With so many video game franchises having roots in Japan, sometimes there are issues with how games are localized. Such is the case with the Harvest Moon franchise. In Japan, the series is known as Bokujō Monogatari, which is published by Marvelous. When the first game in the series was brought to North America in 1997, it was published by Natsume, under the name Harvest Moon. This remained the case until 2012, when Marvelous decided to begin publishing the series in North America through their subsidiary XSEED. However, Natsume owned the Harvest Moon name, so XSEED would have to come up with a title of their own for new series entries. Eventually, the publisher settled on Story of Seasons, but a few other names were tossed around, first.
According to XSEED, the company initially considered naming Story of Seasons “Summer Solstice” and “Autumn Winds.” Both of these names would have been suitable replacements for the Harvest Moon title, but there was one name that might not have translated quite as well. Apparently, XSEED also considered “Plow and Propose,” playing on the fact that the series features farming elements, and the ability to woo and marry different characters. Of course, it’s not difficult to see why “Plow and Propose” might have proven a bit problematic!
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It’s impossible to say whether or not “Plow and Propose” was shot down given the connotations of its name, but it certainly seems likely. The first entry in the Story of Seasons franchise ended up with an “E” rating from the ESRB, but it seems likely that “Plow and Propose” might have ended up with a slightly higher rating.
With #StoryofSeasons: Friends of Mineral town landing on #NintendoSwitch this summer, we remembered this fun fact from our 15th anniversary! Did you already have this in your lore bank? 👀
Watch the new trailer for #SoSFoMT here: https://t.co/97IKsu8WxM pic.twitter.com/y1PSpt872V
— XSEED Games (@XSEEDGames) March 29, 2020
It’s certainly interesting to get a window into what might have been! Despite those early naming difficulties, XSEED has found great success with the Story of Seasons franchise, and a new entry in the series is set for release on Nintendo Switch this summer. Meanwhile, Natsume continues to publish their own Harvest Moon games. Fans will just have to wonder whether or not “Plow and Propose” would have been nearly as successful!
Are you a fan of the Story of Seasons franchise? What do you think about the “Plow and Propose” name? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
