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Localization version. Localization of a computer game. Communication with Voice

For sale in a new region or country. Localization includes translation from the original language into a foreign language, changing artistic games, the creation of new packaged files and reference guides, recording new audio files, transformation of hardware, changing individual game fragments according to the cultural features of a particular region, adding additional sections to move the cut off the content.

Screenshot from the translated game Prince of Persia on Sega Genesis

The solution to localize is accepted depending on economic factors, such as potential income that a certain region can bring. Localization usually do either developers or third-party companies with which the contract is drawn up or independent companies that create alternative localization or localization of the game that has not been presented in the region. The quality of localization can be different depending on the professionalism of localizers or difficulties associated with the attempts of developer companies to avoid premature leaks of market games.

The purpose of localization is to create a pleasant and convenient gameplay for the end user who takes into account the cultural features of its region, but the adhered original concept of the game.

History

The first experience of the localization of computer games refers to the 1980s, when the developers of the Japanese game PAC-MAN produced the name transliteration into English manner - Puck-Man.but when released the game in the United States decided to return the original name because of fear that the word PUCK. Can antect as an obscene word.

An important task in the early localizations was to solve problems with a limited number of space available for processing text strings that were longer than in the original games, as often was in the case of NES and SNES. Ted Woles, translator Final Fantasy VI, told about the need to constantly reduce text in English due to limited features.

Often the budget and deadlines for the production of localizations were small, as a result of which confusion, either confused, or the text of the translation was necessary to rewrite. The development of technologies in the early 2000s led to the ability to extend the text, which began to be stored in the ASCII format, and not in the image format, as it was before, providing more efficient processing and more economical use of disk space for text placement. The development of audio technologies led to the creation of sounding in foreign languages \u200b\u200band dubbing.

Currently, there is a significant increase in the volume of text and dialogues during localization, especially in multiplayer games.

Localization process

The localization process is performed in the following order:

Transfer

To perform the text translation of games with a large text volume, the glossary of game terms is created primarily, so that the confusion does not arise between common words and words with a local meaning. Then the visual schedule is created to which the translation text is superimposed, made in the font used in the original game. If the game uses the original font, the similar font for the alphabet used during localization is created separately. Depending on the visual component of the game and features in the program code, programmers (most often in amateur studios) can make changes to the software or create separate files for the convenience of translation. When making a translation, the localizer takes into account the characteristics of the region of the region, traditional transcription rules and pronunciations from other languages, the official translation of the primary source of the game, if there is, as well as established words, phrases or terms from the game among her fans. Localization and translation can be carried out both with active interaction with the developer and independently, depending on the desire of the developer.

When transferring localizers, the following nuances are taken into account:

The unofficial translation of the Games from the official is the less limited period of execution, a more scrupulous translation based on the canonical history of the game, but at the same time technically more difficult to perform due to problems with licensing and lack of open game code for a more convenient localization process, more free Translation by phrases with often used by slang and obscene vocabulary, as well as partial or complete absence of literary style.

The most difficult when translating is the adaptation of the game of words and established expressions, the identification of cultural references and their translation with the appropriate transmission of intonation when visible, selection of actors of voice actors with voices similar to the votes of the original, the transfer of emotional color, the transfer of the accent (unknown localization country regional emphasis, For example, Scottish is usually not transmitted). Typical errors when translated are spelling and punctuation errors, loss or replacement of the meaning when translated, cut parts, untranslated text and additional content, monotonous text, strong strokes of phrases, untranslated pieces of text, Dialogues of poor quality, monotony and non-peculiarity of actors votes, untranslated Text, weak literary style or its absence.

Sound

Before visualing the translated material, a working group on specializations is created: project manager, dubbing director, sound engineer, sound-operator, engineers and testers. The translated text is placed under the original audio files. Comparison of the text materials previously sent by the developer with the final material is calculated. After the final sounding of the original and obtaining the finished material, the selection of actors is selected. The selection occurs in two ways: live listening or searching for votes. Live listening is most often held with the participation of the developer's representative by means of a remote video link. Voices are selected from the base of previous projects, the actors are invited to the studio, write samples based on the original and send the developer to approval, after which the sound begins. Translation and sounding most often happen in parallel with the production of the game, so localizers are often forced to adapt to the developer, if it changes something in the production process, and overwrite replicas asked as amended. After the end of the sounding, laying of the voiced phrases under the facial character of the characters and the reduction of the obtained audio tracks with the source phonogram. The finished material is sent for testing to identify errors and marriage, after which it is refined and sent to the customer.

Board Game Localization Process

In desktop games, the main array of text is contained in the reference manual, so the translation is almost not reduced to convey the full meaning of training materials. Translation of the game of the game itself, on the contrary, can be reduced or selected synonyms similar to the length of words to fit the text into a limited visual element. First, the source text is transferred, then the finished text passes the editor, after which the layout and repeated editing occurs, after which the localization is ready.

Also, when localizing the board game it is important to organize production and, perhaps, to correct the quality of the components under the income of the potential public.

Localization of games in Russia

The localization of computer games for home computers, which have been distributed at the turn of the 1990s in the USSR and in the post-Soviet space.

Localization of foreign computer games in Russia was carried out by computer pirates in small studios from 1995 to 2005 who worked on a illegal basis. The most famous similar studio was "Fargus Multimedia". Localization made by such studios, most often had poor quality. Not only the text in the game could be translated, but also the name of the game itself. Also transferred the names of Chinese hardware clones of Japanese game consoles, such as NES (dendy).

The need for localization in Russia, in contrast to many other countries, is caused by the fact that the level of knowledge of English among Russians is very low and does not allow full perception of the Games in the original language. The most famous professional localizer of video games in Russia is Softklab, whose share in the CIS market in 2014 was 80%.

In the 1990s, the localization of board games was also carried out. One of the first localized games was "monopoly", which "manager" was called in Russia. In 1990, the Soviet game "Enchanted Country" was published, based on the Polish version of the American Desktop Dungeons & Dragons. In the late 1990s there were many amateur desktop translators, including Alexander Petrunin, who first carried out transfers for the store of the Bed Games "played".

Currently, the full localization of desktop games is being made taking into account the traditional features of the Russian language and the national characteristics of the region. Separate board games are translated even based on individual works in the country of localization. Localization is engaged in either regular translators and workshops of the developer company, or third-party companies in the country of localization.

Notes

  1. O'Hagan and Mangiron, p. 111
  2. BERNAL-MERINO 2008
  3. O'Hagan and Mangiron, p. 49
  4. Kohler 2005, p. 226
  5. Corliss 2007.
  6. O'Hagan and Mangiron, p. 58

Localization of computer games and adapting them for Russian players is a very difficult task. After all, not only excellent knowledge of a foreign language is required, but also understanding the specifics of the game itself. Therefore, such specialists and companies will always be in demand.

