1UP Loc Blog
Just another video game localization blog with lots of info for aspiring game translators and game developers, enriched through interviews with people from the game industry.
Should we localize dialects into Italian? Image courtesy of MaxPixel.
The use of Italian accents and/or dialects in games is quite tricky, if you ask me, as the association with certain stereotypes is almost inevitable. In general, southern Italy is portrayed as a poorer and more ignorant part of the country (not to mention the mafia situation), whereas northern Italy is generally considered richer, and therefore posh and educated.
Read MoreImage courtesy of MaxPixel
In video games, we get to meet characters who are larger than life, caricatures of real people. They dress in a very specific way, have their own strong personality and are sometimes further differentiated by having a nationality, an ethnicity, real or not, which can be associated with a corresponding accent.
Read MoreImage courtesy of MaxPixel
"Almost died first year I come to school and et them pecans—folks say he pizened ‘em and put ‘em over on the school side of the fence."
What impression does this line give you? Does the speaker sound male or female? Young or old? Asian or American?
This was a line by little Walter of one of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and the boy was speaking in a Southern American accent.
Just as in books and movies, whenever we meet characters in a video game, we automatically try to make sense of their background based on different cues: hair and skin color (hello, orc!), way they dress (are you a troll or a hobo?), weapons they carry (is this a scimitar you got there, or are you just happy to see me?), and the way they communicate.
Read MorePlenty of great advice has been published on the best practices for game localization and how to make a game localization-friendly. But what if you don't want to be friendly? What if you're an adventurer, a fierce rebel who couldn't care less how your game sells in other countries and how cumbersome the whole localization process will be? Combine several of the following to enjoy the worst possible result for all parties involved. Oh, and don't try this at home.
Read MoreImage courtesy of alwaystranslated.com
You probably, hopefully know that there is more to being a game translator than knowing two languages and owning an Apple device. But I bet there are many skills you do not expect us to need in order to do our job. Let me tell you, we are not JUST translators.
We are an endless array of quirky personas. And we morph into several of them in the course of a single translation project.
Meet my top 8 translation superheroes!!
It's LocJAM time again! LocJAM is a yearly game localization contest for both newbie and experienced translators. It’s free, and open to everyone. You have two weeks to translate a game that would normally take a day or two to finish, and you might even win a small prize.
Read MoreNo piece of writing is good without a proper round (or three, or ten!) of editing and proofreading. Ideally, someone else will polish your writing, but even then it's advisable to give your own work another check. Whether it's your own work or someone else's—I've gathered some tips to help clean up written words and listed them in no particular order.
Read MoreOne of the many things I will miss about Berlin is the Computerspielemuseum. So I thought I should share my impressions with you. I am not affiliated with the museum in any way. However, I love museums, I love games, and I love supporting the cause of learning about games.
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