Translation for video games – a “glocal” business!

When someone says that “Gaming is a serious matter”, some still might take that as an oxymoron, but every day more and more people are realizing the truth behind this once popular misconception. With expectations of $74 billion in earnings for 2015 according to a report from SuperData Research, video games have become THE thing, surpassing Hollywood and any other entertainment industry.

The boom of video games is as evident as it is international, and as such, it requires a proportionally huge investment in good translation.

According to Joost van Dreunen, CEO from SuperData Research, “Today, people don’t just consume entertainment but increasingly play an active part in it.” And for this to be possible, language is key. Gamers want to savor their favorite games in their own languages in order to get a complete sense of immersion and identification with the story of the video game as it unfolds.

Translation for video games is definitely one of a kind.

First of all, localization is extremely important. Even if you have all your text translated for a video game, gamers from UK want to hear their characters speak English with a UK accent and use UK expressions; gamers from Mexico want to hear Spanish with Mexican accents and idioms; French gamers will always prefer French accents over Canadian ones. Not taking this into consideration will break that precious “immersion effect” that can easily be the difference between success and failure for a game – and the industry is competitive enough as it is!

Video game translation also tends to be difficult due to technical aspects, such as character limitation and audio synchronization. Also, when a game is very big or has prequels and/or sequels, consistency is a major issue – and you can be sure that if something is not properly researched and proofed, the gamers will most likely express their outrage openly. Such is the industry nowadays: the final customers have as much of a saying as the companies themselves.

Lastly, initiatives such as Kickstarter and the lower costs of video game production in general due to newer, more efficient technologies have caused the emergence of millions of independent video game companies in recent years. This means that small companies need translation done fast, efficiently and at affordable prices in order not to go over budget.

Thus, it seems like a logical conclusion for a small, versatile translation company known for its efficiency, excellent price-performance ratio and delivery speed to be their best option.

Good thing that at inWhatLanguage we have a group of extremely professional linguists ready to work on gaming translation whenever the need arises! At inWhatLanguage, we are proud of our large networks of local translators who “get” the people you are targeting. We want you to become a “glocal” phenomenon – a global company that excels at localizing to needs around the world.

And “glocal” translation is definitely the way to go when it comes to video games!

Honesty – a translator’s most powerful quality

A translator’s livelihood depends on many factors: the quality of their work, their rates, their reliability, the chances they get to demonstrate their skills... It’s not always easy. Competition is fierce. Beginnings tend to be shaky, and it takes a while to build up a reputation. And certain mistakes can be fatal.

In a world where demand for all sorts of translations in all languages imaginable are in higher and higher demand, it is easy to give in to the temptation of exaggerating one’s capabilities.

Obviously, it’s all about the math: if a person says that they can translate from/to one language, that person will get a certain amount of projects. If that person proclaims that they can do translations from/to two languages, the workload doubles.

However, in the long term, truly experienced translators know that it is not about the quantity – it is about the quality.

A translator must be native in one language and fluent in another (at least) in order to offer high-quality translations in that particular combination of languages. Anything less than a native or almost-native level in any of those languages will result in lower-quality translations that, in the end, will leave a dent in the reputation of said translator.

There are special cases, of course, but generally speaking, it is in the best interest of the translator to focus on their native tongue and second language to perform at their best, earn the trust of their clients, and keep getting job after job.

If, as a translator, you feel that you can also do a good job with other languages, feel free to say so – but be ALWAYS honest.

If you have studied French for many years, that might help you work in translations FROM French, but that might not be enough for you to translate TO French. If you are fluent in Latinamerican Spanish, you might have difficulties understanding European Spanish audio recordings.

All of this is important, and it is not undermining your skills – it is stating facts that will be obvious anyway at the end of the day if you decide to omit them. Only then, it will be too late to mention them, and your dependability might be questioned.

A translator must be equally aware of their fortes and of their limitations. We are not supposed to be capable of doing everything – we are meant to focus on what we do best.

That is why translation is all about honesty!

New addition to the iWL Family: Shelbi Anderson, our new Project Manager!

As our number of clients grows, new additions to the iWL team are needed! This week, we have the privilege to say hi to yet another new member of the iWL family: Shelbi Anderson, iWL Project Manager! 

Young, positive and full of promise, Shelbi is quickly becoming an invaluable part of the team.

Now, it’s time for us to get to know a little bit more about her.

In April 2015, Shelbi Anderson graduated from Brigham Young University in Public Relations, but her career in communications began long before that.

While a student, Shelbi, a Salt Lake City native, took a year and a half off from her studies to serve a church mission in Santiago, Chile, which sparked her interest in other languages and cultures. 

Since returning two years ago, she has worked for diverse clients including Marriott International, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the LDS Church, the Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration, and the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications and BYU Museum of Art.

One of the highlights of Shelbi’s career has been the opportunity to travel around the world.

In 2013, she was one of three on her team that presented research on social media best practices to over 100 general managers at the Marriott Caribbean Latin American annual conference in Cancun, Mexico.

In 2014, Shelbi traveled back to Santiago, Chile as a journalist to do investigative reporting about the student protest movements with a small group of videographers and a graphic designer. The piece, Breaking the Class Ceiling, later won the regional Mark of Excellence Award for Online In-Depth Reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Besides travel, some of her hobbies include design, eating ethnic food, staying on top of the latest pop culture, reading and (most recently) barre classes.

Welcome to inWhatLanguage, Shelbi! It’s going to be one fun ride :)

Cost and worth in translation

Looking for a suitable company to handle your translation needs is always tricky. There are many factors that can help you make a decision: availability, experience, client feedback, language range, quality, price... And of course, some of them are easier to “see” than others.

Some companies don’t publish client feedback for privacy issues. Quality can be considered by gathering translation samples, but it’s a fact that each translation is different, and quality measurement can be subjective. Price, on the other hand, is pretty definitive: once you get a price, you can easily compare it with offers from other companies, and base your decision on that.

Is it a good decision, though?

If you are offered two watches, one for $100 and another one for $500, with the guarantee that they have the exact same features and durability, your decision can be based on many factors, and price is definitely a very valid one.

But when it comes to translation, there are no such things as features and durability. The success of a translation project depends on the skills of a linguist or a group of linguists, their reliability and attention to detail, and the efforts of the company that manages it all to make sure that the client receives what they are expecting.

All of this requires people – good, experienced, trained employees willing to commit to your project, willing to make a livelihood out of it.

And, naturally, that level of commitment comes with a price.

Is it all necessary for a good translation? Definitely. If you want to settle for a less polished translation, you can save on extra costs, sure. But a good translation requires investment – financial, personal and professional.

inWhatLanguage is not the cheapest option out there. We offer great prices, yes, but the greatness is based on the price-quality ratio. The quality of our services is hard to surpass, while we keep average pricing levels to make it easier on our clients to invest on good translation.

Thanks to our wonderful new online Translation Management System Unity we can make the whole process faster and more efficient, and that allows us to throw in important discounts for large volume and repetitions in projects.

And of course, let’s not forget that there is nothing more priceless than the tranquility that comes from knowing that your precious materials are in good hands, that you will get your translation done in time and done right, and that we are always there for when you need us :)