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10 Gaming Translation Examples, What To Watch For

On December 27, 2019 / Machine Translation / Leave a comment

This post was last updated on August 28th, 2020 at 10:08 am

10 Gaming Translation Examples, What To Watch For

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(Last Updated On: August 28, 2020)

When things changed for the human race and the basic necessities were acquired, methods of entertainment started catching our attention. When the first world no longer had to worry about food and shelter like their ancestors, they started focusing on other things. When people got done with their jobs and went home, they needed something to freshen them up. Entertainment is something we have always needed. Our ancestors had folklores and songs to keep themselves entertained. But we had better resources and so, we were able to create industries tasked with creating engaging content. Even the busiest of people watch a few movies every year. But Hollywood isn’t the only good thing about the entertainment world.

There are different forms of entertainment and some of them are interactive in nature. This is the type of content in which people can make choices and see how they affect the outcome of a situation. Interactive media is a lot more interesting than movies. This is why entertainment companies are venturing into interactive content too. Being able to control the situation is pretty interesting. Imagine if you could decide the way your favorite movie ends, now that would be amazing.

A lot of people question the usefulness of video games, but there’s no denying the fact that they have helped technology and graphics progress in a way that would have been impossible otherwise. There are virtual reality games that feel pretty real and let people experience a whole new world. It is astonishing to think about the origins of gaming and how far we have come now. Just putting on a headset can transfer us to a different place. Even then, it isn’t just about graphics. Games have pretty interesting storylines that keep people engaged while they try to figure out a way to get to the finish line.

People from all over the world play games which means they have to be translated in multiple languages to facilitate the players. However, it isn’t that easy to translate games. Many companies go for machine translation which result in hilarious results, especially when interpreting a language into English. A lot of games are made in Japan, which then get translated into English by machines. If professionals handle the language services, the results will be a lot better and far more accurate.

How can I translate a game into English?

If you want accurate translation of a game then you should hire qualified experts for the job. Studios hire professional translators and then provide them with source files so they can easily translate the text. If someone does not have the source files, it will be impossible for them to find an easy way to translate a game.
What is the best free translator?

For everyday uses, Google Translate is the best free translator. You can upload images to the app and get its translation. It is also very useful for real-time translation. People can use the voice feature and speak into the app. The app will show the translation on screen and will also read it out loud if needed.
How do I use Google Translate for games?

Google Translate is only useful for everyday conversations. It will not be able to provide you with accurate results if you upload a complex document. However, people can upload source files of games to Google Translate to get the translation. This often happens when studios don’t offer multiple language versions of a game.
Is there an app that will automatically translate?

Google Translate is pretty close to a program that can offer translations automatically. When users choose the speech option, they will be able to get translations as soon as they finish speaking. If someone installs the app on their phone, they can get translations of texts inside any other application.

10 Gaming Translation Examples:

If you have ever played Zero Wing, you must have come across over a dozen of weird English sentences. The reason they are there is the original content was in Japanese and it was translated into English with the help of a software. This is why many sentences are grammatically incorrect.

There are plenty of examples where localization was also not taken into consideration. In such a situation, the meaning of jokes was lost even on the speakers of same language. Since there is a slight difference between British and American English, that can be a problem when interpreting dialogues. Developers used to focus on their language and ignore the fact that something might not work at all when interpreted.

What to Watch for When Translating Games?

Things have changed now and companies know better than to use software of inexperienced translators. They hire a full team for the task of localization. Without that, the fun of the games will be lost to a huge number of world’s population. Despite English’s popularity, it still can’t be the only tongue in a game as there are plenty of people in the world who can’t read or understand it.

Talk to the Client:

You will have many confusions about the code, dialogues, gender, and jokes. But only way to get around that problem is talking to your client. Talk to them about any and every issue instead of assuming something which will end up increasing your workload in the future.

Use CAT Tool:

Computer Assisted Translation tool is helpful in every situation but more so when you are interpreting more than ten thousand words. It will remember the common terms and how you translated them the first time. This will help you maintain consistency in the tone.

Make a Glossary:

Note down every common item’s translation. This may seem like a lot of work but it will be worth it. You can’t possibly remember every word but if you start using their alternatives each time you forget something, it will make the translation look out of place and disorganized.

Localization:

Remember to change terms and names according to the culture of the people you are interpreting the game for. Ask yourself questions like what name would appeal more to the target audience and which dialogue will not make sense to them. Interpret according to the answers you come up with.

Character Guide:

You need to create different tones for each character. The best way to do that is by playing the game yourself and seeing how each character talks, where they come from, and what’s their story. You can take notes while playing and then use that information when translating their dialogues. This will give the characters a more authentic voice regardless of the language they are speaking.

Translating a game can be a bit complicated, but not if you have all the information at your disposal. Clear all confusions with your client so you don’t make any mistakes that will take away the meaning of the story.