When it comes to the professional localization of video games, few people are aware of the basic skills required to work in this field. Should you be stuck to your gaming console 24/7? Do you need to know how to program to understand which files to be translated? Must one know Japanese? How can one specialize in this? Let’s take a look at the main recommendations for working in this domain.
n recent years, as the range of games offered to different kinds of audiences has expanded considerably, so has the number of games
translated increased. Spending an afternoon playing console-based games is no longer considered ”just for kids”. This is good news for
translators, as the demand for video game professionals has increased along with this boom. It is also one of the most attractive sectors for
young translators today, many of whom have spent a good chunk of their youth playing video games.
So, how can you make a name for yourself in this sector? 5 tips to achieve this:
-
Full working proficiency in English.
Like it or not, the vast majority of translations in this sector are based in English, even if the original video game may not be. Thus, if the
source text is in Japanese or Chinese, it will most likely be first translated into American English and then into the four main European
languages (French, Italian, German and Spanish, or FIGS*, as known within the industry). The reason is straightforward: it is much
cheaper (in terms of money and availability) to hire a translator who translates from English to Spanish than one who translates from
Japanese to Spanish. In addition, this ensures consistency in certain aspects, such as the names of the characters (sometimes, in the case of
role-playing games, it is better to keep the English name rather than localize it). Of course, there are games translated from other languages,
and Japan also has its own market, as well. But you are much more likely to make a name for yourself in this domain if you translate from
English.
-
Play as much as is possible.
Fortunately, a master’s inlocalizing video games isn’t required to specialize in this sector. Of course, it is always advisable to opt for
specialized courses, but unlike in fields such as medicine or mechanical engineering, it is not necessary to study as much to specialize in a
field as the best (and the most fun) part is playing several types of games (strategy, action, role, platform) is all that is required to get an idea
of the language and the issues that one can encounter. The more you play, the better. But, it’s just as important to know that you don’t have
to be an avid player.
-
Bring out your creative side.
Although each video game has its own identity and each genre has its own characteristics, there is one thing in common amongst these
entertainment products: creativity! If the game is futuristic, it will certainly contain terminology relating to all kinds of advanced equipment.
If it is a fantastic, role-playing game in the Middle Ages, you will find all kinds of weapons with characteristic names and even find
characters with unique accents or a particular way of speaking. If it is a platform game, you will have to use relatively simple language that
will allow you to draw a smile on the player’s face when reading it (jokes and pranks are very welcome!). We must therefore be able to give
our imagination free rein to create unique texts
-
Be true to your audience, not to the original text.
That’s why we call it ”Video Game Localization” and not just ”Translation of Video Games”. The translator should be able to adapt the
material to the target culture, and for that, one must sometimes forget the source text to not taint the translation. The players identify with
the characters in the video games. They greatly enjoy the use of familiar expressions and not artificial-sounding expressions that only
resemble literal translations of the original.
-
Understanding the technical aspects of localization.
