Start Game: Game Development and Localization
By Heather Maxwell Chandler

The Game Localization Handbook Available October 2004 - Order Now! To Purchase The Game Localization Handbook and for more information As games become more popular in international markets, developers and publishers are looking for ways to localize their games quickly in order to capitalize on these markets. The Game Localization Handbook provides game developers with a detailed process for planning and executing successful localizations. Written for project managers and translators, the book details the many special considerations to make when working on game localizations, focusing on near-simultaneous releases. The content will also be of interest to anyone who needs to create localization-friendly games, including programmers, artists, designers, and testers. FEATURES Concentrates on software localization specifically for the game industry Discusses software localization for major gaming platforms Provides a detailed plan for planning and executing localized game SKUs. Concentrates on localizations for European and Asian languages Offers advice from industry professionals on how to achieve localization-friendly development and offers real-world case studies

Since computer and video games are an entertainment medium, there are some special needs to consider when localizing them for sale in other countries. The most important requirement is to accurately translate all the text and voiceovers to correctly present the context of the game. Players will be removed from the entertainment experience if the translations are incorrect or do not reinforce the look and feel of the game.

One well-known example of questionable translations is from a Sega Genesis game called Zero Wing, a space-shooter published by Toaplan in 1991. Because of its success in the Japanese market, the game was translated into English. The main villain makes his grand entrance at the beginning of the game and boldly says, “How are you gentlemen. All your base are belong to us!!” His threat is clearly neutralized by the awkward phrasing and unintended humor of his dialogue.

As international markets become larger, developers are paying closer attention to the quality of localized versions. Instead of treating them as an afterthought, developers are now planning for localized versions earlier in the development cycle. A localization vendor can help a developer produce high quality, localized games in the following areas:
• Translation
• Localized Voiceover Recording
• Asset Integration
• Linguistic Testing

Localization vendors who have experience translating entertainment products are especially desirable. They have a fundamental understanding of how important the context of the translations is. Additionally, if they have experience in localizing video games, they will have a better understanding of how all the text will fit together in an interactive medium. Since players have choices in the game, the translator needs to make sure everything is consistent throughout the text and voiceover, in order to maintain the player’s interest in the game.

Localized voiceovers are another area where language expertise is sought. Voiceover production plays a big part in games and it is important that the voice acting is of high quality and matches the tone and delivery of the acting in the original game. From a technical side, the sound files need to be processed properly and be in the desired format. Developers will work closely with the localization vendor to validate the quality of the text translations and voiceover recordings. Again, the localized versions must be of the same quality as the primary version whenever possible. This will support the game publisher’s reputation internationally, because international gamers appreciate the extra effort that goes into customizing versions specifically for them.

Asset integration is an area where the developer looks for speed and technical expertise. Thus, a vendor who can deliver a complete set of integrated assets in a short amount of time is a valuable resource. If the assets are in a localization-friendly format, this should not be a problem, however; if asset integration requires a complex production pipeline, the developer will require an experienced vendor to reduce production life cycles. In most cases, the developer will want to release all languages simultaneously in order to capitalize on the benefits of a worldwide release; this is especially true of big-budget game titles. It is critical to get the localized versions to market before gray market goods and pirated versions become readily available.

Linguistic testing requires vendors who are experienced in testing game software. While a vendor may not be responsible for reporting functionality bugs, it is vital that they have testers who understand the mechanics of testing games and are familiar with basic game play elements.

A few years ago while I was visiting a developer in Italy, I started talking with one of the game designers about localized versions. His general opinion was that games localized into Italian pull him out of the game experience because of the poor translations and weak voice acting. He preferred to play the original English versions, as they provided him a more enjoyable gaming experience. This is rapidly changing and the quality of the localized versions are indeed becoming on par with the quality of the original version of the game.

The advantages to utilizing a full service localization vendor clearly benefit game developers. Outsourcing to an experienced vendor enables the developer to not only manage the work more easily, but it also allows the developer to concentrate on completing the primary version of the game, instead of worrying about the secondary languages.

About Heather Chandler
Heather Maxwell Chandler is a multimedia producer with over nine years of computer and video game industry experience. She is currently the producer for Ghost Recon 2 at Red Storm Entertainment. Heather recently wrote The Game Localization Handbook which will be published by Charles River Media in October 2004. She also wrote several articles for Secrets of the Game Business, published by Charles River Media. She has a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and an M.A. from the USC School of Cinema-Television. For more information, visit www.mediasunshine.com.