List of localized and published games. Game localization: a translator's perspective. What is the difficulty of localizing games?

We work with game publishers and developers. We localize mobile, desktop, console, browser, and board games into more than 70 languages.

All translations are done by professional translators who are native speakers and have experience working on games.

We provide language testing, voiceover, localization quality assessment, and proofreading services.

Localization of computer games: process

The following is the optimal games localization process:

You create a game localization project on a cloud platform (Crowdin , Transifex, SmartCAT, Oneskyapp) and then upload the string resource files for your game (iOS .strings, Android .xml, .po, .resx, etc. - the platforms support all commonly used formats, including Excel spreadsheets).
If you do not want to work with an online platform yourself, just attach files to the order form. We will use our own Alconost LMS platform or other professional tools for localization;
Then write to us at alpha@site or submit a preliminary order. Provide a link to your cloud platform project and a link to your game on Google Play or the App Store so that our translators will be able to install and play it so that they can familiarize themselves with it. If you have not yet officially released your game, you can grant others access to your development version for the App Store using Testflight, and you can send the current build for your Google Play app by submitting the .apk file;
Alconost will assign a personal localization project manager to your project. He will ask questions, request that you fill out an questionnaire form, help you make a glossary (if you don"t yet have one), calculate the cost, monitor deadlines, and help you throughout the project;
The manager will pick a team consisting of the most suitable translators and invite them to work on your project. Every translator installs the game, becomes familiar with the gameplay, gets a feel for the game's atmosphere, and gains an understanding of what needs to be translated;
String resources are translated in the cloud platform. This tool allows the translator to ask a question about any string if, for example, he doesn"t understand the context. The platform is also equipped with a translation memory and a glossary, which ensures that repeated terms and phrases are all translated the same way.
A second translator will proofread the translation for any possible errors and typos and will check the accuracy of the translation.
When the translation is ready, you can download the localized string resources from the platform and compile a build with the localized language versions. By using the CLI (command line interface) on the localization platform, you can automate the compilation of localized versions;
Translators or testers play the localized version of the game, and they check to ensure that the localized strings are displayed correctly. Errors are either corrected immediately, or they are reported directly to developers in the bug tracker.
To ensure rapid communication, we use dedicated channels in Slack or work directly in the developer's project management system.

Continuous localization

By using online platforms, you can adopt a localization process whereby your app will be fully localized at the time of release, and all future updates will also be localized when they go live. This works in approximately the following way:

The programmer or game designer adds a new string to the game's resources file.
The updated resources file is sent to the localization platform automatically (using the API or command line utility). The translator will immediately see the new text.
The translator translates the new string.
Before the next build is compiled, the updated translations are automatically taken from the platform;
each time the game is compiled the localizations are 100% ready, and the update process is not held up Thus, because you are waiting to receive translated resources.

Alternative game localization scenarios

In reality, the process of localizing computer games may differ from the ideal scenario.

Often the developer may want to use Excel or Google Sheets for handling string resources. A second translator/editor may be unnecessary for projects with a tight budget. Sometimes you may not want to order testing (for example, if the game has not yet been released).

At Alconost we can work with any type of order, format or process. For example, you can simply send us the string resource files (Localizable.strings, Strings.xml, .po, etc.) by e-mail, and we ourselves will upload them to the platform, translate them, and return the localized resources to you by email.

Write to us, describe your situation, and we will help you localize your game.

Localization of small games and translation of updates

If your game contains only a little text, or if you are planning to localize it on your own, have a look at Nitro - an online translation service. You can place an order with Nitro in just a few clicks, whenever it’s convenient for you, without the need for a manager.

However, it is easier to submit a price quote request with your attached files, and we will calculate the cost ourselves.

Linguistic testing

We conduct localization testing as follows.

When a localized build is compiled, the localizing translator or the native language tester plays the game for the required amount of time and takes screenshots of problem areas (that have not been translated or where translated strings are too long, where there are incorrect encodings, where the text flows in the wrong direction, contextual interpretation errors, etc.).

The tester creates records for all detected errors in the developer project management system (Jira, Trello, Asana) and makes the necessary changes to the string resources either independently or in cooperation with the developer.

The cost of localization testing is calculated on the basis of the tester's hourly rate and the time needed for testing.

We are able to test games on the following platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, Xbox, PlayStation (Ps3, Ps4), and Nintendo (3DS).

