the first place, and for that, community sourced translations are now in competition with each other. You speak about art in the digital age but these are also these considerations as well. The official stamp means that the translations are shipped to everyone and meet a baseline level of professionalism.
Ultimately it's his decision to maintain UT/DR as his auteur works but this attitude towards internationalization is still disappointing.