Players, as a rule, are "found" with already ready-made projects translated and adapted. But what happens at the localization stage? We filed questions to the company All Correct Games, which specializes in transferring games from foreign to Russian, and back. Game translations are quite laborious work, because on how successfully the term will be chosen, the success of the game depends. Experts of the company All Correct Games share their secrets - how is the localization of the game in Russia, ...

In this interview, you will learn what you need to know a translator specialist who localizes games, what tools and programs are used in the translator, it is worth interacting with gameiman communities, as interaction with developers and publishers games and much more. You will also be interested in interviews about independent developers.

Sequence of steps for localization. What are the main difficulties in localizing a multiplayer project?

There are two main difficulties of localization of multiplayer projects: volumes and timelines. As a rule, games in the MMORPG genre contain a large number of text - from several tens to hundreds of thousands of words. Localization time is usually usually several months, often turn out to be very compressed, you have to attract more translators and editors, which means that we will need a lot of time for checking before passing the material. Another trouble is limits. Sometimes when transferring from Chinese to Russian, we have to be able to fit the text in 37 characters in the unfortunate 9, for example, a fragment "Improving artillery of the British Ships" will have to turn into "GB Armor +". This happens if the possibility of localization of the game does not take into account when it is created. Dear developers, if you read it now: Please do not need it.

Who is included in the translators team. Do you resort to the help of external experts, consultants, players who are already familiar with the game. Do you advise with game communities, guilds, clans when selecting the best translation?

We have an extensive base of freelance translators, of which we select the team for each project. Experience experience is very important! Games in the MMORPG genre we have translated by the people who play them, and we are all from the project manager to the editor - we will be glad to meet your game before its translation, so buildings are very welcome. In addition, sometimes they are simply vital, for example, when it is not clear how to translate one or another gaming term or what a vocabulary is preferable to use in the dialog. Without context, localization will not be full, therefore, if the developers have no opportunity to provide us with build, we ask us to provide us with the maximum number of reference materials (screenshots, description of characters, etc.) when localizing the game with a clear historical slope, for example, about the second world War, we try to resort to the help of experts specializing in one or another period. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary in order to prevent semantic errors. For example, we recently translated such MMORPG and managed to find and eliminate several inconsistencies than very proud.

When localizing the game with a historical slope All Correct Games appeals to experts

What technological solutions simplify localization. Do you, say, ABBYY SmartCat or similar products.

Sure! All translations are carried out by us in Memoq - our favorite instrument. This translation environment allows you to divide the project between several translators and editors, which, besides, can work on it at the same time. The undoubted advantages of using the Memoq are the ability to store the transfers database, make a glossary, and make a variety of varying checks. Therefore, the likelihood that the error is curable in the translated texts - from different options for the translation of the term to an excess space - tends to zero.

There are criteria for assessing the quality of translation. Can you bring specific examples of successful translations. Is it possible to pick them up right?

The criteria for assessing the quality of translation are quite obvious: the absence of semantic, grammatical, spelling, punctuation and other errors, as well as compliance with uniformity when translating terms. The last item is critical, because in the same game you may be offered to pay for diamonds, crystals, diamonds, although it's all Gems. The text should be understandable and quite brief due to the need to comply with the aforementioned limits. Another important point is the transfer of the intentions of the original text, its specifics and stylistics. This also includes adequate translation of the game of words that we always strive to save. It is quite obvious that the style of style in game texts play a more important role than, let's say, in technical, and it is necessarily taken into account when transferring.

Memoq is the main tool for translations in All Correct Games. It allows us to divide the project between several translators and editors.

Interaction with the developer team at various location stages. How is this process?

Interaction with the developer team is extremely important for us, but this situation occurs very often when we cannot communicate directly. In the presence of an intermediary, for example, a localization manager from the company-developer, we always hope that our questions and clarifications will reach on time and will not slow down the localization process, but it happens that the answers we are waiting for several days, and then weeks. In the ideal world, we would, of course, wanted the developer to be in touch for a while during the day and did not leave our questions without attention. Skype chats are very well working between developers and team of translators and editors, but they are not always allowed to organize them possible due to the various kinds of restrictions.

Does your company take into the voice recorded translation. Does you have to take games with our own translation?

Yes, we carry out visible games that we translate, sometimes we also come separate orders for the voice acting already ready to translated material.

The question of whether the games that we translate are simply not worth it. We always try to do this, firstly, because we love to play, secondly, because we can once again make sure that our work is performed well. What could be more pleasant? Thirdly, we can also find some controversial moments in the game, which can be translated in different ways, and to evaluate how well the translation solution was successful, to make specific conclusions.

In addition, we tell all our customers about the importance of holding localization testing after the translation of the game and offer our services in this direction. After all, in the game there may be a different form of shortcomings: overlapping texts with graphics elements, cropped texts, sometimes the translation may simply be missing or incorrectly "pull out" from Lokkit. Localization testing allows you to see and correct these and other lack of localization.

Online games (in contrast to offline) are constantly developing - the interface changes, new game modes appear, new tasks. You have to constantly lead the project. Do you attain a certain group of people behind the project? How is the localization and run-in updates to games?

On all projects, we have a fixed command of translators and editors. Even the project manager changes extremely rarely, only in the absence of a person in the workplace due to vacation, illness, etc., respectively, when an update on the project comes to us, we attract the same people that they worked on the translation of the main content. Of course, it is impossible to avoid such situations where someone from the team fell ill or left somewhere. In this case, we are involved in the project of other proven performers, but since we have a project in Memoq, where the terms and memory of transfers are stored and replenished and replenished, you can not worry for maintaining uniformity.

In conclusion - the company's business card.

All Correct Games - division of the All Correct Group, translating, visualing, localization testing and localization of games.

All Correct Games works with most Russian developers and publishers, as well as with the largest international games publishers. The company took part in the localization of more than 350 games and testing more than 100 games. All Correct Games work in more than 23 language pairs, collaborates with 6 voice acting studios, tests on IOS, Android and RS platforms with the involvement of native speakers or Russian-speaking testers with high language competence.

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We Work with Game Publishers and Developers. We Localize Mobile, Desktop, Console, Browser, And Board Games Into More Thank 70 Languages.

All Translations Are Done by Professional Translators WHE ARE Native Speakers and Have Experience Working On Games.

We Provide Language Testing, Voiceover, Localization Quality Assessment, And Proofreading Services.

Localization of Computer Games: Process

The Following Is The Optimal Games Localization Process:

  1. You Create A Game Localization Projectin on a Cloud Platform (Crowdin, Transifex, SmartCat, Onskyapp) And then Upload The String Resource Files for Your Game (IOS .strings, Android .xml, .po, .resx, etc. - The Platforms Support ALL COMMONLY USED FORMATS, INCLUDING EXCEL SPREADSHEETS).