Translation memories

The translation memory is a database that stores the source language text of each segment together with its translation. The translation memory allows you to automate the translation of repeated words, phrases, and sentences.

Translation memory allows you to:

Increase the performance of the translation team
Ensure the use of consistent terminology throughout the entire text
Improve the quality of translation
Replace translators partway through the project
Save time translating repetitions

Thus, if your game is released at the same time, for example, on iOS and Android, and string resources that are 90% matches are available for the new strings, then the matching strings will be inserted automatically and you will not have to pay for them.

Glossary

A glossary is a special dictionary with definitions, translations and usage examples for terms used in a text. This dictionary can be imported into an automatic translation tool to expedite the translation process and ensure consistency of terminology across one or more texts.

A glossary makes it possible to assign several translators to a project and change translators around during the process if necessary.

If your game does not yet have a glossary, we will help you compile one.

Localization of games, audio and video content, and graphics

At Alconost, we not only create promos and video trailers for games, but we also localize video and audio content. If your project needs voiceovers in a new language, or you need to rerecord the character voices, or you need to localize a video or redraw the graphics — we know exactly how to get it done.

Tools that we use for game translation and localization

CAT Tools - programs that help automate the translation process

MemoQ
Memsource
SDL Trados
SDL Passolo
OmegaT
Sisulizer
Poedit

Cloud platforms for localization:

SmartCAT
WebtranslateIt
Transifex
OneSky
localise.co

Project Manager

With Alconost, your localization project will be run by a dedicated project manager, who:

Studies your material and the specific features of the text in depth
Agrees on the price, taking repetitions into consideration
Chooses a team of translators and editors with the necessary specialisms;
Controls deadlines;
Takes care of quality, formatting and consistency of the completed translations
Maintains the glossary and translation memory
Organizes linguistic testing
Prepares all the accompanying documents (agreement, invoice, PO) if necessary
Is available practically 24/7 to answer any of your questions

Your Project Manager is your “single point of contact” with whom you can resolve all your questions regarding the project. If your project manager becomes unavailable for some reason, another manager will replace them straight away at the same address.

Appointing translators

We have approximately 300 professional native-speaker translators in our team, with a broad range of specialisms.

We always try to assign one dedicated translator to your project and work specifically with this translator on a continuous basis. This is useful if you have a large project that is periodically updated, you need to use consistent terminology, or you simply like a particular translator's style. If the translator changes for some reason, they will hand over the glossary and translation memory to the new translator to ensure consistency of terminology and style in future updates.

Crowdin is our recommended translation management platform

Cloud-based translation platform Crowdin allows localization projects to be managed in real time. You can:

Upload string resources in any format (.resx, .po, .strings, etc.) either manually or through the API
Appoint translators and editors
You can monitor the translation or editing of your project in real time
Exchange comments with the translator or editor on any open issues
Create glossaries
Manage what is added to the translation memory and how it is used
Export string resources once the translation is complete

Which languages you should localize your game into first

We have analyzed the number of native speakers who are Internet users, the general volume of online sales, and Google Play revenue in particular by region. As a result, we have obtained the following top 5 languages for localization:

English – United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia
Chinese - China (Simplified Chinese) and Taiwan (Traditional Chinese)
Japanese-Japan
French - France, Canada, and Belgium
German - Germany and Belgium

We offer the following services in addition to the localization of mobile apps:

A judgment on whether the name of your game is appropriate in the target language (as determined by a native speaker)
Creating trailers for app pages on the App Store or Google Play
Preparing a series of short videos in different languages to post on advertising networks
Hiring professional voice actors who are native speakers to provide voiceovers for your game characters

For sale in a new region or country. Localization includes translation from the original language into a foreign language, changing the game's art, creating new compressed files and reference manuals, recording new audio files, converting hardware, changing parts of the game according to the cultural characteristics of a certain region, adding additional areas to move cut content.

Screenshot from the translated game Prince of Persia on Sega Genesis

The decision to localize is made depending on economic factors, such as the potential revenue that a certain region can bring. Localization is usually carried out either by developers, third-party companies with whom a contract is drawn up, or independent companies that create an alternative localization or localization of a game that has not been presented in the region. The quality of localization can vary depending on the professionalism of the localizers or the difficulties associated with the attempts of development companies to avoid premature leaks of games to the market.

