The jet-propelled world of game development is closely related to the broad spectrum of game translation. Game creation and game development are closely knotted when it comes to global marketing. Today, every game developer wants to be a part of global gaming trends. Amid the high competition, the global launch of any game is impossible without the assistance of professional game translation services. Moreover, with close gaming communities of Discord, the global gaming community has become more centralized and open than ever. Putting pressure on the game developers and publishers to create linguistically accurate and culturally sound game translations and all other in-game elements like graphics, game dialogues, character dialogues, and character graphics, etc.
However, it is important to note that, if good game translations can boost the global credibility of a game, sloppy translations can also damage the game’s reputation and turn it into a meme like what happened to the Japanese video game Zero Wing (ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US). Today, we will focus on the seemingly technical but the most important elements of video game translations. Ranging from the start of a game translation project, selecting the language service provider, pre-translation requirements, technical aspects, elements of cultural and linguistic elements, use of translation technologies, seamless execution, and importance of testing before deployment.
Important Components of Game Translation Project
It is important to have a clear understanding of the importance of video game translation before and during the game development phase. Moreover, after development, make sure that all the coding-related elements of internationalization e.g. languages, dates, flags, etc are added. Below are some of the important elements that are required to be taken care of before and during the process of game translation.
- Compilation of all the game-related content (chronological character development, description of every character, game story progression, etc).
- Clear understanding and written information related to legal and regulatory compliance according to the target regions.
- Completion of all the required supported documents, information, and limitations.
- Discussions with professional language service providers related to the supposed game translation workflow and resource allocation.
- Apart from the project management of the game translation company, establishment of an in-house game translation project management.
- Establishment of a professional point of contact between game developers, marketing professionals, and localization managers.
- After the ideation of deliverables, set realistic expectations for future progress assessment.
- Set testing protocols and agree on a standard testing process before the final launch.
As you might have noticed, these are seemingly less discussed and mostly ignored but are the most essential elements of a successful game translation roadmap.
Linguistic & Cultural Prerequisites of Game Translations
As a game developer and publisher, you must be updated about the industry requirements of the target language, game genre, and cultural nuances of the target region(s). Be mindful of the successes and failed stories in the contemporary game development landscape. Below are the mostly ignored, but most essential elements of the game translation workflow.
Geo-Political Elements
Some target regions are not used to seeing certain levels of explicit and graphic information and imagery. Additionally, the governing authorities of certain regions restrict the information that does not align with the narrative of the state. The portrayal of the world map is an essential part of most games. This puts pressure on the game developers to display the disputed border areas that might not be acceptable for some regions and creates a geo-political limitation for game developers, publishers, and game translators.
Religious Elements
Different regions and cultures have different tolerance levels when it comes to religious connotations of imagery, symbolism, and language. Adherence to the religious sentiments of the target region(s) is an important prerequisite for gaming translation services.
Ethnic Elements
In game development and plot progression, certain portraits of racial and ethnic elements can project a biased impression about game developers. These elements have become more relevant in recent years. Game developers and game translators need to be careful of how they choose to portray the ethnic elements in the character development.
Historic Elements
Cultures are hardcoded in the historic events, and any level of amalgamation in the cultural context of the regional historic preferences can cause a backlash from the local community.
Spatial Limitations
It is important to note that some languages are shorter and longer when translated, which will impact the spacing and UX elements of the game and contribute as an important factor in the effective game translation process.
Game Story Context
It is a standard procedure to provide the translation company with a detailed and written game story with elaborated character development and game plot. It will greatly help the translators to understand the intended structure of a game and they will easily make it culturally relatable to the target regions.
Takeaways
The global gaming landscape is filled with big competitive players and to navigate through the high-end gaming industry, linguistically sound and culturally accurate game translations are a must. It will build your global player base and provide you with a competitive advantage. For the global success of your future game translation projects, make sure to be mindful of the above-mentioned elements.