    If You Do Not Want To Work with An Online Platform Yourself, Just Attach Files To the Order Form. We Will Use Our Own Alconost LMS Platform or Other Professional Tools for Localization;

  2. THEN WRITE TO US AT [Email Protected]site or Submit a Preliminary Order. Provide A Link to Your Cloud Platform Project and a Link to Your Game on Google Play Or The App Store So That Our Translators Will Be Able To Install and Play It So That Themselves with IT. If You Have Not Yet Officially Released Your Game, You Can Grant Others Access to Your Development Version for the app Store Using Testflight, and You can Send The Current Build for Your Google Play App by Submitting the .apk file;
  3. Alconost Will Assign A Personal Localization Project Manager To Your Project. He Will Ask Questions, Request That You Fill Out An Questionnaire Form, Help You Make A Glossary (If You Don "T Yet Have One), Calculate The Cost, Monitor Deadlines, And Help You Throughout The Project;
  4. The Manager Will Pick a Team Conslating of the Most Suitable Translators and Invite Them to Work on Your Project. EVERY TRANSLATOR INSTALLS THE GAME, BECOMES FAMILIAR WITH THE GAMEPLAY, GETS A FEEL FOR THE GAME "S ATMOSPHERE, AND GAINS AN Understanding of What Needs to Be Translated;
  5. String Resources Are Translated in the Cloud Platform. This Tool Allows The Translator to Ask a Question About Any String If, for example, He Doesn "T Understand The Context. The Platform Is Also Equipped With a Translation Memory and A Glossary, Which Ensures That Repeated Terms and Phrases Are All Translated The Same Way.
  6. A Second Translator Will Proofread The Translation for Any Possible Errors and Typos and Will Check The Accuracy of the Translation.
  7. When the Translation IS Ready, You Can Download The Localized String Resources from the Platform and Compile A Build with the Localized Language Versions. By Using The Cli (Command Line Interface) on The Localization Platform, You Can Automate The Compilation Of Localized Versions;
  8. TRANSLATORS OR TESTSERS PLAY THE LOCALIZED VERSION OF THE GAME, AND THE CHECK TO ENSURE THAT THE LOCALIZED STRINGS ARE DISPLAYED CORRETLY. Errors Are Eer Corrected Immediately, Or The Are Reported Directly To Developers in The Bug Tracker.
  9. To Ensure Rapid Communication, We Use Dedicated Channels in Slack or Work Directly in the Developer "S Project Management System.

Continuous Localization

By Using Online Platforms, You Can Adopt A Localization Process Whereby Your App Will Be Fully Localized At The Time Of Release, and All Future Updates Will Also Be Localized Willia Go Live. This Works in ApproxiMately The Following Way:

  1. The Programmer or Game Designer Adds a New String to the Game "S Resources File.
  2. The Updated Resources File Is Sent to the Localization Platform Automatically (Using the API or Command Line Utility). The Translator Will Immediately See The New Text.
  3. The TRANSLATOR Translates The New String.
  4. BEFORE THE NEXT BUILD IS COMPILED, THE UPDATED TRANSLATIONS ARE AUTOMATICALLY TAKEN FROM THE PLATFORM;
  5. Thus, Each Time The Game IS COMPILED THE LOCALIZATIONS ARE 100% READY, AND THE UPDATE PROCESS IS NOT HELD UP BECAUSE YOU ARE WAITIVE TO RECEIVE TRANSLATED RESOURSES.

Alternative Game Localization Scenarios

In Reality, The Process of Localizing Computer Games May Differ from The Ideal Scenario.

Often The Developer May Want To Use Excel or Google Sheets for Handling String Resources. A Second Translator / Editor May Be Unnecessary for Projects WITH A Tight Budget. Sometimes You may not Want to Order Testing (for example, if the game has not you been released).

AT ALCONOST WE CAN WORK WITH ANY TYPE OF ORDER, FORMAT OR PROCESS. For example, You can Simply Send US The String Resource Files (Localizable.strings, Strings.xml, .po, etc.) by E-mail, and We Ourselves Will Upload Them to the Platform, Translate Them and Return The Localized Resources To You by email.

Write to us, Describe Your Situation, And We Will Help You Localize Your Game.

Localization of Small Games and Translation Of Updates

IF Your Game Contains Only A Little Text, OR IF You're Planning to Localize It On Your Own, Have A Look At Nitro - An Online Translation Service. You can Place An Order Cast Nitro in Just a Few Clicks, Whenever It's Convenient for You, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A MANAGER.

HOWEVER, IT IS EASIER TO Submit a Price Quote Request with your Attached Files, And We Will Calculate The Cost Ourselves.

Linguistic Testing

WE CONDUCT Localization Testing As Followows.

When a localized build is compiled, the localizing translator or the native language tester plays the game for the required amount of time and takes screenshots of problem areas (that have not been translated or where translated strings are too long, where there are incorrect encodings, Where The Text Flows in The Wrong Direction, Contextual Interpretation Errors, etc.).

The Tester Creates Records for All Detected Errors In The Developer Project Management System (Jira, Trello, Asana) And Makes The Bello Changes to the String Resources Either Independently or in Cooperation with the Developer.

The Cost of Localization Testing IS Calculated On The Basis of the Tester "S Hourly Rate and The Time Needed for Testing.

We Are Are Able to Test Games on the Following Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, Xbox, PlayStation (PS3, PS4), and Nintendo (3DS).

Translation Memories

The Translation Memory IS A Database That Stores The Source Language Text of Each Segment Together with its Translation. The Translation Memory Allows You to Automate The Translation Of Repeated Words, Phrases and Sentences.

Translation Memory Allow You To:

  • Increase The Performance Of The Translation Team
  • Ensure The Use Of Consistent Terminology Throughout The Entire Text
  • Improve The Quality of Translation
  • Replace Translators Partway Through The Project
  • SAVE TIME TRANSLATITIONS REPETTIONS

Thus, IF Your Game IS Released at The Same Time, For example, on iOS and Android, and String Resources That Are 90% Matches Are Available for the New Strings, Then The Matching Strings Will Be Inserted Automatically and You Will Not Have to Pay for them.

Glossary

A GLOSSARY IS A Special Dictionary with Definitions, Translations and Usage Examples for Terms Used in a text. This Dictionary Can Be Imported Into An Automatic Translation Tool to Expedite The Translation Process and Ensure Consistency of Terminology Across One Or more Texts.

A Glossary Makes It Possible to Assign Sevel Translators to A Project And Change Translators Around During The Process IF Necessary.

IF Your Game Does Not Yet Have A Glossary, We Will Help You Compile One.

Localization of Games, Audio and Video Content and Graphics

At Alconost, We Not Only Create Promos and Video Trailers for Games, But We Also Localize Video and Audio Content. IF Your Project Needs Voiceovers in a New Language, Or You Need to Rerecord The Character Voices, Or You Need to Localize a Video or Redraw The Graphics - We know Exactly How to Get It Done.

Tools That We Use for Game Translation and Localization

Cat Tools - Programs That Help Automate The Translation Process

  • Memoq
  • Memsource.
  • SDL Trados.
  • SDL Passolo.
  • Omegat.
  • Sisulizer.
  • Poedit.