The goal of localization is to create an enjoyable and user-friendly gameplay experience for the end user that is culturally sensitive to their region while staying true to the original game concept.

Story

The first experience of computer game localization dates back to the 1980s, when the developers of the Japanese game Pac-Man transliterated the title into English - Puck-Man, but upon release of the game in the United States, they decided to return the original name for fear that the word Puck can be distorted like an obscene word.

An important challenge in early localizations was to address the limited amount of space available to handle text lines that were longer than those in the original games, as was often the case on the NES and SNES. Ted Woolsey, translator Final Fantasy VI, talked about the need to constantly shorten the text in English due to limited capabilities.

Often the budget and production time for localizations were small, as a result of which either confusion arose with the translations, or the translation text had to be rewritten. Advances in technology in the early 2000s led to the ability to expand text to be stored in ASCII format rather than in image format, as was previously the case, allowing for more efficient processing and more efficient use of disk space for text placement. Developments in audio technology have led to the creation of foreign language voice-overs and dubbing.

There is currently a significant increase in the amount of text and dialogue involved in localization, especially in multiplayer games.

Localization process

The localization process is carried out in the following order:

Translation

To perform text translation of games with a large amount of text, first of all, a glossary of gaming terms is created so that there is no confusion between commonly used words and words with local meaning. Visual graphics are then created, overlaid with translation text in the font used in the original game. If the game uses an original font, a similar font is created separately for the alphabet used for localization. Depending on the visual component of the game and features in the program code, programmers (most often in amateur studios) can make changes to the software or create separate files for ease of translation. When compiling a translation, the localizer takes into account the peculiarities of the language of the region, traditional rules of transcription and pronunciation from other languages, the official translation of the original source of the game, if there is one, as well as established words, phrases or terms from the game among its fans. Localization and translation can be carried out both with active interaction with the developer, and independently, depending on the desire of the developer.

When translating, localizers take into account the following nuances:

The unofficial translation of games differs from the official translation by less limited deadlines for completion, a more scrupulous translation based on the canonical history of the game, but at the same time technically more difficult to complete due to problems with licensing and the lack of open source game code for a more convenient localization process, more free translation of phrases with frequently used slang and obscene language, as well as partial or complete absence of literary style.

The most difficult thing in translation is the adaptation of wordplay and established expressions, the identification of cultural references and their translation with the appropriate transfer of intonation during dubbing, the selection of voice actors with voices similar to the voices of the original, the transfer of emotional coloring, the transfer of accent (a regional accent unknown in the country of localization, for example, Scots is not usually transmitted). Typical errors in translation are spelling and punctuation errors, loss or replacement of meaning during translation, cut out parts of the text, untranslated text and additional content, monotonous reading of the text, severe distortion of phrases, untranslated pieces of text, poor quality dialogues, monotony and inexpressiveness of actors' voices, untranslated text, weak literary style or lack thereof.

Voice acting

Before dubbing the translated material, a working group is created according to specializations: project manager, dubbing director, sound engineer, sound engineer, engineers and testers. The translated text fits under the original audio files. The text materials previously sent by the developer are calculated and compared with the final material. After the final dubbing of the original and receipt of the finished material, the selection of actors is carried out. Selection occurs in two ways: live audition or search in the vote database. Live auditions most often take place with the participation of a representative of the developer via remote video communication. Voices are selected from a database of previous projects, actors are invited to the studio, samples are recorded based on the original and sent to the developer for approval, after which dubbing begins. Translation and dubbing most often occur in parallel with the production of the game, so localizers are often forced to adapt to the developer if he changes something in the production process, and re-record lines according to the changes. After dubbing is completed, the voiced phrases are arranged to match the characters’ facial expressions and the resulting audio track is mixed with the original soundtrack. The finished material is sent for testing to identify errors and defects, after which, if necessary, it is modified and sent to the customer.

Board game localization process

In board games, the bulk of the text is contained in the reference manual, so the translation is rarely shortened to convey the full meaning of the tutorials. The translation of the text of the game itself, on the contrary, may undergo abbreviation or selection of synonyms of words of similar length in order to fit the text into a visual element of limited size. First, the source text is translated, then the finished text is edited, followed by layout and re-editing, after which the localization is ready.

Also, when localizing a board game, it is important to organize production and, possibly, adjust the quality of components to the income of the potential public.

