LocJam London Workshop: Introduction to Game Localisation

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This is the presentation I did with my colleague Jennifer Vela for the 2014 LocJam Workshop in London. In it, we explain a bit of the history of the consoles, we show some stats on the industry and we explain a bit of this unknown world of Localisation. Once they had the theory, we gave them a few exercises for the participants to do.

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All your base are belong to us!

Jennifer Vela Validojvela@jennifervela.com

@ligeis

Curri Barcelócurri@localiseme.net

@currixan

LEVEL 1: Once upon a time…

LEVEL 2: Localise me!

LEVEL 3: All your base are belong to us

LEVEL 4: I bet you can do better

BONUS TRACK

LEVEL 1: Once upon a timeLEVEL 1: Once upon a time……

Video game industry:

a brief story

MAIN CHARACTERS

6060’’ss

AtariAtari19721972

19721972Magnavox Magnavox 1st console1st console

Magnavox OdysseyMagnavox Odyssey

19771977

Atari Atari Atari 2600Atari 2600

19781978

Taito Taito Licensed Licensed Space InvadersSpace Invadersfor Atari 6000for Atari 6000

19781978

8080’’ss

Commodore 64Commodore 64

ZX SpectrumZX Spectrum

19831983 Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System

(Famicom/Nes)(Famicom/Nes)

3rd3rd--party licensingparty licensing

Nintendo Game & WatchNintendo Game & Watch

19851985

Commodore AmigaCommodore Amiga

Sega Master SystemSega Master System

19851985

Atari LynxAtari Lynx

Sega Mega DriveSega Mega Drive

Nintendo Game BoyNintendo Game Boy

End of the 80End of the 80’’ss

Super NESSuper NES

Game GearGame Gear

SNK NeoSNK Neo--GeoGeo

Sega MegaSega Mega--CDCD

9090’’ss

Atari JaguarAtari Jaguar9090’’ss

Sony PlayStationSony PlayStation

Nintendo 64Nintendo 64Sega SaturnSega Saturn

0000’’ssNokia NNokia N--GageGage

PC PC MMORPGMMORPG

20002000--20032003

Sony PlayStation 2Sony PlayStation 2

Microsoft XboxMicrosoft Xbox

NintendoNintendoGame CubeGame Cube

20042004--20062006 Nintendo DSNintendo DS

Sony PlayStation PortableSony PlayStation Portable

Microsoft Xbox 360Microsoft Xbox 360

Sony PlayStation 3Sony PlayStation 3

20062006--20102010Nintendo Wii + Canal Tienda WiiNintendo Wii + Canal Tienda Wii

Sony PlayStation Move + Sony PlayStation Move + mando de navegacimando de navegacióónn

Microsoft KinectMicrosoft Kinect

20122012

Sony PlayStation VitaSony PlayStation Vita

Nintendo Wii UNintendo Wii U

TODAYTODAY New ways of playingNew ways of playingSmartphonesSmartphones+ Tablets+ Tablets

Facebook Facebook Social GamesSocial Games

New ways of playingNew ways of playingWebsitesWebsites

TODAYTODAY

20132013

Sony PlayStation 4Sony PlayStation 4 Xbox ONEXbox ONE

OUYAOUYA

LEVEL 2: Localise me!LEVEL 2: Localise me!

“Creates more benefits than the movie industry in the UK and US markets alone, an industry that brings people out from cinemas

and television and gets them to sit with their controllers to play

during hours instead”

(Chatfield, Tom. 2009)

Videogame industryVIDEOGAME INDUSTRY

• 61 billion dollars (Forbes);• 91 billion dollars by 2015 (Chandler,

Heather 2012);• 30-50% comes from the international

market (Chandler, Heather 2012).

Videogame industryVIDEOGAME INDUSTRY

South-Eastern AsiaEastern Europe

Latin AmericaMiddle East

Potential New MarketsPotential New MarketsPOTENTIAL NEW MARKETS

“Localisation is the adaptation of a product, application, or document

content to meet the language, culture, and other requirements of a

specific target market”(Flanders, Melanie 2006).

Message = Same effect as the original

WHAT IS LOCALISATION?

What do we need to take into account?

1. Internationalisation;

WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

Internationalisation

“Internationalisation is to create a project that can be easily localised with a minimum amount of work on the developer’s part” (Chandler, 2005(Chandler, 2005))

WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

InternationalisationWHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

What do we need to take into account?

1. Internationalisation;

2. Knowledge of the source language and culture;

WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

What do we need to take into account?

1. Internationalisation;

2. Knowledge of the source language and culture;

3. Specific requirements of the market or culture;

WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF MARKET/CULTURE

What do we need to take into account?

1. Internationalisation;

2. Knowledge of the source language and culture;

3. Specific requirements of the market or culture;

4. Lack of context or poor knowledge of the in-game;

WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

Blind-folded translation - Dietz, F. (2006)

BAT

LACK OF CONTEXT OR POOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME

What do we need to take into account?

1. Internationalisation;

2. Knowledge of the source language and culture;

3. Specific requirements of the market or culture;

4. Lack of context or poor knowledge of the in-game;

5. Knowing the final user and what they want.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

Knowing the final user and what they want

“A blackl lake // A whitel lake // In the morningl”

Little King’s Story

KNOWING THE FINAL USER ORWHAT THEY WANT

Knowing the final user and what they want

1994 Chiquito de la Calzada

KNOWING THE FINAL USER ORWHAT THEY WANT

LEVEL 3: All your base are LEVEL 3: All your base are belong to usbelong to us……

Bubble Bobble + Pro Wrestling

Ghostbusters

Dragon Quest + Legend of Zelda

Metal Gear

Metal Gear

Double Dragon II

LEVEL 4: I bet you can do betterLEVEL 4: I bet you can do better

Challenges: Word play

Challenges: Target cultue

Challenges: Lack of context

Challenges: Lack of context

ORIGINAL: %1$s: %2$s level %3$s to %4$s %5$s

TRANSLATION:

Challenges: Lack of context

ORIGINAL: %1$s: %2$s level %3$s to %4$s %5$s

TRANSLATION:WTF??

Challenges: Lack of context

ORIGINAL: %1$s: %2$s level %3$s to %4$s %5$s

CONTEXT:%1$s = Name of the object%2$s and %5$s = HTML tags: «span».%3$s %4$s = Max and min level to get that object

TRANSLATION:

WTF??

Challenges: Variables

ORIGINAL 1: You have found a %item%. ORIGINAL 2: You have got %d star(s).ORIGINAL 3: %s %s is located in the is located in the %s.%s.ORIGINAL 4: ORIGINAL 4: %, you look so hot in that!%, you look so hot in that!

TRANSLATION 1:TRANSLATION 2:TRANSLATION 3:TRANSLATION 4:

WTF??

Challenges: Character limitation

ORIGINAL 1: Take cover! (12 char)ORIGINAL 2: OK (4 char)ORIGINAL 3: Save all changes? (17 char)

TRANSLATION 1:TRANSLATION 2:TRANSLATION 3:

Challenges: Character limitation

Limit: 6 char.

BONUS TRACK: LOCJAMBONUS TRACK: LOCJAM

All your base are belong to us!

Jennifer Vela Validojvela@jennifervela.com

@ligeis

Curri Barcelócurri@localiseme.net

@currixan

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