Voice-Over: A Fine Accompaniment to the Unconventional
In this part two, we will look at the different types of voice-overs and outline the effects they may have on their audience, using a couple of my favorite examples.
Now, in a nutshell, there are three main types of voice-over: narration, ‘UN style’, and the rare ‘lektoring’.
A Deep Dive into the Localization of I See Red
It appears that only people in the business of translation or creating content for broader audiences truly understand how vital the localization process is. Others had to learn it the hard way – and it’s a common nightmare for new developers!
The Localization of The Witcher: Accents and ‘Otherness’
Continuing our journey through the Witcher’s many locations and accent choices, we arrive in the warm, sunny region of Toussaint.
The Importance of the Fictional Pact on the Gamer’s Experience – Part 2
In our first article we delved into the meaning of the fictional pact and how it works for video games in terms of images, sounds, UX/UI, among others. These are the fundamental factors that allow players to connect with games and enjoy them. But what’s the deal with the (invisible) elephant in the room: idiomatic localization and culturalization?
The Localization of the Witcher: Leshy-Sized Translation Obstacles on the Path to Localization Paradise
The 15th anniversary of The Witcher series’ video game debut is upon us! The adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series was first released in-game format on the PC/Mac in 2007, which was followed up by a sequel in 2011, before the critically acclaimed The Witcher 3 was released in 2017 across most gaming platforms, and, owing to the popularity of all things Witcher, the third installment was localized into 15 different languages – including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Russian!
Accessibility: New Options within Reach
Accessibility in the video game world can be defined as having the ability to play a game even under restrictive conditions, be it due to some sort of functional limitation or disability. Accessibility also plays an important part during game development, as it relates to the interaction between the game and the player.
Localization, an Essential Tool for Global Business
Localization is an important tool for global business. Find out what localization is, marketing localization and software localization in this easy-to-digest read.
Swords and Pokémon: An Insight into Transcreation
“A wild Scyther appeared!”“At last, I’ve spent ages looking for one of these… Go! Pikachu!”“Scyther used Agility!”“Pikachu used Thunder… But it failed!”*Annoyed sigh*“Scyther used Strike with the Back of the Sword”“… Wait… WHAT?! What kind of move is that?! The name barely even fits my screen!” Transcreation I choose you! Did my literal translation suddenly […]
Video Games: Virtual Immersion and Localization
In Other Worlds Many pieces of art and entertainment, like literary works, movies, or paintings, depict worlds in such a way that readers or spectators feel like they are in that world. This phenomenon is called immersion, and it’s also part of the experience of playing video games. We will outline here how immersion works […]
The Importance of a Project Manager in Localization
When it comes to localizing a game, it can become a challenging process. A Loc team needs enough resources to do their job well. There need to be enough translators on board. The technology that the team will use needs to be working. The client’s wishes and standards are in place. Deadlines need to be […]
The Linguistic Art of Transcreation in Video Game Localization
Localized video games would not be fun to play if they used direct translations. Word-for-word translation has its place in certain fields, but interactive entertainment is not one of them. Localizing video games calls for a freer, more creative approach to translation, and that’s where transcreation makes its mark. Rather than merely substituting one word […]