Cloud Platforms for Localization:

  • SmartCat.
  • WebTranslateit.
  • Transifex
  • Onsky.
  • localise.co.

Project Manager.

With Alconost, Your Localization Project Will Be Run by A Dedicated Project Manager, Who:

  • Studies Your Material and The Specific Features of the Text in Depth
  • Agrees on the Price, Taking Repetitions Into Consideration
  • Chooses A Team of Translators and Editors With The Necessary Specialisms;
  • Controls Deadlines;
  • Takes Care Of Quality, Formatting and Consistency of the Completed Translations
  • Maintains The Glossary and Translation Memory
  • Organizes Linguistic Testing
  • Prepares All The Accompanying Documents (Agreement, Invoice, Po) IF Necessary
  • IS Available Practically 24/7 to Answer Any Of Your Questions

Your Project Manager Is Your "Single Point of Contact" with whom you can Resolve All Your Questions Regarding the Project. If Your Project Manager Becomes Unavailable for Some Reason, Another Manager Will Replace Them Straight Away at The Same Address.

Appointing Translators.

We Have ApproxiMately 300 Professional Native-Speaker Translators in Our Team, with a Broad Range of Specialisms.

WE ALWAYS TRY TO ASSIGN ONE DEDICATED TRANSLATOR TO YOUR PROJECT AND WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS TRANSLATOR ON CONTINUUS BASIS. This Is Useful If You Have A Large Project That Is Periodically Updated, You Need To Use Consistent Terminology, Or You Simply Like A Particular Translator "S Style. If the Translator Changes for Some Reason, They Will Hand Over The Glossary and Translation Memory To The New Translator To Ensure Consistency of Terminology and Style in Future Updates.

Crowdin Is Our Recommended Translation Management Platform

Cloud-based Translation Platform Crowdin Allows Localization Projects to Be Managed in Real Time. You can:

  • Upload String Resources In Any Format (.resx, .po, .strings, etc.) Either Manually or Through the API
  • Appoint Translators and Editors
  • You can Monitor The Translation or Editing of Your Project in Real Time
  • Exchange Comments WITH THE TRANSLATOR OR EDITOR ON ANY OPEN ISSUES
  • Create Glossaries.
  • Manage What is Added to the Translation Memory and How It Issed
  • Export String Resources OnCe The Translation IS Complete

Which Languages \u200b\u200bYou Shald Localize Your Game Into First

We Have Analyzed The Number of Native Speakers Who Are Internet Users, The General Volume of Online Sales, and Google Play Revenue in Particular by Region. As A Result, We Have Obtained The Following Top 5 Languages \u200b\u200bfor Localization:

  • English - United States, United Kingdom, Canada, And Australia
  • Chinese - China (Simplified Chinese) and Taiwan (Traditional Chinese)
  • Japanese - Japan.
  • FRENCH - FRANCE, CANADA, AND BELGIUM
  • German - Germany and Belgium

More

We Offer The Following Services in Addition to the Localization of Mobile Apps:

  • A Judgment On Whether The Name Of Your Game Is AppropriTe in The Target Language (As Determined by a Native Speaker)
  • Creating Trailers for App Pages On The App Store or Google Play
  • Preparing A Series of Short Video in Different Languages \u200b\u200bTo Post On Advertising Networks
  • Hiring Professional Voice Actors WHE A Native Speakers to Provide Voiceovers for Your Game Characters

the site begins a series of materials "Specialist Rating" with selection of translation companies concentrating on interesting market segments. The first material is about studios that translate games. Ranking of companies is subjective and fulfilled on the basis of the assessment of their size and team managers.

Studios - narrow specialists

These are translation companies with a share of localization of games in revenue more than 50%. Specialized studios perfectly understand the specifics of the transfer of games and, as a rule, can provide good personal contact with their customers.

"1C" (Qloc Studio + "Beech")

"1C" - the leader in publication and the development of not only business software, but also games. At one time, the share of the company in the Russian gaming market, according to experts, was more than 50%. In 1999, the Group "1C" acquired Maddox Games, in the 2007 SEA DOG Studio at Akella and Inoco, in 2008 Buka and Avalon Style, in 2009, united with Softklab, in 2010 - with Snowball Studios.
To date, the "1C" resources on the localization of games are focused in two companies: the Polish Qloc Studio and the Moscow Bukka. I managed to briefly talk with the chairman of the board of directors Qloc Nikolai Baryshnikov. He is also president of 1C Online Games (Czech Republic).
Qloc a big team in which 28 specialists are engaged in the Russian language. But only they do not limit them: There are projects for translation into Chinese, Languages \u200b\u200bFIGS, Czech, Polish. Qloc provides engineering services, works with audio and video materials, redraws graphics.
According to the presentation, the company employs 10 game project managers. The revenue and other financial indicators Nikolai Baryshnikov did not reveal. Among the notable projects on the localization of Qloc - AAA-Taitles with a huge amount of content: Skyrim, Shadow of Mordor, Civilization V.

AllCorrect Group has launched as a broad-dealing translation agency for more than 10 years ago and has become a highly specialized firm for the localization of games in the last three or four years due to the interests of Demid Silence and Denis Hamina. Currently, 82% of the company's two million dollar briefcase are occupied. The developers of major Games AllcorRect cooperates with Ubisoft and Gaijin Entertainment, but most of the volume falls on the transfer of mobile games from English and Korean to Russian, as well as from English to world languages.

The main office of the company is located in Samara, and the Jurlitsa and the team are scattered around the world: Dublin, Toronto (where the third co-founder of Yuri Petyshin lives), Hong Kong. In the company, seven project managers are the staff of game editors. The range of services includes localization, work with graphics and audio materials, testing, optimization in the App Store (ASO). The management of the company is carried out using deeply automated Google Docs, transfers are performed in Memoq. The quality is achieved at the expense of regular editors allocated by AUTOQA specialists, as well as PASS / FAIL checks.

The Moscow Localization Company, founded in 2012. The team consists of 20 people, all with profile work experience in "1C-Softklabe", Logrus, Snowball, Riot Games, Nival, Gaijin Entertainment, Innova, "Atheas". Head the studio Vyacheslav Erofeev and Mikhail Blyukhanov.

Five producers and two assistants are responsible for organizing the process. The Most Games translates into Russian and other languages, voiced games and accompanying materials. The company's portfolio has a lot of aaa-games for PC and consoles, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends, Fortnite, Dishonored 2 and Doom. In addition to localization, The Most Games provides engineering services, works with graphics and sound.

The automation uses redmine with its own developments, and the main memory tool is MEMOQ. Three programmers in the company are developing copyright tools to check texts and files, to work with scripts in the studio and so on.
The Most Games is located in the historic mansion in the north of Moscow.
According to my estimates, the company can generate about 1 million dollars of revenue per year.

