Common Game Localization Problems

by Target Language Translation Services

- October 22 2021

The game market value around the world is expected to reach over 200 billion dollars in the next couple of years. The landscape is becoming increasingly competitive. Those providers who stay in touch with their consumers and adapt the games to better fit their needs and expectations are ultimately the ones that will increase their market share.

The decision to carry out game localization is typically made because of the economic factors and the growth ambitions of the game development company. It’s most commonly about reaching new audiences and boosting sales through potential franchise.

Today’s game localization however, requires a lot more than translating and adapting the name of the game. Game localization can mean making alterations to make the game age appropriate while bearing in mind the language and the culture of the target market. But, it can involve full localization which means transcreating every aspect of the game, such as the guides and game manuals, the various controls, the backgrounds of each character and how their narratives intertwine with one another, game expansion packs, etc.

Process of game localization

First, the text falls into the project manager’s hands. The manager assesses the text and loads it into the CAT tool.

The translator then starts working and asks questions about the text, and the manager serves as a bridge between the client and translator. Once the translator is finished, the editor proofreads the translation.

In the final stage, the manager does a QA check, makes sure all the tags are in place, and reviews the file after exporting it.

It’s highly recommended that you always do linguistic quality assurance (LQA) after the translation is done. It’s an integral part of the workflow for good localization. During testing, you can find cosmetic and contextual bugs that detract from the translation.

Therefore the translator must have a close connection to the game. Not only do they need to understand it, but they also need to truly feel it. It’s crucial to set aside the budget for familiarization and introduction to the game.

Most Common Video Game Localization Problems

The planet-wide appeal of gaming, with its associated need for localization, brings several major new challenges for developers.

Not enough time for the LQA phase

The main bottleneck in game localization is the LQA (linguistic quality assurance) phase. Very often, LQA takes place at the end of the process, when the pressure for release is high. The consequences creates in terms of launch dates. If the game roadmap had any delay and somehow ate into the potential buffer that providers might have had in our calendar, the LQA phase is shortened, which is a mistake.

LQA is a crucially important phase where providers see the game as potential players will see it. Cutting corners in this phase is quite dangerous.

Do not play games

Ideally, a game localization professional loves gaming. Translators should at least understand what it is to play the kinds of games you translate. Video games are spectacular creative works. To be a truly talented game localizer, translators need to play games.

Even understanding and appropriately applying common terminology for games is a basic skill that requires the familiarity of a player. Grasping the finer nuances of context, characters, behaviors and just the spirit of gaming as a whole requires play time. So, first, be a gamer.

Inappropriate intonation

When translators translate a game's interface or instructions, applying their own cultural intonations (instead of those appropriate for the culture translators are translating for) can often produce awkward results.

Always make sure to localize using language and manners of expression that give gamers the experience of interacting with someone in their own area, as opposed to someone half the world away.

Insufficient context

Without testing to debug contextual issues and other problems, a game's development can become seriously impaired. Professional game translators typically send lists of questions to their clients, which include inquiries about context for use in-game.

But responses are not always ideally detailed and translators may end up having to do some guesswork. Sometimes, the context provided for text can even be inaccurate, leading localizers to believe they're on the right track when they actually aren't. So, quality testing and debugging needs to go beyond just technological quality. It needs to ensure that the localized strings in the game really make sense.

Drift away from brevity

This might sound easy enough, but brevity (the concise use of words in writing or speech) requires a fair amount of finesse, especially when conveying key information. It's vital to remember that message boxes in games and display screens are usually pretty small, so translations should be kept as short as possible to accommodate this limited space while still presenting the information clearly (however, don't use unnecessary abbreviations unless the client wants you to). That being said, though brevity is important in game translation, it should not be prioritized over clarity.

Tips for game localization process

To handle game localization without jeopardizing the release cycles, here are tips:

Start game localization at an early stage

The answer has been hiding in plain sight: if you want to prevent being late to market, you should start localizing earlier. Preferably the localization activities should be integrated into the game development process very early on. There needs to be a strong, seamless communication process with regular touchpoints.

Localization bridges the gap between the developers and the localization team members and it also helps you conserve resources, whether it's about money or time.

In game localization, it makes sense to go another step further and turn to continuous localization, where localized content is always ready for release. Games that are continuously improved at a fast pace involve multiple versions being released in a short time period. This means the project would require localization teams working in parallel with development to ensure timely launches around the globe.

Find a good localization project manager and invest in LQA

The localization project manager is the one who holds the entire game localization process together. For the best quality, you need at least two people working on every piece of text to deliver full TEP (translation, editing, proofreading), while the LQA process has to be carefully planned. If outsourcing, consider hiring LSPs for bigger projects as they will cover the localization phase and the LQA phase, too.

Conclusion

As we have seen, there can be no corner-cutting with cheap translations. Nowadays, video game industry is a slick, hugely professional industry. So it follows that game providers should work with established, specialized translation specialists, especially those with input from staff who were raised abroad, breathing that country’s culture.

But it boils down to much more than just mere text translation, whether it is artwork, naming, marketing, or cultural differences to bridge markets. The scope on offer means there is huge potential for gaming providers to get it right and for translation companies to transcreate games to make them country-specific and eminently more marketable in the target region.

This article is reprinted from lokalise, andovar and Translate Media.

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