Video game translation What does it consist of?
How does the translation of video games to other languages work?
The translation and adaptation of video games to all the languages where the product is going to be marketed is a fundamental process where it is necessary to recreate for all users and supports the universe that has been created in the original video game.
It is a process to turn the video game into an international product that requires very specific skills on the part of the translator or the agency in charge and is also called “location”.
How and what should be translated from a video game?
The first thing that will have to be translated are the audiovisual elements of the video game and, later, communication will have to be translated to market the video game in all target languages.
When we talk about the audiovisual elements that must be worked on, we refer to messages, instructions, menus, dialogue boxes and many more elements related to the video game interface.
All this represents a very extensive work, and we have not yet mentioned the most basic aspects of an audiovisual translation such as the Dubbing of the dialogues, other audio elements that the video game incorporates, as well as the Incorporation of subtitles.
Other aspects of video game translation
There are many other challenges that must be taken into account to carry out an international marketing of video games without what we will lose the quality that the product has in the original market. We refer to aspects such as advertising when the product is launched, its packaging and its cover, the description of the game that we make on the different platforms where we are going to advertise it or other aspects of marketing that we must take into account.
As you will see, the work of a translator in a project of this caliber is one of the most extensive there is, so it is a long-distance race in which several members are normally involved.
The important thing about this type of work is to maintain the quality of the video game so as not to compromise the user experience and the experience during the game. Let us remember that this market is one of the most powerful in recent years, a market in continuous growth in which the competition is fierce and, therefore, any minimal error deteriorates the immersion of the user in the video game.
The fundamental objective is, therefore, that the translation achieves in each language that feeling of playing a video game that has been designed for a user like you, with your native language and your technological needs, and for this the translator plays a crucial role.
Evolution in the translation of video games in recent years
We must take into account all types of supports, consoles and their technical specifications so that our work has the same quality, regardless of the technological equipment that the user has (although this will undoubtedly make the difference in aspects such as the quality of the image and the translated audio).
The different types of video games will require a very different type of translation, and that is why the translator has to carry out a preparation work to know the universe in which the video game is developed, the personality of the characters and the type of intonation that is required according to the environment of the moment in which the game.
All these aspects are the same as those that must be taken into account when the translations of other audiovisual works are executed, such as movies or series, and it is not surprising. In recent years, the evolution of this sector has been so spectacular that sometimes the investment to develop a video game is much higher than the production of a film, not to mention the visual improvements, which sometimes make it very difficult to distinguish whether we are playing a video game or watching a movie. In this sense, the user experience has improved considerably, which is why we insist on the importance of the translation work that maintains these high quality standards that have been achieved in the creation and development of video games.
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