And ABBYY LS, and "Treatise" before the merger translated the game. For both firms it was, rather experiment, market test.
In the combined company, the playing direction is new and only gains momentum. According to the head of the localization of ABBYY Ls, Mary Fedotovova, three project managers are engaged in game localization in the department, a team of tested performers has been prepared with the participation of native speakers. For voice acting, a multimedia manager is connected.

The main linguistic directions are three: EFIGS, Russian and Languages \u200b\u200bof CIS countries, Chinese and Korean. If necessary, ABBYY LS can form a command to work with more than 60 languages. Projects - mostly games for mobile devices (iOS, Android) and social networks (quests and strategies).

According to indicative estimates, game localization brings about 10 million rubles a year.

The company "Neurk", a giant of project and oil and gas translation in Russia, has already developed five years of experience in the field of translating games and has several large projects in the portfolio. Nevertheless, the game department of the company is still small, and the Director General Sergey Sant has taken closely its development recently. In Needek, there was a dedicated group of game localization with two project managers, an account manager, a separate site was developed. Work is underway to create your own audio studio and expanding the network of record actors.
Currently, the department works mainly over the translation of Foreign Publishers in Russian and Ukrainian.

For 2016, "Nerkov" translated more than 0.2 million words in the Games and provided services worth about 10 million rubles.


Logrus Global Sergey Gladkov is also engaged in localization of games in Russia. Recently, the company launched White Hall's own studio (in the photo). The company's specialists participated in the Locaam Game Localization Competition as judges.

I have no information about the share of Logrus Global revenue, which falls on games, or volumes in man-hours, so we take it separately from the list.

Among customers on the site are mainly ladder: Ubisoft, Blizzard, Microsoft Studios, Rockstar Games, 2K Games, Kalypso Media, Zeptolab, My.com, Madfinger Games.

Customer requirements

Before writing the material, I conducted conversations with localization managers from Blizzard, Warner Brothers Games and Electronic Arts to understand how professional consumers choose translation companies. For all three customers, the main criterion is the experience of projects, previous games, localized translation company. In this regard, it is difficult to compete with the world market leader - the Irish company Keywords, aggressively buying gaming specialists around the world. Nevertheless, Electronic Arts, and Blizzard adhere to a multi-densener model and often instead of one large gene-contracting firm hire several smaller teams physically located in countries whose languages \u200b\u200bare translated. This allows you to work with global brands even to small firms (if these firms are able to interest them).

That's what an AAA-brand interests:

  1. Stable team of standard gaming translators and editors, ready to learn the terminology of the game and the features of its setting
  2. Responsiveness, Service Level
  3. Process for working with minor orders (several lines) during the day without a fee for the minimum order
  4. Additional services (auditching, testing)
  5. Readiness to perform a huge input test
  6. Jurliso abroad for payment without currency control

In each artist, large brands are looking for a highlight, what is distinguished by the selected company from everyone else. As a rule, this is charisma managers and passion for games. But it can be more high compared to competitors performance or an interesting quality assurance technique.

Market Segments: Console VS Mobile Games

Today, due to the high charts, the development of games for PC and XBox is an expensive occupation, comparable to the shooting of the Hollywood blockbuster. The budget of many modern projects exceeds $ 100 million. Such risk takes on behalf of large publishers first, and they are quite a bit, the market consolidated. To get a project to localize a console game, a translation company needs to establish cooperation with leading publishers directly or through general contractors like Keywords. Both publishers and general contractors see in a Russian translation company primarily a specialist in the region and will give such a partner not the entire project, but only its part. Accordingly, the studios working with AAA-tighteles, with a high probability of probability translate only into Russian and, possibly, a pair of adjacent.

Mobile games and games for social networks do not require large investments in the schedule, and therefore publishers of such applications hundreds, including in Russia. Many of them are small companies that develop games in Russian, and in case the product is successful on the local market, translate it and begin to sell in other countries. The translation companies are much easier to find customers among the creators and publishers of mobile games, but it must be borne in mind that the latter is needed not to localize on one or two languages, but a whole package: for example, EFIGS (English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) or 17- 12 languages.

Virtual reality games (VR) - emerging industry. The translation of the VR-games has not yet been formed as a market, and in this niche can be a lot of opportunities, if, of course, such games will come down.

What is the complexity of the localization of games

Although the games are a fairly voluminous and growing segment, just a few Russian translation companies learned to work with them.

First, in games unprecedented high requirements for the quality of translation. Thousands of players read texts and listen to game dialogues, cling to flaws. It is worth noting them a couple of mistakes, and the stream of critical comments on the forums will not end. Publisher, of course, monitor feedback on the forums. In other words, players act in countless police quality police. The films have the same number of reviewers, but they are short, and one person can translate them. In the same large game there may be hundreds and thousands of text pages, tens of hours of dialogs. It translates most often without context, the game is not open before your eyes. Easily skip the error or losing consistency. Well localize the game is much more complicated than to translate the movie.

Secondly, in order to translate large games, the teams of translators-players who understand the game terminology and realities of the fantasy world are needed. Even if you are masterfully owning English and Russian languages, we pass the "total dictation" by 100 points and own the literary phraseology at the level of Lion Tolstoy, you still will put something like Aoe CC, Termagant Brood, Orchid Malevolence and 100kkk. Need gamers.

And to organize gamers to professional teams manage a little.

Eleven years ago, a historical event was accomplished: Doka Media for the first time signed the official agreement on the publication of a couple of games issued in the West. However, the history of localization began earlier - with the activities of pirates ... Now in Russian, almost all significant games are produced, excluding only some online.

However, the result pleases us at all. And the player often does not even know how and why certain problems arise - and what is the publisher with a brilliantly performed localization. Here we will talk about this today.

Contract

If our officialization is official, the first thing, of course, is a contract. And at this stage, different interesting things are happening, on which the success of localization depends.

Let's start with the fact that the localization of a large-scale game (for example, a large RPG) takes quite a lot of time, and it is not always possible to get a material to transfer long to the world release. Therefore, at first glance, it would be nice to first release the original. Loge dangerously also because it gives a chance to pirates.

And some companies (for example, Paradox interactive) give our publisher such an opportunity. Some, but not all. The fact is that games in Russia even now, when the characteristic price of Jewel packaging has grown from about three to 10-15 "conditional units", they still sell much cheaper than, say, in the USA. And this means that in the case of a part of the circulation outside of Russia, the Western Publisher will suffer large losses. And even if prices did not differ - there are different proportions and so on. Russian-speaking game there, except "Diaspora," is not needed, but the original ...

Sometimes a foreign company is very worried about the quality of localization and seeks to control the process. Usually for the result it is grief, because it can be controlled so much (who doubts - look at the result of works on the localization of WORLD OF WARCRAFT), and it exceeds it perfectly. The control is usually trusted by the "Russian employee in place", and among them sometimes there are such copies ... There were even comrades who proudly took themselves as a pseudonym the transliteration of some kind of obscene; I think you can imagine what kind of delicious taste had such "controllers".

