Videogame Localization and Internationalization

The videogame industry has grown and expanded constantly, going from being a
children-oriented novelty to becoming a regular and serious activity for teenagers and
adults worldwide. However, it hasnt been until fairly recently that videogames have
become subject matter for many disciplines, including Translation. Proof of this is the
fact that even though the first marketed videogames emerged during the late 60s and
early 70s, it wasnt until the late 80s that developing companies decided to translate their
products to English and other languages to sell them abroad. Before this, much of the
translations for videogames were done underground by fans for fans with the legal and
technical difficulties this inevitably carries. This changed when software localization
emerged in the 90s.
The term localization is common in various areas, such as geography and economy
(Bernal-Merino, 2006); however, the software translation industry has adopted it as its
own to define the process of taking a product and making it linguistically and culturally
appropriate to the target locale (country/region and language) where it will be used and
sold (Esselink, 2000, cited by Bernal-Merino). OHagan (2005) states that during the
early 90s the term GILT (Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation)
was coined when it became necessary to combine translation with software
programming because this association implied new processes, such as functionality and
linguistic testing of the finished product.
Nowadays, most videogame producers plan their games with a global market in mind,
something that didnt happen ten years ago, according to Heather Chandler, author of
The Game Localization Handbook. The reason behind this is simple and logical: it is
cheaper and more cost-efficient to create a game and translate it at the same time rather
than leaving the translation process until the very end. The latter option causes localized
versions of the game to be released anywhere between a month and three later than the
original, which may cause loss of profit for the producers. With the implementation of a
streamlined localization process, different versions of the same game can be launched
within weeks or even days of each other, resulting in a huge benefit not only for the
producers but to the gamers, as well.

However, not all companies have embraced this work method. Jeremy Blaustein is
one of the most renowned game localizers. In his experience, some companies still dont
understand the importance of localization or how it works and still ask their localizers to
translate 500,000 words in a month so the localized version of a game can ship at the
same time as the original. This, of course, is not possible, and when localizers try to
achieve this sort of deadline, the end result is disappointing, to say the least. Blaustein
goes on to explain that localizers not only translate but recreate the emotions and
reactions the original audience experienced so that a second or third market can relate
to the game in the way the creators intended.
It is clear that translation, or localization, of videogames has come a long way since
its beginnings in the early 90s. However, it is also clear that many videogame producers
are still unaware of its importance and its internal workings, which leads them to
disregard it and leave it as the very last step in the videogame creation process. It is the
task of translators, as it has always been, to help producers understand that localization
must be a parallel process during a videogames development by showing them the
difference between a rushed job and one that has followed the appropriate steps and
processes.
References
Bernal-Merino, M. (2006) On the Translation of Video Games. The Journal of Specialized
Translation, Issue 6, July 2006. Recuperado de
http://www.jostrans.org/issue06/art_bernal.php
bytelevel/research. Taking Video Games Global: An Interview with Heather Chandler. bythelevel.
Recovered from http://bytelevel.com/global/game_globalization.html
Clark, K. The Video Game Translation Game. Translation Guy Blog. Recuperado de http://www.1800-translate.com/TranslationBlog/translation/the-video-game-translation-game/
O'Hagan, M. (2005) Multidimensional Translation: A Game Plan for Audiovisual Translation in the
Age of GILT. MuTra Dublin City University. Recovered from
http://www.iatis.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=301:fun-for-all-iiinternational-conference-on-translation-and-accessibility-in-video-games-and-virtualworlds-searching-for-best-practices&Itemid=62