"The translated version of a game is never as good as the original."
"The German version of this game sucks!"
"The text does not fit in the textbox! Why did the translator not write a shorter text?"
"I know for a fact that these kanji mean 'fire' and 'mountain'! Why has it been translated as 'volcano'?!?"
How to Translate a Video Game—7 Common Challenges And Solutions
If you're an aspiring game translator, you might have heard of the LocJAM, the game translation contest. It is a video game translation competition that is now in its third year. And it's getting bigger and more and more popular, with new languages being added every year. The cool thing is that—unlike in the usual game translator's projects—you have the chance to see your translation in-game immediately. This means that not only can you see your translation in context, but are also able to adjust your text accordingly and fix text bugs right away.
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Image via MaxPixel
People in Games: Audio Lead Steffen Stark On Audio Localization And Voice Actors
Steffen and I were colleagues for only two weeks. Unfortunately—because he is a pro when it comes to audio localization and I would have loved to learn more about these procedures. Luckily, he agreed to answer some questions I've had for a long time. And he does so very bluntly.
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Pic by maxpixel.com
People in Games—Agile Coach Sabine Hahn About Diversity in the Games Industry
I met Sabine at the Berlin Game Forum. She held a very moving talk about diversity in the games industry. What she said really made me think. I feel more people should hear what she has to say.
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Mesa no kno wot doo—Why robots don't sell apps in Germany
First impressions matter. You don’t go on a date with food in your teeth. You don’t go to a job interview in ripped trousers (heavy metal drummer interviews excluded, of course). You don’t meet your in-laws hungover from the previous night. And you don’t put your app for sale in local app stores with a machine translated app description. Especially not in Germany.
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Image courtesy of MaxPixel
The Game Translator—Multiple Personality Order
There are countless possible settings in which to place the action in a video game. It could take place in China during the Ming dynasty, any real or imagined galaxy, grandma's garden, some fictional 2D cartoon world, post-war Europe, or Salt Lake City after a zombie apocalypse (real or imagined).
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Image courtesy of MaxPixel
People in Games With Stephen Espion—How Do You Become a Business Development Manager in the Game Industry?
I met Stephen in Málaga in 2012 when I worked there as a localization tester. Stephen is an awesome guy and knows the video game industry quite well. I am happy he agreed to be thoroughly questioned as the first guest in the People in Games interview series.
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Image courtesy of MaxPixel
Announcement: New Interview Series "People in Games"
Before I worked in game localization, I did not realize how many strings had to be pulled to make a video game happen before I could finally enjoy it on my couch. And even now I don't really know.
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