Video Game Localization
Video game localization is the process of translating a video game for another specific region and adapting it according to the related culture.
Video game localization is more than just translating the in-game text. It includes any changes made to a game, including altering art assets, creating new packaging and manuals, cutting out whole portions of the game due to differing cultural sensitivities and/or local legal requirements, and even adding sections to replace cut content.
Video game localization has more steps than the common translation process. A game testing team plays the game first to create style guides, termbases, custom translation memories and related glossaries. They take screenshots, recordings or other snippets of what they think is important and deliver them to the translation team. Only then the translation team starts the localization process. It is important for localization specialists to be familiar with the gaming industry and with the genre they translate.
There are also automated translations, mainly repetitions, that come from translation memory. Certain documents in the game do not often change and they are also seen in each release of the game, or if the game is a new release in an already existing series, some aspects like character names and place names are repeated. These could be auto-translated.
The proofreading comes in when the translator has finished the localization. Proofreaders guarantee that the game and all its components follow their style standards, including the agreed glossaries, ensuring that translation quality is met. If something does not appear to be correct, the team works with the translator to correct them.
During the quality assurance phase, the QA team checks how the translation works in the target language. They look at how the translated content appears in-game. After gathering input on the translation, the QA team collaborates with the translators and proofreaders to make any required changes and generate a summary report that includes any concerns the client would have to resolve.
