Origins of Video Game Localization Services
Important Moments in the History of Game Localization:
The Rise of Japanese Games: In the late 1980s and early 90s, gaming giants like Nintendo started creating high-end games worldwide. These games eventually made their way to Western markets, demanding translation and localization services to tailor and adapt them for players in the West.
Growth of Console Gaming: As gaming consoles became more prevalent in households worldwide, the demand for localized content increased. Developers realized that to maximize sales, they needed to cater to diverse audiences’ linguistic and cultural preferences.
Expansion of PC Gaming: The rise of personal computers and the global popularity of PC gaming further emphasized the importance of localization. PC games often had more complex narratives and text-heavy content, making accurate translation crucial for player comprehension and enjoyment.
Multinational Development Teams: With the globalization of the gaming industry, many development teams have become multinational, with members from different countries working together. This diversity highlighted the need for effective communication and understanding various cultural nuances within the development process.
Advancements in Technology: As technology advanced, the complexity of games increased, incorporating voice acting, cinematics, and intricate storylines. Game localization expanded beyond simple text translation to include voice acting, cultural adaptation, and ensuring that jokes, references, and idioms made sense in the target language and culture.
Online and Mobile Gaming: The source of online and mobile gaming further increased the need for game localization. Games with a service-based model, frequent updates, and in-app purchases required ongoing localization efforts to keep up with a global player base.
Styles of Localization in the Gaming Industry
Localization can take various forms within the gaming industry depending on its requirements and the target audience’s tastes.
Here are several types of game localization:
Literal Translation:
This style involves a straightforward translation of the in-game text with little regard for cultural or linguistic nuances. It focuses on preserving the original text’s meaning as closely as possible.
The literal translation is often suitable for games with minimal narrative complexity or cultural references, where clarity and simplicity are prioritized.
Cultural Adaptation:
Cultural adaptation goes beyond literal translation to ensure the game aligns with the target audience’s cultural norms, references, and preferences. This may involve modifying dialogue, visuals, and gameplay elements to suit the cultural context.
Games with humor, references, or scenarios deeply rooted in a specific culture benefit from cultural adaptation to make the experience more relatable and enjoyable for players in different regions.
Transcreation:
Transcreation, or creative translation, involves a more artistic and expressive approach. Transcreators have the freedom to adapt content creatively, maintaining the original intent while tailoring it to the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target audience.
Games with poetic language, wordplay, or abstract concepts may benefit from transcreation to capture the essence of the original content in a way that resonates with diverse audiences.
Linguistic and Regional Variations:
This style takes into account linguistic variations within a language or regional differences. It involves adapting the localization to suit specific dialects, vocabulary choices, and cultural differences within a language or region.
Adjusting the localization to reflect regional differences can enhance the game’s authenticity for languages spoken in multiple countries with distinct variations, such as Spanish or English.
Dubbing and Voice Acting:
Localization extends beyond text to include voice acting and dubbing. This style involves re-recording dialogue with voice actors who speak the target language, ensuring the characters sound natural and authentic to the audience.
Games with complex narratives, character-driven stories, or cinematic experiences often benefit from dubbing to provide a more immersive and culturally relevant audio experience.
Globalization:
Globalization involves designing a game from the outset with international markets in mind. This includes creating culturally neutral or adaptable content, allowing for easier localization across diverse regions.
Games developed with a global audience in mind, aiming to minimize the need for extensive localization efforts by creating universally appealing and culturally adaptable content.
User-Generated Content and Modding Support:
Offering tools and support for user-generated content creation and modding allows gaming communities to contribute directly to localization efforts. Players can create their own translations, cultural adaptations, and modifications.
This approach encourages community engagement and allows players to personalize the gaming experience according to their linguistic and cultural preferences.