Localization of games in Russia

There are known localizations of computer games for home computers, which became widespread at the turn of the 1990s in the USSR and the post-Soviet space.

Localization of foreign computer games in Russia was carried out by computer pirates in small studios from 1995 to 2005, operating on an illegal basis. The most famous such studio was Fargus Multimedia. Localizations made by such studios were most often of poor quality. Not only the text in the game, but also the name of the game itself could be translated. The names of Chinese hardware clones of Japanese video game consoles, such as NES (Dendy), were also translated.

The need for localization in Russia, unlike many other countries, is caused by the fact that the level of English language proficiency among Russians is very low and does not allow them to fully perceive games in the original language. The most famous professional video game localizer in Russia is the SoftClub company, whose market share in the CIS was 80% in 2014.

The 1990s also saw localizations of board games. One of the first localized games was "Monopoly", which in Russia was called "Manager". In 1990, the Soviet game "Enchanted Land" was released, based on the Polish version of the American board game Dungeons & Dragons. In the late 1990s, there were many amateur translators of board games, including Alexander Petrunin, who first translated for the Igroved board game store.

Currently, board games are being fully localized, taking into account the traditional features of the Russian language and the national characteristics of the region. Some board games are even translated based on individual works in the country of localization. Localization is carried out either by in-house translators and layout designers of the development company, or by third-party companies in the country of localization.

Notes

O'Hagan and Mangiron, p. 111
Bernal-Merino 2008
O'Hagan and Mangiron, p. 49
Kohler 2005, p. 226
Corliss 2007
O'Hagan and Mangiron, p. 58

the site begins a series of materials “Rating of Specialists” with selections of translation companies concentrating on interesting market segments. The first material is about studios that translate games. The ranking of companies is subjective and based on an assessment of their size and management team.

Studios - narrow specialists

These are translation companies with a game localization share of more than 50% of their revenue. Specialized studios perfectly understand the specifics of game translation and, as a rule, can provide good personal contact with their clients.

"1C" (QLOC Studio + "Buka")

1C is a leader in publishing and developing not only business software, but also games. At one time, the company's share in the Russian gaming market, according to experts, was more than 50%. In 1999, the 1C group acquired Maddox Games, in 2007 - the Sea Dog studio from Akella and INOCO, in 2008 - the Buka and Avalon Style companies, in 2009 it merged with SoftClub, in 2010 - with Snowball Studios.
Today, 1C’s game localization resources are concentrated in two companies: the Polish studio QLOC and the Moscow Buka. I had a chance to have a short conversation with Nikolai Baryshnikov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of QLOC. He is also the President of 1C Online Games (Czech Republic).
QLOC has a large team with 28 specialists studying Russian. But the matter is not limited to them: there are projects for translation into Chinese, FIGS languages, Czech, Polish. QLOC provides engineering services, works with audio and video materials, and redraws graphics.
According to the presentation, the company employs 10 game project managers. Nikolay Baryshnikov did not disclose revenue and other financial indicators. Among the notable QLOC localization projects are AAA titles with a huge amount of content: Skyrim, Shadow of Mordor, Civilization V.

The Allcorrect Group company started as a broad-based translation agency more than 10 years ago and has turned into a highly specialized game localization company in the last three to four years thanks to the interests of co-founders Demid Tishin and Denis Khamin. Games currently account for 82% of the company's $2 million order book. Of the major game developers, Allcorrect works with Ubisoft and Gaijin Entertainment, but most of the volume comes from translating mobile games from English and Korean into Russian, as well as from English into world languages.

The main office of the company is located in Samara, and the legal entity and team are scattered around the world: Dublin, Toronto (where the third co-founder Yuri Petyushin lives), Hong Kong. The company has seven project managers and a staff of game editors. The range of services includes localization, work with graphics and audio materials, testing, optimization in the App Store (ASO). The company is managed using deeply automated Google Docs, translations are performed in memoQ. Quality is achieved through full-time editors, dedicated AutoQA specialists, and a pass/fail check system.

Moscow localization company founded in 2012. The team consists of 20 people, all with specialized experience in 1C-SoftClub, Logrus, Snowball, Riot Games, Nival, Gaijin Entertainment, Innova, Afisha. The studio is headed by Vyacheslav Erofeev and Mikhail Bryukhanov.

