348 THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK, 2/E
Other Technical Considerations
You must consider several other technical aspects when creating localization-
friendly code:
Subtitles: Will the game have subtitling functionality? If so, the publisher
might choose to subtitle the voiceover files for the localized versions, instead
of fully translating them.
Lip-syncing: How will lip-syncing be handled in-game and for pre-rendered
cinematics? The common way is dubbing, in which the localized dialogue re-
places the original source dialogue, and the animator attempts to match up
the character’s mouth movements as best as he can.
Compatibility between languages: If there is an online component to
the game, users from different countries can usually play against each other.
If this is the case, the different localized versions must be able to play with
each other.
21.4 LEVEL OF LOCALIZATION
The extent to which game assets are localized can vary from project to project,
depending on how many resources are available to invest in the localization and
the likely return on the investment. The localization process is scaled according
to the needs and expectations of the game. There are three main levels for local-
izing games:
Packaging and manual localization: Localizing the game’s packaging and
manual, commonly referred to as “box and docs,” is one level of localization.
The game code and language are unchanged from the original version, but
the manual, packaging, and other supporting documentation are localized
into the target language.
Partial localization: A partial localization means that only the in-game text
is translated, and none of the voiceover files are translated. This method is
cost effective, since time and money are not spent translating voiceover text,
setting up recording sessions, and completing other tasks needed to localize
voiceovers. In some cases, the voiceover files can be subtitled, but only if the
code supports this feature.
Full localization: A full localization includes translating the text, voiceover,
manual, and packaging. This can be costly and challenging if the game code
is not localization-friendly and the assets are not well organized within the
code.
LOCALIZATION 349
21.5 LOCALIZATION PLAN
Before localizing a game, work with sales to determine whether the projected
sales represent a profitable localization. Start by figuring out how many assets
need to be localized, how much the translations will cost, and how much de-
velopment time is needed. This information is also necessary for any external
vendors who want to bid on producing the localizations.
Figure 21.2 illustrates an asset overview form that is used to estimate the
number of assets to translate. The developer fills in the requested information
and then sends it to the translator for cost estimates. This form is a good starting
point for collecting all the necessary information about the localizations. Since
this form provides a general overview of the project and is filled out before the
game assets are final, estimates will have to suffice.
Schedule, Budget, and Staffing
The localization schedule can be broken down into four major areas:
■
Organizing assets for translations—include the time it takes to convert
the text assets into a format that the translators can easily work with.
■
Translations—include the time needed to translate and record local-
ized VO.
■
Integrating translated assets—include the time needed for art, text, VO
files, and compiling build.
■
Testing—includes both functionality and linguistic testing.
In-game text assets # Delivery Format Comments
Number of words to be translated
Number of text files to be modified
Art Assets
Number of words in art assets
Number of art assets to be modified
Voiceover Assets
Number of words in VO script
Number of VO files to be modified
Number of characters to record
Total time of VO (min:sec)
CINEMATICS ASSETS
Number of words in cinematic script
Number of cinematics to modify
Number of characters to record
Total time of lip-synced dialogue
Total time of cut-scenes (min:sec)
PRINTED MATERIALS
Number of words in manual
Number of manual graphics to be modified
Number of words in box text
Number of box graphics to modify
Other printed materials
FIGURE 21.2 Asset overview form.
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E
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350 THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK, 2/E
Of course, each localized project will have a different schedule, but if
localizations are planned for in advance and run according to schedule, expect
to spend on average two to three months in production on the localized ver-
sions. Figure 21.3 is an example of an initial localization schedule with general
estimates. Create this schedule in pre-production so the development team
can prepare in advance for key localization tasks. As development continues,
create a more detailed schedule to more accurately track the progress of the
localizations.
Once the asset overview form and an initial schedule estimate are com-
pleted, a budget can be created. If using external translators, shop around for
the best price.
Remember to include costs for all the development personnel needed—
which usually includes a part-time engineer, part-time artist, a part-time associ-
ate producer, and testers. The most significant development costs are likely to
be testing, especially if the game is complex and content heavy. Designate a
single person on the development team to manage all aspects of the localization,
including any external vendors. If this person is the main contact for all localiza-
tion queries, the process will progress more smoothly.
21.6 ORGANIZING ASSETS FOR TRANSLATION
If the localizations are released after the main game ships, a localization kit can
be created and sent to the translator. Refer to Chapter 25, “Closing Kits,” for
more information on this. This kit will contain a complete set of assets that are
already organized for translation.
If the localizations will ship simultaneously with the main version of the
game, a localization pipeline needs to be put in place to send assets for trans-
lation as content gets finalized and locked down in the game. A comprehen-
sive asset tracking and updating process should be created in order to make the
FIGURE 21.3 Initial localization schedule.
