Game Localisation

The second half of the difference is creativity. In software the goal is clarity and consistency; in a game, character voice, humour, atmosphere and playability are added to those. A villain’s threat has to land as a threat in the target language, and a joke that raises a laugh in the source language has to raise one in the target language too. Game localisation is thus the point where technical translation and creative adaptation meet.

When is it needed?

When a game opens up a new market, localisation bears directly on the decision to buy. Players will often pass over a game that offers no interface or subtitles in their own language, and the absence of a language is a common complaint in store reviews. How deep the localisation goes depends on the genre and the budget: in some games only the interface and subtitles are translated, in others there is full voice work.

The first decision, then, is what the scope will be. Text alone, subtitles as well, voice recording too? Are the store page and marketing copy included? The clearer the scope, the more realistic both the schedule and the budget become. A game’s promotional and store copy is handled in marketing language, unlike the game itself.

How the process works

Game localisation requires technical accuracy and creative adaptation to be pursued at the same time, so the workflow is built to handle each layer of text on its own terms. The sequence below opens with the glossary and style guide, because consistency in the names and terms of a game’s world comes before the accuracy of any individual line. Gathering context is especially critical here; a translation made without knowing which character is speaking, and in what state of mind, comes out correct but lifeless. In-game testing is the step that completes the workflow and the only point at which most problems become visible.

1. Scope and glossary. The layers to be localised are agreed; a glossary and style guide are built for character names, place names, items and abilities.
2. Context preparation. Where possible the game is played, or information on the story, characters and scenes is obtained; queries are raised for lines that arrive without context.
3. Translation and adaptation. Dialogue is handled for character voice, the interface for character limits, and text with variables for the grammar rules involved.
4. In-game testing (LQA). The text is checked as it appears in the game; overflowing strings, wrong context, broken variables and subtitle timing are corrected.
5. Update workflow. For later content packs and patches, only the new text is processed, with the established terminology kept intact.

How the work is delivered

Delivery is made in the text file formats the game uses, with variables, tags and formatting codes preserved. Where voice work is in scope, a recording-ready script is prepared as well. If in-game testing has been requested, the problems encountered are reported as a list with screenshots and suggested fixes. The glossary and style guide are kept as living documents for use in later updates.

Points to watch with this service

The most insidious technical problem is text with variables. Sentences that change according to a character’s gender, a number’s value or an item’s type usually come out broken in Turkish when the system behind them was built for English. These points need to be identified in advance and rebuilt flexibly; otherwise the player is shown sentences full of grammatical errors.

Cultural adaptation is the second major heading. Some content affects the age rating or the legal limits in certain markets; jokes and references may find no purchase in the target culture. These decisions are taken together with the publisher. If the game’s subtitles are also being produced, the constraints of subtitling are taken into account separately; that detail is planned alongside the subtitling approach under our translation services.

Updates and player expectations

A game goes on living after release: new chapters, additional content and patches arrive. Each of them means new text, and each has to be consistent with the localisation that came before. If a character’s name, the wording of an ability or the name of a place changes in later content, players notice at once, and it damages the credibility of the world. This is why the glossary and style guide are living documents that do not end with the first release.

Player expectations are high, too. Gaming communities spot translation errors quickly and say so openly; poor localisation has a direct effect on how a game is perceived overall. Quality in game localisation is therefore a measure not only of accuracy but of the ability to carry a game’s spirit and its humour. A solid foundation laid in the first release is what lets every later update be built on it with confidence.

What determines the price?

The first thing that determines cost in game localisation is scope: the interface only, the whole narrative, voice work as well? The second is the kind of text; creative dialogue takes more effort than plain interface copy. The third is the extent of testing; in-game quality assurance is a stage in its own right. The density of text with variables adds weight too. A price therefore cannot be given without seeing the game’s text and the scope of the work.

You can send us your game’s text and the target languages through the quote form. You will find the price bands on the pricing page and the languages we work in on our language pages.

Situations that come up often

• Lines without context. Dialogue where it is unclear which character says it, and in which scene; the tone and the form of address can come out wrong.
• Variable problems. Sentences that change with gender or plurals coming out broken; they need building flexibly in advance.
• Skipping the testing. A translation finished without ever being seen inside the game; overflowing strings and lines in the wrong context only show up in play.
• Terminology drift. Item and ability names translated differently in different places; they need fixing in a glossary from the start.

The information here is offered as guidance; the current practice of the institution concerned is what applies. Clarifying the format required at the outset avoids repeat work later.