For Game Developers: How to Start Language Localisation of Your Project

Developing a video game is quite a fun process on its own, regardless of the role of a person in a team or the aim of the game. While it seems like the developers and game designers have the most fun, there is another person who might do the most interesting and creative job. And that person is the video game localisation specialist.

With the gaming industry getting extremely big for the last couple of years and the games becoming so popular worldwide, many translators today opt to go in localisation and work with video games in particular as the reasons to localise games are many. But while localisation specialists have fun doing their job, what are the responsibilities of the game developers in order to ensure that their colleagues work as productively as possible?

Setting Things Up for Localisation

The work of localisation specialists is very close to that of the developer team and oftentimes the video game development companies gather teams containing localisers. The reason for localising the game right after its original version is completed or even developing the localised version simultaneously is that this simply saves the resources. And the point here relies primarily on the main point of localisation in the first place.

Localisation in video games (and not only video games) is the process of adapting the product to a target consumer in a certain country. The process and its idea seem similar to the translation, except localisation considers more factors and, hence, involves more processes. As such, aside from translating dialogue and textual elements of the game’s interface, localisers also work on cultural appeal by replacing certain parts of the dialogue with something that people of a certain cultural background will be able to understand and appreciate. For instance, in most cases, humorous remarks and jokes are almost always localised. In addition, certain graphic elements can be changed in the game like sign plates within the game or even the appearance of some of the characters. And in order for this kind of work to be done as smoothly as possible, some of the following should be considered.

• Cooperate with localisers. In video game development like in the whole IT industry, cooperation between colleagues often plays a vital role. And the same applies to the communication between the developer and localisation team members as well. Most of the top translation services online that offer localisation solutions as well note that their specialists point out communication as the most important process in video game localisation. So, make sure to provide your localisers with as much information as possible as early as possible, and don’t forget to check any messages from there on the regular basis.
• Create a responsive and adaptive interface. Different languages take different amounts of visual space, which inevitably influences the look of the interface. Some buttons or tooltips will be longer in some languages than in others. And don’t forget about the signs in the game itself mentioned before. Some graphical elements must also be adjusted for the localised game, so keep that in mind as well and always stay in touch with the localisation specialists.
• Provide all text available in the game separately from the code. Not all localisation specialists work directly with programming codes. So, not all of them will be able to find what needs to be translated or localised in the first place. To avoid such a situation and, consequently, unnecessary questions that will slow the work down, make sure your technical writer keeps track of all the text inserted into the game and pass it to the localisers when the final version is complete.
• Provide the original fonts to localisers. If you want to get your game fully localised, make sure your font designer shares their share of the work in its final version with the localisation specialists. This way, you’ll ensure that the localised version of your game looks consistent in every possible aspect. And one of the most visually obvious aspects is the use of fonts in the interface text.
• Use placeholders and provide access to them. In today’s dynamic and non-linear video games, hard coding many parts of the script is just nonsense. So, using placeholders for numbers, names, objects, and other elements in the game is normal. Still, should those placeholders be provided out of the context they used in, and they become quite useless. In some languages, for instance, the subject can be modified by the number, so in case if there’s no context, the text in the localised game will look awkward at least.

The Game of Localisation

While the process of video game localisation seems fun and exciting, it can also be overwhelmingly challenging. Regardless of whether the localisation specialists work right next to you in a team or they work independently, communication with them is the key. Only by knowing the aspects and specifications of the game design, the localisers will be able to produce the expected result. Likewise, if you and your developer team are aware of all possible localisation aspects, you will be able to adapt the game so that the localisation process went as smoothly as possible. As a result, everyone is happy with their job and the great game is produced for more people around the world.

About the author:

Enthusiastic and interested in nearly everything he encounters; Michael Carr is always there when something interesting is coming. His articles are usually filled with tons of information, most of which is worthy to be read. Michael’s notion in work is to never stop and share his experiences with others in order to grow personally and professionally.

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