Five producers and two assistants are responsible for organizing the process. The Most Games translates into Russian and other languages, voices games and accompanying materials. The company's portfolio includes many AAA games for PC and consoles, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends, Fortnite, Dishonored 2 and Doom. In addition to localization, The Most Games provides engineering services, works with graphics and sound.

For automation, Redmine is used with its own developments, and the main translation memory tool is memoQ. Three programmers in the company develop authoring tools for checking texts and files, for working with scripts in the studio, and so on.
The Most Games is located in a historical mansion in the north of Moscow.
I estimate that the company can generate about $1 million in revenue per year.

Both ABBYY LS and Tractat translated games before the merger. For both companies it was rather an experiment, a test of the market.
In the merged company, the gaming direction is new and is only gaining momentum. According to ABBYY LS localization manager Maria Fedotova, three project managers are involved in game localization in the department, and a team of tested performers has been prepared with the participation of native speakers. A multimedia manager is connected for voiceover.

There are three main language directions: EFIGS, Russian and languages of the CIS countries, Chinese and Korean. If necessary, ABBYY LS can form a team to work with more than 60 languages. Projects are mainly games for mobile devices (iOS, Android) and social networks (quests and strategies).

According to rough estimates, game localization brings the company about 10 million rubles a year.

Neotech, a giant of project and oil and gas translation in Russia, has already gained five years of experience in the field of game translation and has several large projects in its portfolio. Nevertheless, the company's gaming department is still small, and CEO Sergei Sant has recently started developing it closely. Neotech created a dedicated game localization group with two project managers, an account manager, and a separate website was developed. Work is underway to create our own audio studio and expand the network of recording actors.
Currently, the department is working primarily on translating games from foreign publishers into Russian and Ukrainian.

In 2016, Neotech translated more than 0.2 million words in games and provided services worth about 10 million rubles.

Sergei Gladkov’s company Logrus Global is also involved in game localization in Russia. The company recently launched its own White Hall studio (pictured). The company's specialists participated in the LocJam game localization competition as judges.

I don’t yet have information about the share of Logrus Global’s revenue that comes from games, or the volume in man-hours, so I’m displaying it separately from the list.

Among the clients on the site, mainly major players are listed: Ubisoft, Blizzard, Microsoft Studios, Rockstar Games, 2K Games, Kalypso Media, ZeptoLab, my.com, Madfinger Games.

Customer requirements

Before writing the article, I spoke with localization managers from Blizzard, Warner Brothers Games and Electronic Arts to understand how professional consumers choose translation companies. For all three customers, the main criterion is the experience of projects, previous games localized by a translation company. In this regard, it is difficult to compete with the world market leader - the Irish company Keywords, which is aggressively buying up gaming specialists around the world. However, both Electronic Arts and Blizzard adhere to a multi-vendor model and often hire several smaller teams, physically located in the countries into which languages they are translating, instead of one large general contractor firm. This allows even small firms to work with global brands (if these firms can interest them).

Here's what AAA brands are interested in:

A stable team of full-time game translators and editors who are ready to learn the terminology of the game and the features of its setting
Responsiveness, level of service
Process for handling small orders (multiple lines) throughout the day with no minimum order fee
Additional services (voiceover, testing)
Willingness to take on a huge entry test
Legal entity abroad for payment without currency control

In each performer, large brands are looking for a zest, something that distinguishes the chosen company from all the others. As a rule, this is the charisma of leaders and a passion for games. But it could also be higher productivity compared to competitors or an interesting quality assurance technique.

Market segments: console vs mobile games

Today, due to high graphics standards, developing games for PC and Xbox is an expensive endeavor, comparable to filming a Hollywood blockbuster. The budget of many modern projects exceeds $100 million. This risk is primarily taken on by large publishers, and there are very few of them; the market has consolidated. To get a project to localize a console game, a translation company needs to establish cooperation with leading publishers directly or through general contractors like Keywords. Both publishers and general contractors see a Russian translation company primarily as a specialist in the region and will not give the entire project to such a partner, but only part of it. Accordingly, studios working with AAA titles are highly likely to translate only into Russian and, possibly, into a couple of related languages.

Mobile games and games for social networks do not require large investments in graphics, and therefore there are hundreds of publishers of such applications, including in Russia. Many of them are small companies that develop games in Russian, and if the product is successful in the local market, they translate it and start selling it in other countries. It is much easier for translation companies to find clients among the creators and publishers of mobile games, but it is necessary to take into account that the latter do not need localization into one or two languages, but a whole package: for example, EFIGS (English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) or 10- 12 languages.

