From Super Mario Bros. to Final Fantasy, countless games have made their way worldwide thanks to localization. It also goes without saying but it has helped video games to become an enjoyable past time anywhere on the globe.
Recently however, localization has received some less than favorable publicity. Fans have been quick to call it censorship, and this has arisen for many reasons – whether it be changing a character’s age or removing the mention of questionable drugs during dialogue. Many have been quick to cry foul, especially in the recent cases of title such Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and Fire Emblem Fates.
Naturally, this has lead to quite a few questions on the subject and its inner workings.
So, with burning questions on the matter of game localization, we took the opportunity to get in touch with a veteran in the industry. We picked the brain of video game localization consultant, dark comedy author, and coffee connoisseur Jessica Chavez. You may learn a thing or two about game localization, because we certainly did.
On the off chance someone is uninformed, how would you best describe what localization is?
Being very familiar with playing localized games myself, that definition is quite different from my own. I would imagine the same would be said for many who think about the subject. So certainly it’s a process to retain the original intent and message of the source material.
When a game is chosen for localization, is that based upon popularity? Are there other factors we may not be aware of?
Often times on message boards and etc., you’ll see fans being vocal about why a game hasn’t been localized. As Jessica elaborates, there a many business aspects that need to be addressed before it gets into our hands. A recent example of this would be the announcement of Dragon Quest VII for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was released in Japan in February 2013, while western territories will be seeing a release this September. In this game’s case, the reason more than likely was due to the its massive script.
Questions you have to ask yourself before pursuing a title are things like: Does it have potential with our audience? How much work would it entail? Will it be able to pass that magic threshold that makes it profitable, i.e. will it sell more than the resources allocated to bring it over and also be worth the time invested?
Games are also brought up for consideration because, well, they’re fun, but they need to meet the needs of the company. A company that can’t turn a profit doesn’t stay in business long, after all.
During the process, a localization team gets rather intimate with a game and its nuances right? That sounds pretty daunting.
In your professional opinion, is there an easy part to localizing a game? How about least difficult if possible?
You play the game, research a bit, check your lines in context if you can, and hope like hell you don’t misinterpret or miss something important. The things you miss haunt you, seriously.
Localization has been getting a lot of “attention” in the news recently. What would you say is one the misconceptions with the profession?
It would be quite an understatement to say there’s a lot misunderstanding with the profession. The forum post Jessica describes is a sentiment you’ll often see with localization news. Some had no problem expressing the same when it came to the localization of Fire Emblem Fates. Jessica’s feelings on opinions like these are understandable.
How could I ever forget this infamous forum post?
“…it’s literally just taking a sentence and rewriting it. How hard is that? I could translate a book in like a day.”
I’ve detailed the overall process on my blog, but there’s also a ton of labor that goes into just the text alone. Getting lines right when you often have little to no context, lining up terminology across the board, ensuring a consistent tone over the whole script, formatting and reworking text so that it doesn’t spill out of windows and break the game… Don’t even get me started on the jokes. It’s tough, grueling work, especially when you have deadlines.
Localization involves the navigation of language, nuances, scene progression and etc. To put it into layman’s terms you’re essentially creating a movie, a game, and a novel. All while staying true to the source material and making it regionally relevant. Doesn’t exactly fall into the realm of easy if you were to ask me.
This is often seen online; but why don’t all games feature dual audio? We understand that there’s licensing and monetary reasons why. Could you elaborate a bit on the matter?
Thus, we’re given some more insight on the matter of voice overs. You don’t have to look far, but among gamers there’s those that only want original audio. There’s those who don’t mind and others that aren’t affected either way. Audio options, as we’ve learned, are all part of that business plan for a game. Many fans may not be are of the proverbial red tape involved. We of course don’t know all the reasons as to why those choices (if available) are made.
As for licensing, the rights may be authorized by the voice actor and/or their agent/studio only for specific regions. Contracts can be very particular about where the VO can be legally used. It sucks, but sometimes that’s the case.
These are just some of the reasons behind no dual audio. Each company has their own particular circumstances, though, so it’s best not to try and compare them 1:1.
It’s not entirely foreign, we’ve seen companies release titles dubbed and others not dubbed. For example, Aksys Games released Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- last year fully dubbed. This year’s Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator was released with subtitles only.
Earlier Jessica mentioned viability, and that also applies to the audio options as well. Companies may or may not be aware there’s an audience that would prefer, say, Japanese voice work over English voice work. When they see the opportunity it maybe a possibility in the future.
Case in point: ATLUS/SEGA’s Persona 5. Josh Hardin, PR manager, took to social media to address the title’s audio choices. Via Twitter he stated they will attempt to provide Japanese audio as a post launch DLC option. Again, he stressed there are no guarantees but they will try because fans asked.
How closely do localizers work with voice actors, if at all?
At this point, I would like to add that localization also requires you to wear the hat of an acting director. (Again, debunking any notion of it being remotely easy.)
Over the course of my time there I would help select the voice actors for each part, work up the script, explain the roles/direction to the voice actors, sit in and listen at the studio, approve lines, tweak the takes, and I even took over directing for a couple of sessions when necessary.
Many of us have also been known to grab a few beers with those lovely guys and gals from time to time.
If someone is interested in having a career in localization – what’s one important piece of advice you would offer?
This tidbit is certainly interesting. Considering the levels of work she’s described that goes into localization, it makes sense. You would need an array of skills at your command. Writing, production, and a professional aptitude to adapt. After all, mistakes and or a title that leaves something to be desired is remembered forever.
Create something tangible like a book, or a portfolio of translation projects, make a game, design game covers, etc. If you show yourself to be proactive in some part of the field, it stands out.
Localization I think is something of an under-rated profession at times. Any suggestions as to how fans can continue to support their favorite localization teams? A genuine thank you for their hard work on social media perhaps?
Last question, this maybe hard to answer but we have to know. Is there one game you are most proud to have worked on? You can answer two or three if one is too hard.
When you take a look at what games she’s most proud of you’ll notice they’re quite diverse amongst each other. One’s a unique spin on the JRPG genre, the other Harvest Moon-like where you wield a sword, and one is a collection of family fishing activities.
My favorites, though? Half-Minute Hero, Rune Factory: Frontier, Fishing Resort (surprised?), and the one I’m most proud to have been a part of (because in a sane world it had no chance given the circumstances, the size, and the unbelievable hurdles we had to overcome during its localization): Trails in the Sky.
I’ll never forget Trails in the Sky FC(first chapter) and SC(second chapter). I’ve tried, believe me. But, yeah, pretty proud to have been a part of it…and survived.
Now, the Trails in the Sky titles she makes note of are known to be massive. Fans tout the titles for being rich in story, quests, and dialogue. They also consider them to some of the best localized titles they’ve played.
What can fans of your work look forward to in the future?
We certainly are looking forward to her next projects and future titles. We would highly suggest that perhaps you should as well.