But the Western Publisher is perfectly able to demand reconciliation of each step. This, to put it mildly, complicates the technology, does not give a timely to make edits and reduces the time for useful work. Especially picky usually when localizing the game based on the film. Cinema with rights to the name, more like to poke sticks in the wheels than Irrodeli.

Sometimes stipulates that it is not all that can be localized; For example, sometimes it is forbidden to change the voice acting (!), the graphic part (and there it happens such a thing as the inscriptions right on the play objects) and so on. True, many, and so do not work with this, the benefit is quite difficult, and the tradition of keeping such personnel untouvented and voiced the translation has already been widely spread in films.

Well, it is clear, the contract may include any strange requirements for timing. This happens rarely, but it happens. For example, somehow in my memory all the localization was necessary to fulfill on a ten-day term, which is about half less than it was necessary ...

Localizing package

Next move - for the foreign publisher: you need to send localization package.

Most often it consists of:

    file or files in Excel (less often Word), where the pieces of text are specified, who says it is possible - some comments and technical data (where and how to insert the result);

    sound tracks and rollers to be renoviced;

  • inscriptions transferred in the game through a raster picture.

Please note that the game as such in this set is not included. Sometimes the good will publisher is enough to send and the version of the game too, but if the English release has not yet taken place, this is not always happening.

As a result, often localizers see the game when their translation has already been introduced into it. And then it turns out, for example, that some pieces remained untranslated because of them forgot Make a package for localization.

Most often, the victims at this stage are:

    inscriptions on buttons that are not printed, but are drawn;

    error messages;

    installer menu;

    "Tips" issued during the download of the game or the saved file.

A characteristic case - when a part of the text to be translated is not taken from any resource files, and directly sewn in the program. Such rows almost always forget to be included in the package, and then for a long time, for a long time corrected by patches. Fortunately, recently such incidents are less common than about five years ago.


But, in fact, you can forget anything. Or vice versa - add extra; The situation is not a rarity, when in the localization package by whose "street magic" falls, say, a piece of the previous game series. Modest such a piece - one and a half megabytes! Perhaps the translator is even aware of the case and perfectly understands that these texts are from another game ... But, on the other hand, in the task of the translation, all this includes, and therefore will be paid ... But the deadlines are pressed ... but To find out who, where the spores are nonsense, also inappropriate ... and therefore, it remains only to look at this focus-bug with sad eyes and repeat about yourself: "Non-non-non-not ..."

In addition, since the package does not make a publisher, but a developer, but it does not always be experienced on this part, additional linings are possible due to work done incorrectly. For example:

    signed sound files in the finished form, and not separately background sound and separately speech; In this case, from under the voice acting, can then get out of the "tailings" of the source text;

    the graphics to be translated is sent not divided by layers, but again in the finished form - which foreshadows localizers a lot of happy hours alone with Photoshop;

    comments are confused, in one row there are texts that need to be translated, and labels, not subject to translation;

    sound files come significantly later than the text part of the package.

The latter wants to clarify more. Imagine that your episodic character is mentioned in the text - some Elon (fantasy, the name is such a stylized ...). Comments on his occasion ... did not happen. In English, the verbs and adjectives do not have, and if this character accidentally was not marked by pronoun - we have every chance before the arrival of sound tracks and do not know, a man is or a woman. And then you willrtie to conduct the "Floor Change Operation". And if such a few?

Or another common case: the hero is broadcasting something strange, and we do not know without intonation - it is pathos or irony. We can assumeBut it is better not necessary, because if the sound then makes adjustments ... We are looking for an option that is coming there, and here. Where it would be easier to watch immediately ...

Vocabulary

And now the work on the translation begins directly: the localization package arrives in Russia and gets to a specialist.

Some translators immediately plunge into the text and begin work. If the game is a little more difficult than Tetris, then at this stage it is already possible to say with confidence: comrades are preparing to produce something incredibly disgusting.

Professionals come out otherwise: the first thing they make up game Dictionary. There are all game terms, the names of key characters, the names of the territories ... In the process of this work, the localization package is carefully read, and the names are coordinated with each other. And only after this work can be taken for the translation. And in no case do not do the dictionary as the translation is made!

Case of life:once the pirates translated the Arx Fatalis game and neglected this simple rule. Then they decided that in the role-playing system it would be nice to replace "the mind" to "intelligence". And implemented, poor, global replacement. The result of their works entered the sayings: the shelves lay mysterious material sheets - bintellectagi. Another result of this practice today (however, no longer translated) you can find if you introduce the mysterious word "encyclones" in the search engine: the site of some "encyclopedia" disfixed the material from Wikipedia and removed the reference to the "wiki" from everywhere. As the Chapsovsky hero said: "Yes, s, steal must be able to!"

Drug drawing up - work is not at all simple. She has its own rules that, alas, led themselves not to all translators ...

You can make a dictionary, only finding out the entire context. The first commandment of the translator: "The word does not exist nictranslation outside context. "

The most crucial comrades do not know that different game terms in the absolute majority of cases should be read differently and translated. There are exceptions, but little. And meanwhile thereby occur, when two different spells of the mountain-localizer called the same one. Perhaps he just missed the stage of drafting a dictionary ...

Next - a rule of homogeneity. Take the same spells: it namesSo they must be phrases based on the noun. For example, the "Flight" spell is normal, and the spell "fly" is the product of the life of the profane.

On a note:the translator who is not suitable for its work is easiest to be recognized by what does not understand the difference between the language of translation and relatives. For example, in English, the verb is suitable as a name because there is no big difference between the verb and a noun - from one other is done unchanged (there is no end, the case of ...). Seeing the word verb IS in the text, the corpusads without the slightest doubt translates it as "is", making it from the artistic text of a tagged pull.

Finally, the names are tied to a certain style. For example, some naive comrades believe that you can safely translate the word Ranger as the "Ranger" or even the "fighter"; And they are right, if we are talking about Texan or space rank, but if it happens in fantasy or the Middle Ages, they break the style of modernity. About the "robes" of wizards (instead of mantle) and other miracles I already wrote ...

Somehow I met in localization such a phrase: "The gracious sovereign Ranger, I ask to try our treat!" It sounds about as: "Oh, you are Goy Esi, VIP-person!" A person who does not feel this is categorically impossible to go into translators. It is probably possible to work for a long practice, but gray hair editors (and the torn pleasure of players who slipped such pearls) is not worth it. The right word, there is a lot of other ways to earn money.

Another problem of bad translators is an inappropriate stemmanification. The most characteristic case is the transfer of Gadgetzan as "Pribambassk". With a disgusting, this translation makes primarily the suffix -sk, due to which the Goblin city in the desert suddenly turns into a Russian outback. If the translator had enough taste of at least another end, it would not be so hopeless.

What is interesting, sometimes the same translators are not able to translate the word that can be translated and necessary. They joyfully declare him "untransitious" and pose in their text "dvuphs", "units" and other nonsense.

