Game Localization - Tasks and Challenges

Tasks and Challenges

The major types of localization are as follows.

• Linguistic and cultural: the translation of language and cultural references maintaining the feel of the game but making it more appealing for the receiving locale.
• Hardware and software: for example the change between PAL and NTSC, re-mapping of hotkeys, gameplay modifications.
• Legal: age ratings may differ depending on the country of release. They are controlled by national or international bodies like PEGI (for Europe), ESRB (for US and Canada), OFLC (for Australia), or CERO (for Japan).
• Graphics and music: Some games may exhibit different characters, or the same ones with a slightly different appearance in order to facilitate players identification with their avatar. Music may also vary according to national trends or the preferences of major fan communities.

As the international demand for video games rises, successful titles depend on their adaptation to various cultures and languages in a slightly different way from other audiovisual creations such as films. These products tap into a very emotional activity within society: “play”. It is “play” that first bonds us to our own culture and history, to what we see as normal, fun, appropriate, or funny. Semiotics play a great part on this adaptation since the function of signs and symbols in natural languages can be significantly different from one culture to another, differences that extend from the syntactic layer of communication, to the semantic and the pragmatic one. Some of these disparities may be so small they are easily adaptable, but many other can be notably distinct or even contradictory, so translators may have a challenging task ahead because their input might require the alteration of the actual game in some cases.

Video games, unlike any other entertainment products, aim at motivating and challenging players at their own level and pace. They do this by various means, for example, a customisable avatar, an adjustable difficulty level, and a relative freedom of movement and interaction within the virtual world. The country and language of destination may also affect the game itself (Bernal 2006), especially when dealing with violence, historical events, foul language, or sex, since different cultures are more sensitive than others to these matters. But there is also what Sutton-Smith (1997:99) calls ‘counterludic identity’, which means that sometimes the country importing the game refuses to play them the way the exporting one does, putting more emphasis on their own way of playing. As a result, the same game released simultaneously in the United States, France, Germany, China, and Japan for example, might show different features to adjust to fans’ expectations, as well as the various cultural and legal frameworks.

When games are more story- than action-driven, culturalising them can be challenging because of all the premises the designers are taking for granted in the development of the plot. Asian gamers seem to prefer more childlike characters, while Western countries might emphasize adult features. An example of the changes that are likely to happen during localization is Fatal Frame (known in Japan as Zero and known in Europe as Project Zero) (Tecmo 2001). In the original Japanese version the female protagonist, Miku, was a frightened seventeen-year-old girl looking for her brother Mafuyu who disappeared after entering a haunted mansion. In the US and European versions Miku is nineteen, has Western features, and is not wearing the original Japanese school uniform. Unfortunately, developers did not think necessary to change her brother’s appearance, so when players do find Mafuyu at the end of the game they do not seem to be blood-related.

A similar thing happens with the depiction of blood, and real historical events; many things have to be readjusted to fit the country’s tolerance and taste in order not to hurt sensibilities. This is probably one of the reasons why so many games take place in imaginary worlds. This customisation effort draws on the knowledge of geopolitical strategists, like Kate Edwards from Englobe. During the 2006 Game Developers Conference in California she explained the importance of being culturally aware when internationalising games in a presentation called “Fun vs. Offensive: Balancing the ‘Cultural Edge’ of Content for Global Games” (Edwards 2006). Both developers and publishers want to please their clients. Gamers are not particularly interested in where the game comes from, or who created it any more than someone buying a new car or DVD player. A product for mass consumption only keeps the branding features of the trademark; all the other characteristics might be subject to customisation due to the need to appeal to the local market. Therefore the translation will be in some cases an actual recreation, or, to put it in the words of Mangiron & O’Hagan (2006), a ‘transcreation’, where translators will be expected to produce a text with the right ‘feel’ for the target market. It is important for translators to be aware of the logic behind this. Video games are a software product, and as such, they will have manuals and instructions, as well as interactive menus and help files. This will call for technical translation. On the other hand, we will also find narration and dialogue closer to literary texts or film scripts where a more creative translation would be expected. However, unlike most forms of translation, video games can adapt or even change the original script, as long as it is in the search of enhanced fun and playability of the target culture. We can only find a parallel of this type of practice in the translation of children’s literature where professionals often adapt or alter the original text to improve children’s understanding and enjoyment of the book.

SCEE David Reeves, has stated that the main reason that Europe is often affected by significant content delays is because of language localization. He stated "the problem is that there isn't enough incentive for developers to work on multiple language translations during development. Hence, Europeans suffer delays and may never see a particular title". He also commented on why the UK and Ireland which are English speaking countries, also experience the same delays as those in continental Europe with many different languages despite little or no modification. He stated "With PlayStation Store we could probably go in the UK almost day and date. But then what are the Germans and the French going to say to me? That I'm Anglo-centric" indicating that the reason that these countries also must wait is to avoid criticism from other large European gaming countries such as Germany and France.