Virtual reality (VR) gaming is an emerging industry. The translation of VR games has not yet taken shape as a market, and there may be many opportunities in this niche, if, of course, such games take root.

What is the difficulty of localizing games?

Although games are a fairly large and growing segment, only a few Russian translation companies have learned to work with them.

Firstly, games have unprecedentedly high requirements for translation quality. Thousands of players read texts and listen to game dialogues, clinging to flaws. Once they notice a couple of mistakes, there will be no end to the stream of critical comments on the forums. The publisher, of course, monitors feedback on the forums. In other words, players act as countless police officers of translation quality. The films have the same number of reviewers, but they are short and can be translated by one person. In one large game there can be hundreds and thousands of pages of text, tens of hours of dialogue. It is most often translated without context, and the game is not open to the eyes. It's easy to miss a mistake or lose consistency. Localizing a game well is much more difficult than translating a film.

Secondly, to translate large games, you need teams of player translators who understand gaming terminology and the realities of the fantasy world. Even if you are fluent in English and Russian, pass the “Total Dictation” with 100 points and have literary phraseology at the level of Leo Tolstoy, you will still be baffled by something like AOE CC, termagant brood, Orchid Malevolence and 100kkk. Gamers needed.

And few manage to organize gamers into professional teams.

Despite the fact that game localization is a relatively new industry and, accordingly, does not yet have a sufficient theoretical basis, as it turns out, a lot can be said about it. I propose to briefly consider its features and practical difficulties, as well as remember its pioneers and current figures.

What is localization?

Many people believe that game localization is not much different from traditional translation. However, by definition, localizing a game means not only translating its content into another language, but also culturally bringing it closer to the country or region where it will be distributed.

This process can be associated with many different disciplines such as:

Literature. Depending on the genre, games may include elements of artistic, scientific, technical, everyday and other types of text. Some games, especially those of the RPG genre, can be compared to stories: they have their own plot and their own circle of characters inhabiting an imaginary world.
Games quite often use elements of cinematography - short video clips that introduce players to the plot. The specifics of their translation are reminiscent of the work of translators who create subtitles and dubbing for films.
Music. Background music and sound cues associated with player actions enhance the realism of the game, and therefore in some cases also require localization. For example, in one of the Atari driving simulators, the original dance soundtrack was changed to rock music in the Japanese version, because it better suited the tastes of Japanese players.
In addition, localization has much in common with the process of software translation: in both of them, traditional translation is intertwined with the technical side - variables and other code elements, and the finished product, at best, goes through a QA process, which ensures the absence of bugs and errors. The main focus of game localizers is
to preserve the overall impression, the so-called. “Look-and-feel”, the original version, while software translators focus on the usability of the product depending on the wishes and habits of the target users.

In the beginning, the initiative to create localizations of famous games belonged not to professional translators, but to amateur players.

Specifics of the work of a translator-localizer

Let's move on to the most interesting part - the features and difficulties of the localization process. Depending on the genre, translators may choose different approaches. Genres that use specific terminology (for example, sports and military games) require more precision and work with dictionaries, while role-playing and other story-based games, on the contrary, require more creativity. Considering that terms and their equivalents are more or less standardized things, it is more interesting (albeit more difficult) to translate the second type of game elements.

The names of characters, artifacts, locations and other game realities significantly influence the player’s perception of virtual reality and enhance the “immersion” effect, and therefore special attention should be paid to their translation. For example, in games there are quite often eloquent names (that is, those whose sound reveals certain characteristics of a character or object).

Various techniques for reproducing such names - transliteration, transcription, literal translation or creating something new - is one of the proofs of the need for a good imagination in the work of a game translator.

And it often happens that the native language simply does not give the translator the same freedom as the source language. As a result, problems may arise with the transfer of wordplay, names and distinctive features of the characters' speech, which turn out to be unconventional spellings of words, intentional errors and dialectisms. In such cases, localizers are forced to resort to a compensation method or completely omit untranslatable units, which sometimes leads to significant losses in content.

Another challenge of localization is the limited context through which it is often compared to “working in the dark.” Phrases are often presented without the situation in which they were adopted, for which the translator is forced to look for correspondences that would fit into the widest possible context. The most difficult thing is with words and phrases whose meaning can change depending on the context and which, accordingly, can be translated differently.