Task Language Resource Duration Start Date End Date
Freeze English VO assets French Development Team 1 day July 5, 2009 July 5, 2009
Freeze English test assets French Development Team 1 day July 26, 2009 July 26, 2009
Organize VO assets for translation French Development Team 3 days July 6, 2009 July 9, 2009
Organize text assets for translation French Development Team 3 days July 27, 2009 July 30, 2009
In-game text translated French Translator 2 weeks July 30, 2009 August 13, 2009
VO script translated French Translator 2 weeks July 9, 2009 July 23, 2009
Actors cast for localized VO French Sound Studio 1 week July 9, 2009 July 23, 2009
Localized VO files recorded and processed French Sound Studio 3 weeks July 23, 2009 August 13, 2009
Text files integrated French Development Team 1 week August 13, 2009 August 20, 2009
Localized VO files integrated French Development Team 1 week August 13, 2009 August 20, 2009
Linguistic testing French Linguistic Testers 4 weeks August 27, 2009 September 17, 2009
Functionality testing French Functionality Testers 3 weeks August 20, 2009 September 17, 2009
Third party approvals French Third Party Publisher 6 weeks September 17, 2009 October 29, 2009
Ship date French n/a 1 day October 29, 2009 October 29, 2009
LOCALIZATION 351
localization process go as smoothly as possible. Involve the localization vendor
in creating this process so he has a sense of ownership and personal stake in the
game. If the process is not organized, time is wasted trying to sort out which as-
sets and which versions have been sent for translation, and which haven’t.
The translators are better able to translate the game if they fully understand
the context of what they are asked to translate. This can help them gauge the
tone of the overall translations, give them time to think about the speech pat-
terns for the characters, and provide them a full understanding of the game’s
context. The translators benefit from receiving the following types of resources
and documentation:
■
Playable version of the game
■
Design documents
■
Cheats/walkthroughs
■
Voiceover casting notes
■
Glossary
■
Technical overview—includes information on file delivery formats and
any tools the translators need to work with.
If the game code is localization-friendly, organizing the text and art assets
for translation is fairly simple. The producer may be able to create a translation
kit that has all the assets organized in a logical fashion. If the game assets are not
organized logically, the producer will need to pull all the art and text assets into a
central location and create a tracking spreadsheet to ensure that all the files are
sent for translation.
When sending voiceover assets for translation, the vendor will need all of the
resources discussed in Chapter 10 “Voiceover.” In addition, sending the original
English versions of the voiceover files can help with the casting process and provide
a reference for the actor to better understand the tone and context of a line read-
ing. If lip-syncing is used in the localized cinematics, it is also necessary to send the
time codes of the original files so the translated files match as closely as possible.
Include time in the schedule to translate any other assets that are required
before the game ships, such as:
■
Packaging (including any screenshots)
■
Customer support information
■
End user licensing agreement
21.7 INTEGRATING TRANSLATED ASSETS
Asset integration involves many file modifications and can be very time consum-
ing work, especially if the process is not automated or organized as part of the
352 THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK, 2/E
main production pipeline. Development teams are always looking for more ef-
ficient ways to create the actual localized assets.
The ease of integration is affected by how the assets are laid out in the game.
If the text is hard-coded, replacing all the text with localized text is risky. There
is a high chance that bugs will be introduced in the code if someone is trying to
cut and paste text within the code file. This is also very time consuming to do and
can’t be automated very easily.
If the assets to be localized are separated out in a language-specific folder
within the game code, the text is more easily replaced with translations. This
method also allows for easy automation of this process. Finding ways to auto-
mate text integration, either by writing a proprietary tool or by using existing
software, will reduce the number of linguistic bugs.
Basically, there are two major development processes for asset integration.
One process is for the developers to handle the asset integration themselves. The
translations are outsourced to native speakers, but the team is responsible for
integrating the translations into the game. The benefits of this process are that
technical difficulties can easily be addressed; the integrity of the assets is main-
tained; and the developer has more control over the schedule and resources.
The drawbacks are that the developer needs to allocate production time for
this task, and this might take away time spent on polishing the game. Also, time
is spent waiting for the translators to provide corrections to linguistic bugs. If the
time to wait gets to be too long, the developer will fight the urge to find transla-
tions elsewhere, which might not be very reliable. Furthermore, the developer
often has to rely on a third-party (usually international marketing) to approve the
final versions. This can be very time-consuming as the third-party might go back
and forth on minor bugs and hold up the release of the game.
Once an initial set of translated assets is integrated, they must be checked
into the version control system so they can be easily tracking during develop-
ment. If there are several updates to the English version of the game, these up-
dates will need to be carried over to the translated assets. If they are not checked
into source control, these updates will be very difficult to implement.
After the assets are integrated into the game, be sure to check that the cor-
rect set of assets is used for the intended language. Mixing up assets is a common
mistake, especially if the assets are not tracked in a version control system. In
some cases, some of the information in the U.S. assets will need to be updated for
each territory, such as software registration and customer support information.
Another integration option is to contract a localization vendor to complete
the translation, integration, and testing. This is beneficial because the bulk of the
localization work is outsourced, so that the development team can focus on the
core game. The developer will need to provide a full localization kit (discussed in
Chapter 25, “Closing Kits”) and have someone available to answer questions or
troubleshoot any issues. The main drawback is that the developer has less control
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