Armchair Dev: Localization

Preface: Armchair Dev is a (potential) new blog series where I share my observations and opinions regarding game design beyond just the writing and narrative bits. As I have yet to be involved in any kind of official game development as of this writing, I can only speak as a very enthusiastic fan, hence the title. In light of that, I will always appreciate discourse and insight from those more familiar with the processes discussed than I, so don’t mind sharing your thoughts and personal experiences!

Now, onto the blog itself!

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A flow chart showcasing the localization process for Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (Posted by @RPGSite on Twitter).

A Personal Passion

Ever since my college days, I’ve had quite the enthusiasm for discussing, researching, and investigating video game localization. Because it seemed like more of an auxiliary aspect of game design, I felt like applying for a role as a localization team writer or editor would be a great launchpad into a video game career. While destiny seemed to have other plans, my interest in the topic has persisted far longer than the sting of no-reply rejection letters and radio silence.

Naturally, that means there’s a lot about localization that I’d love to talk about. This blog in particular, though, will look at how I’ve come to understand and analyze the art of localization.

The Three Pillars of Localization

Referring back to my self-driven localization studies in college, I broke down the practice into three “pillars” or objectives: Translation, Adaptation, and Alteration.

Translation is the most self-explanatory: the translation of work from its native language to a local one. This is quite literally the bare minimum mission statement of localization, and faults and failures in this area “translate” directly into objective flaws that result in misunderstanding and the shattering of immersion.

Adaptation is a step up from simple translation in that it prioritizes making sure the material, once translated, fits the language like a glove. Quality adaptation is the difference between making a product comprehendible and experienceable to something that the player actively enjoys experiencing. Things like particular word choice and voice acting, when applicable, would be considered part of the adaptation process.

Alteration separates itself from the previous two pillars by being changes that the localizers introduce on their end. Reading this, the first thing that’ll probably pop up in your mind is censorship, but this umbrella term applies to pretty much anything that the localizers add, adjust, replace, etc. to the game, intentional or otherwise. Bad translation usually occurs out of oversight and/or ineptitude, but a disagreeable act of alteration is generally the result of the localizers’ decisions.

The Importance of Getting it Right

The mark of a good localization is a fluent translation, an adaptation that ensures the player never feels like they’re playing a translated game, and the bare minimum amount of alteration necessary to mitigate awkwardness, discomfort, outrage, and other unwanted feelings while making sure the mission of the original product remains intact.

Meanwhile, an issue with any single one of these pillars risks upending all the progress and effort put into the localization. Errors in translation, as mentioned previously, can lead to noticeable and potentially meme’d-to-death errors that range from mildly peeving to utterly jarring. Faulty adaptation may not involve literal errors like translation does, but it can contribute to a clunky, awkward, and otherwise uncanny feeling while the player plays. What counts as a bad case of alteration can vary depending on the person (and their views on censorship), but the last thing you want when you’re job is preparing something on someone else’s behalf is to blatantly trample on the intentions of the original creators.

Closing Thoughts

When you work in localization, you’re more than just a translator, spellchecker, or play tester—you’re a representative of a product to international audiences. Whether you’re an in-house localization team or a specialized organization working with other companies to get their big releases polished and prepped for worldwide releases, you’re the ones making sure that the game (or any product, if we’re talking about localization in any other industry) sticks the landing.

So to anyone working in localization reading this, kudos! Hopefully what I’ve come to surmise about your work at least slightly overlaps with what I’ve come to understand myself. If not, then hey—I’m always open to making sure the record’s set straight and learning new things.

There’s a lot more to say about localization, and I’m hoping that I’ll get the chance to cover some of the more noteworthy localization efforts and drama (stuff like Fire Emblem Fates, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, etc.) in a sequel blog revisiting the topic. Feel free to send some other examples my way if you’re interested in me looking at them and discussing them at some point.

In any case, I’ll leave there. Thanks for reading and see you next time!