It is also worth mentioning the strict limitations associated with text length, which are especially noticeable in the case of translation of the game interface (menus, pop-ups, help, etc.). Thus, developers often use text tables and fields with constant sizes without taking into account the structural differences between languages. And given that translation words are often longer than English ones, translators are often forced to rephrase entire sentences to fit the right words in the right place.

Another problem is variables, or bits of code, that do not have a permanent value. They usually represent characteristics of a character that the player can choose during character creation: name, race, gender, specialty, and the like. When working with analytical languages in which words do not fundamentally change endings and sounds (for example, English), formulas with variables work quite successfully. But with synthetic languages, this approach often causes errors, because variables can affect the forms of words dependent on them.

Compare, for example, the pattern of the original sentence with the variable “has attacked you” and its translation, “attacked (attacked) you.” The first sentence will follow the rules of English grammar regardless of the gender of the attacking player, while the second will either need to be made longer by specifying both options through a line, or paraphrased (such as wrapping it in an impersonal construction or moving a variable). However, there are no clear recommendations for solving this problem, so translators are most often guided by their own intuition.

It is also important to note that games are characterized by multitextuality, that is, the presence of different types of text - interface, dialogues, game story elements, and the like. One of these is the dialogic text type, which in many games can change depending on the course of action the players choose. In other words, the player can choose phrases from a list of options and thereby influence all further conversations.

When the lines of these conversations reach the translators (usually in the form of a table), they are placed in random order, often not following the logic of the story. In addition to the problem of the meaning of a word in a certain context and the unclear relationship between questions and answers, such conversational ramifications lead to another localization challenge - choosing a match for the English “you”.

In general, despite all the problems that translators encounter, game localization is a very interesting task. It is better suited for those who can translate creatively, are not afraid of difficulties and, most importantly, are ready to work not only for their own benefit, but also for the sake of the whole society. It’s nice that over time there are more and more such people, and translations are getting better. In any case, there is nowhere to develop, so we hope that this is just the beginning.

It’s probably no secret that before starting work on a new project, it is necessary to write down the requirements for the text to be translated in the technical specifications together with the client. It may sound boring, but even game texts go through this procedure, without which it is impossible to ensure high quality localization.

At this stage, we will learn about the target language (for example, Mexican or European Spanish), what punctuation marks and symbols are supported in the game: herringbone quotes or straight ones; a dash (en dash or em dash) or a hyphen, about addressing the player (using “you” or “you”), and much more.

But if everything in these points is extremely clear (they just need to be followed), then there are moments that may raise doubts and questions: whether to translate the names of locations, what to do with texts on graphic elements, transliterate or translate completely different realities found in the game, how to deal with wordplay and so on.

We decided to create a document in which we outlined all the controversial issues that arise during the translation process between the developer and the localizer, where we also provided arguments and illustrative examples that would allow us to talk substantively about any changes in the text.

Typically, such documents are compiled and provided by developers for localizers, but we, frankly speaking, took a different path. We gathered all our desire to build mutual understanding with customers and directed it in the right direction. This is how our first collection of General Localization Guidelines appeared, on which our team worked diligently for about a year. In the future, we plan to implement it on all our gaming projects for various companies.

What kind of document is this?

So, we highlighted the following “acute”, in our opinion, points:

completeness of localization (translation of proper names, names of interface elements, translation of game terms, transfer of puns, connection of completeness of localization with dubbing);
the influence of untranslated and transliterated words on the understanding of the text;
level of English language proficiency in Russia;
technical specifications for project localization and uniformity of the translated text;
translation of existing realities;
translation of texts on graphic elements of the game.

From the above points it is clear that we tried to consider the topic of complete localization from all possible angles, explore issues related to other stages of localization, and even reflect the characteristics of the Russian gaming community.

So, if we talk about a document that briefly outlines the rules and guidelines that specialists in various fields must follow in their work, then, probably, we went a little further and created a serious “turnkey” document. Let's look at some points from this document.

Completeness of localization

We tried to support each point with the rules and standards described in authoritative reference books for translators. For example, we used the following sources:

IGDA. Best Practices for Game Localization
Milchin A. E., Cheltsova I. K. Directory of publisher and author. Editorial and publishing design of the publication. M.: 2014
GOST 7.36-2006. Unpublished translation. General requirements and rules of registration
Heather Maxwell Chandler. The Game Localization Handbook. Hingham, 2005

In these sources we found confirmation that first and last names must be transcribed either “taking into account the prevailing language and history. literature tradition”, or close to a foreign sound.