Here, by the way, there is a wonderful justification in his absurdity: they say, playing on international servers, people will not understand what or another word! Therefore, for example, Nivalovtsy in their own game called the mantis "Mantis". Ticks did not call the ticks: apparently, each Russian knows how in aglitski "tick"? In fact, as experience shows, there are no such problems in the players. This boat exists exclusively in the imagination of the translator.

Part of the titles contains a reference to the realities of the game from the outside. Recall at least numerous "Easter eggs" from World of Warcraft, "Witcher" and others. If they are not preserved in translation - and not one, and many, it means that the translator was a meager bread.

And meanwhile pirates ...

While the official localizers signed the paper and mined a set for localization, the pirates were engaged in the fact that "broke" the game. And the main problem for them was not StarForce, but the extraction of game resources: texts, speech sounds, fonts ... Some translated and inscriptions on the game pictures.

But in any case, at the outlet, the pirate took the mountain of fragmented texts, which was offered to be converted. No comments - where it is used, how, when ...

Try to translate, for example, a lonely word "get", which hackers were blocked from the game code. Maybe it will be the capture of the subject, maybe the ransom of something from the site may - the choice of ability from the list ... One ingenious translator came up with almost universal translation - "herself"; It looks strange, but in fact almost never breaks context.

Since there is no resource collecting program, it often turns out that it is necessary to observe ... the exact length of the text (because it needs to be placed exactly at the same place in the file). With long replicas is still more or less, and when it comes to a separate word? Try to translate into three letters the same "GET". Or, say, "axe": TPR? Top? Well, we do not have a three-letter analogue of the word "ax"!

Attention - Myth: English text is usually shorter than its translation into Russian.If we are talking about in a separate word, it is about it; But here is a connected text of meaningful length in the Russian version almost always in short(Not talking about verses, there is their laws). In times, I even installed the translators who worked with me, the rule: if your text turns out longer than the original, it means that you have been poorly edited. This, of course, is a rough approach, but it is not enough - if a person makes Russian text long, it means that he does not miss unnecessary words.

Text translation

Then comes an hour of literary translation itself. The difficulties of this process have a lot, books are written about him (for example, Chukovsky and the Nora of Gal), and in localizers it is difficult for several more problems.


Let's start with the problem that the localizer company often creates herself: no matter how paradoxically, they are completely taking someone on this work, just not translators.

Diploma for this profession today is little means - most translators can not boast or philological, nor literary education, but not the question. Often people working with the text of the responsible project can make only general ownership of English as a summary.

Attention - Myth: The main skill of the translator is knowledge of the original language.In fact, its main capital is a high level of knowledge. native Language. It is in this area that he must shine to make a professional literary translation. And the ownership of the language of the original can be much weaker than, let's say, at a synchronist; But here's the "Fatitude of the Language" to be obliged.

Worse, publishers are heard that translators de often do not know the gaming context. And therefore, they strive to find a specialist not translated, but in the subject of the game. Well, or at least close: for example, if the game on Dungeons & Dragons - you can find a person disassembling ... Magic: The Gathering.

It's about how much an ostrich fell ill in the zoo, and the leadership decided not to call the vet - where did he have experience in the treatment of ostriches? It is better to invite a specialist in ... Origami: He knows how to put out of the paper of excellent cranes, and crane, no matter how cool, also a long-legged bird!

Of course, not every game in Russia has to worry about such Survival Horror; Sometimes it is found, on the contrary, the approach is so professional that it remains only to remove the hat. So, for example, among all editors with which your humble servant dealt as the author, the best specialist in the literary part was the localizer of Games - Vasily Subseater, who headed in those years the relevant department "Nival".


But even if the zero stage has passed for the project painlessly and managed to connect to the work of the translator, and not a high-speed assembly and not a specialist in a cargo fanging - work with the game turns out to be something much more complicated for the translation of the book or film.

First, even in a relatively high-quality localization package, the phrases are not in the same order in which they will see a player. The game is interactive, and the order may be the most different. A translator for scarce comments has to restore chains of events.

Secondly, the blow to the back constantly prepares the same grammatical category - the genus. It is especially fun in role-playing, where we are invited to create a character from scratch and in advance is unknown, the hero is or the same heroine. Although the developers of games have learned to do different options for women and men in key replicas, it is difficult for themselves to imagine that in an innocent phrase like "I have already had breakfast today [a]" Slavs for some reason showing the floor of the heating end of the verb.

Thirdly, English-speaking authors are unknown to decline. And therefore, they may well afford something like: "% CLASSS ARE NOT ALLODED HERE!" We substitute the name of the class instead of% Class - and we get, say: "Paladins Are Not Allowed Here!" Simple and elegant. And in Russian? Paladinov, the end of "s" in the plural, in the wizards - "and" ...

So I have to transfer the phrase to translators so that the mind is to achieve a nominative case, the only number, of the present time ... Therefore, sometimes the strange construction of the phrase is not caused by a lack of translation skills, but difficult conditions.


But it happens, of course, and vice versa. So, for example, the most commonly gets in translation of humorous games, because we can translate the jokes (and even notice them in translation) can not everyone.

ATTENTION - Myth: The game of words cannot be translated.Notes "Unbelievable Game of Words" remained in the distant past: these days, 99% of such moments are translated in the book, and only exceptional cases fall into the footnote. If you can translate "Alice in Wonderland," it is very ashamed not to cope with much easier texts.

Almost the main skill for the translator, without which it is impossible to give a qualitative result, is the ability understand that he does not understand something. This is not a paradox, but the harsh reality of life.

For example, if you do not know who Paris Hilton is - the right, there is no big grief in this, - then Haris Pitton, you do not recognize the elf. But if you are a translator, and not a misunderstanding, then you will understand that there is something strange in this name and we must figure out - why it is what it refers to. The main thing is to raise the question, find an answer with the help of the Internet and familiar is much easier.

It is not true that blunders in translations arise because the translator does not know that Tunic is not only a tunic, but also a uniform, and a merchant selling China is not an international spy, but just a china merchant. Lyapi arise because he saw such a strange situation, he did not doubt, but dressed up an officer in a tunic, made the merchant to trade (at best!) China's cards - after which she fell asleep calmly, and his conscience was not tormented.

By the way, both examples are completely real. The second gentleman is especially beautiful: he even realized that he would trade in China - Nelpitsa, but did not find peaceful forces to look into the dictionary, but corrected it for more, from his point of view, reasonable "China's maps". I would like to recommend him to devote the remainder of the life of the trade in China's cards, and for the translations no longer take. This is not his path.


However, talking about how not to spoil the translation (and how it is often spoiled), it is possible for hours. This is written by books (for example, "High Art" Kornea Chukovsky or "The Word of Living and Dead" Nora Gal). Alas, not for all they are written ...

The most main problem of the transfer of games is still in the fact that the task is too often solved with unsuitable means. Install the unrealistic period, hire instead of the translator of the manufacturer of dvuphs and merchants by Chinese cards, exclude from the editor's process ...