Geographic names should also remain in the target language if such points are on the map.

The same is true with “speaking” names and nicknames: they must be translated, or at least transliterated:

It's no secret that the game interface and game terms are also of great importance, so buttons, signs, names of windows, names of racing tracks - everything must be in the translation language, otherwise the impression of the game may be spoiled.

Play on words and various references to works of art are a real creative challenge for the localizer, and it is a real achievement when it is possible to convey such moments in the game in the target language. Therefore, when we see a requirement to leave everything in English (which does not happen so often, but still), we, frankly speaking, get upset. According to our experience, and based on feedback from players, such moments must be translated and conveyed. Here are some answers from players to the question of what good localization is:

“The play on words has been adapted into Russian, as well as various established expressions.”
“Well-chosen voices for the characters, emotional coloring and wordplay to the point.”
“When translators are “in the know,” the translation, wordplay, and cultural references to something (if present in games) are adequately conveyed and adapted for the Russian-speaking player. In dubbing, first of all, intonation.”
“A well-translated pun or idiom that retains its meaning.”

English language level

Another reason why we insist on full localization of games and talk about this in a separate paragraph in the document is the level of English proficiency in Russia. We have already provided statistics from our survey “What is good localization?” among the players (link), where they talked about the fact that most of the audience assesses their level of English as “below average”.

The same data is provided to us by one of the largest rankings in the world, EF EPI, which annually collects and publishes research on English language proficiency among citizens of various countries. Russia is in 36th place among the assessed countries, of which there are 63 in total, and has an index of 50.43, which by the standards of this methodology is assessed as a low level. In general, this level allows the player to understand simple phrases and names in the game, but may make it difficult to catch wordplay and understand some complex structures and references.

And the players themselves write about the influence of untranslated text on understanding and completing the game. What do they usually consider to be signs of poor localization?

“Spelling and punctuation errors, loss (or replacement) of meaning during translation, cut out parts of text, untranslated text and DLC.”
“Monotone reading of the text, severe distortions of phrases, untranslated pieces of text, dialogue of dubious quality.”
“The monotony and inexpressiveness of the actors’ voices. Untranslated text. Poor literary style."

Voice acting connection

Voice acting is another very obvious reason to translate everything. Players, hearing remarks that alternate between Russian text and untranslated names of locations and achievements, will, at best, change the voice-over language. There is a relationship between translation and dubbing the game, and this type of dubbing may disturb the player, not to mention the fact that he is unlikely to understand anything from the mixture of English-Russian phrases. But we also found out at one time that voice acting plays a very important role, and for most players it is a decisive factor when choosing a game.

Translation of realities

The next interesting point that we covered is the translation of existing realities. What about car brands, aircraft models, institutional names, and many other similar names found in games? This point is perhaps the only one that stands out from the general concept of the document, because in the case of foreign brands in some cases (car brands, musical works) it is allowed to leave such terms without translation.

For example, the names of motorcycles in games can remain in the original language:

However, as for Russian realities, they must be left in their native language, which is logical, because these realities appeared in Russia:

As a recommendation for this point, we proposed compiling a full glossary before starting localization (or during the translation of the first texts) in order to write down and discuss such points with the developers and involve experts in the discussion, if necessary.

Translation of graphic elements

Another difficulty is translating graphic elements. The fact is that often at the development stage, various images containing text information (for example, maps) are created in an uneditable format, and it is not possible to localize the text. There is still the option of redrawing, but if this step is not planned in advance, it can be difficult to squeeze this task into the process.

Thus, the only recommendation that we made for the customer at this particular point was to plan for such moments in the early stages of development (creating editable graphic elements or planning redrawing and including it in the game budget).

Conclusion

Some people think that creating such documents in order to convey to the customer the features of Russian localization is a waste of time. We see this as a huge potential and an opportunity to build the right relationship between the localizer and the developer during the creation of a new game.

As a result, we ended up with a detailed document in which we covered a wide range of issues related to the completeness of game localization. Of course, for the customer we also provided many examples from specific projects on which we worked, thanks to which the document did not turn into just another theoretical manual. Fortunately, we were heard by the developers of the company for which the document was created.