Editorial and proofreading

It does not matter, there is a good translator or bad, - the fruits of his works must be edited. And make it very, very carefully. And it is necessary that the editor will have to work back at the stage of making a dictionary.

The translation editor must, in fact, be in some extent by the translator. At least it should have the skill described above to notice oddities. Moreover, generally speaking, its main task is not to rule the text, but return it to refinement, marking poor-quality pieces. Otherwise, his work over time will become more complicated and more difficult: the further, the less disadvantages of their product will notice the translator.

However, this is just very often lacking time. Several editing cycles are far from always can afford the localizer (like, by the word, and the editor of the periodic publication) ...

Then comes the corrector; In this situation, the specifics of the least, since the rules of the Russian language are few depend on the nature of the text. Is that scripting inserts, like a questioned above% Class, you need to be able to recognize, but it is trifles.

And nevertheless ... It is no secret that it is this stage of the Lord Localizers often skip. That on their part is extremely stupid: not everyone is able to determine the defects of the translation, dubbing texts many wriggle to the shortcomings of the original ... But here is the absence of commas and other charms will notice certainly. Of all the problems of localization, typos are best visible - this is, by the way, refers to any printed text ...

What is curious, sometimes the authorities are intentionally portic The work of the corrector, forbating it to work in accordance with the rules of the language! So, for example, I saw with my own eyes when the editor of the localization editor strictly tagged the corrector to maintain writing the "elves", "Dwarfs" and so on with a capital letter. Say, it's not just a race - this is the parties in the game!

Poor sincerely believed that it was precisely for this reason in the game with a capital letter. And in fact, in English Russians or, let's say, the Chinese will also be with a capital letter - the rules of the language are. But we don't seem to translate into English?

And meanwhile pirates:the editors of the pirates met ... sometimes. As a rule, it came into effect if the text received from the translator did not leze in any gate. For example, the "translator" worked using Promt or Stylus. The translator, of course, was hanging on the noca-ree, and the editor was set to the task like "translate all this nonsense to the human language at twenty-four hours" ... We note that the use of such programs at any stage of work for the translator is a 100% indicator of incompetence. Even the easiest traces of Stylus and any of his analogue, if they are noticed in the text, in the norm provide the translator of the "Wolf Ticket" at least among the official localizers, even in pirates. There are some limits of decent even for the knights of the funny Roger!

Voice

But finally the translator works are finished, he received his fee and retired. Actors come into business.

Another five years ago, the actors for localization were often collected from the world on a thread, and they had a lot of things to explain before the start of work. After all, the actor does not usually get acquainted with the whole history of the issue. Before him, there is just a replica, there is (I want to hope) Original voice acting and any description of the character character. But what, say, Dwarf, the actor may not know, although it's great to any player.

And meanwhile pirates:these and at all, as a rule, voiced their products by the forces of the translators themselves. And well, if the game was at least two vote. About professionalism and speech was not.

However, in recent times, the situation has been recovered: with the advent of the permanent market of orders for voice acting, studios appeared, professionally performing this particular work. One of the most noticeable - Muza-Games.in which speakers work including our video coffee.

Usually, there are enough actors on the voice acting, much less than there are characters in the game. And completely normal, if the artist gets a good ten heroes. At the same time, he voiced by one by one by one, and not in order of replicas in the game, to get better to enter the role and achieve the right peculiarities of the voice.

Although now with the dubbing games, there are excellent professionals, very "multi-voiced", sometimes it is still noticeable that their smaller than would like. From time to time, software filters that correct the timbre are applied to disguise this.

People, far from a checker kitchen, sometimes think that the actors on the voice acting play entire dialogues from the game. There are extremely rare in real life. Usually, the actor gives a simple list of his replica, and it's good if there are those words for which his hero is responsible! Many even prefer not to see "unnecessary" replicas, so as not to interfere. And then the sound edges set replicas in places, and in the game they themselves are going to the script in the dialogs.

The reasons for such a position of things are trivials: voice acting costs a very round amount, with the actors and the studio there are hourly pay. If the actor will delve into each intermediate replica of other characters, I'm not saying - if several artists work with the text at the same time, the localization price will grow very and very seriously. However, there are projects and with the "honest" game ... or at least woulding.

Occasionally, except for replicas, it has to voiced still moans, the noise of the crowd and other similar oddities (often they are simply left from the original). For some reason, it is often considered that the crowd's noise is most difficult, although in fact these methods have been known for many years and worked until automatism: a few meaningless replicas like "what to say, when there is nothing to speak" overlap on each other with a displacement. Sometimes the same crowd's noise with the success of "plays" in a dozen projects.


While the voice acting is going, artists will be with the fonts of the game, as well as with drawn inscriptions. Most of this work, besides actually creating fonts, technical; But if the localization package is made so-so, it happens very and very laborious. Alas, and today there are such joys, as the need to enter the text right on top of the existing one (the developer was too lazy to give a picture in the layers), and this means long-predicted clock retouching pictures.

Installation and debugging

And finally, all the source materials are made. What's next?

Further again depends on the good will of the foreign publisher. If he was so kind, which sent the game and means of installation in it texts and sounds, the localizer itself collects the Russian-speaking version and can correct the errors in real time.

But, as you know, we hope to Allah, and the camel bind; And some publishers prefer to make an assembly themselves. This is another way to spoil the end result ...

Why? Yes, because even with the most thorough work of errors are inevitable, and each cycle of sending the material to the publisher abroad is selected at least a day, usually - more noticeably. The game is a draft such complexity that it would be ridiculous to expect good luck from the first time. Somewhere the translator still did not understand the context (this especially often happens when the phrase or name in the game is going out of individual words) ...

Case of life:here are some characteristic fruits of such an assembly. "Fly Lair, Lair Mukh)," Take two "(with an unknown goal in the localization table, broke the name of the publisher Take Two)," Bolon trap "(Booby Trap) ...

But the most, perhaps, a frequent problem that only the stage of the test reveals: something does not climb somewhere. For example, a too long name is not closed in the spell sign, or the delayed replica shifts with the subsequent, or the inscription does not climb the button ...

At the same time, it is necessary to understand well that under the localizer physically can not There is enough time to spend full testing of the surround game ...

If, say, the quest has to find all possible options and shortcings are still realistic, then viewing and listening to all replicas in the role-playing game - the process is incredibly long. Such badly can be done for a long cycle of development, but localizers are unable to afford a few months of testing!

However, if we, say, on the screen, replicas are systematically saved for the window's cut (in the last issue, we described such a game), or the inscription on the main screen does not fit on the button, or replicas bonded in the grill roller - it will be fairly and competently declare the work of the Haltural Localizer.



This life cycle takes place the Western game before being "in full Russian translation".

As you can see, there are dozens of reasons why the translation may be distant from the ideal; And not all of them are at the localizer. Although most often, alas, bad localization is the fruit of too compressed time and not too good family recruitment. But the localizer is constantly forced to flee chairs over time, and those who want to make a light earnings, I would not advise you to go to this business.