The gaming industry has become highly competitive and gaming companies and developers have to compete in the global market. Thousands of games become part of the market annually and also vanish shortly due to poor strategies. Only those games manage to stay which are developed and translated according to the preferences and likenesses of the target audiences. Avid game players have become smart enough to look into the effort that their favorite gaming company is putting to provide them with an immersive experience. The gaming industry, being a billion dollar business, now demands more attention to detail, quality translation, and fully localized games to thrive in the global market. Manuals and guides are a significant part of the gaming translation and hence an accurate, precise, and relevant translation of these documents is a must to facilitate the player to the fullest. Players often get frustrated when they get stuck somewhere or are unable to look for the winning move and this is when video game translation services help them to enjoy a seamless gaming experience.
While many companies slip up on the need for the importance of translating manuals and guidelines, it is imminent that you realize the need timely and work on it to stand out among your competitors while working on these factors actively.
First of all, to maintain accuracy and consistency across all languages, make sure that you work on a consistent terminology database. This includes working on a list that has all the technical and specialized terminology regarding games. All these terms should have standard and simplified content. With the emergence of new technologies in the games and the constant evolution of terminology, not keeping up with the latest trends can make you soon out of the race. Therefore, you should understand that every bit of gaming content is there for a reason and hence translating it is also imperative for a flawless game.
Contextual understanding is also important to consider while translating your game manuals and texts. You should ensure that the translators you have hired have a deep understanding of the game, its mechanics, basic components, and how it works. A translator who has a heart for gaming can surely excel better than the other who is merely dealing with it out of duty. While dealing with the terminology, also make sure that you along with your translation agency look out for the terms that are tough to translate and have no direct equivalents in the target language.
The layout and formatting hold great significance in gaming translation. Likewise, the manuals and guidelines come with a particular format and layout, and following which is evident to maintain the aesthetic look of the game. A cluttered look can make the player move on to the next one. Therefore, you should work on an organized interface with relevant translation. Make sure that the original layout and formatting have been maintained. The text should be legible. Moreover, you should not ignore the factor of making your games and the content accessible to people who have disabilities. This helps you widen your reach and be more accessible for one and all.
Video game translation is a challenging and sensitive phenomenon due to the cultural references involved. You should make sure that you adapt all the cultural references according to the norms and traditions of the targeted audience. A manual that you have translated for a Western audience might not be a good choice to send as it is for Asian audiences. Both cultures are poles apart. Likewise, you should not overlook the need to consider regional differences. All the regional variations including humor, and slang in your instructions and manuals should be according to the new audience. For quality translation of guides, you should also make sure that you take care of the sensitivity related to culture, religion, or politics. Any inappropriate content can make your game banned for no good reason.
The gameplay mechanics and instructions are your next part to focus on. The manuals are worked on to guide and facilitate the player about the gaming process in an easy and simplified language. Therefore, it needs to be clear. The translated content should come with clarity. If your game is complex comparatively you should also consider working on contextualization of the gameplay mechanics. You should also test the translated content thoroughly and should also send it to the linguists and experts for a second and third opinion. It helps to identify the inconsistencies in the content. A professional translation agency understands all these delicacies. Hence, you should work with a competent translation vendor.
A video game is made of many core components. It is important to translate its content accordingly. Manuals and guides are an integral part of gaming translation and translating these according to the target audience preferences is evident. For a smooth and quality translation make sure that you work on the translation of specialized terminology, contextual understanding, and cultural references diligently. Moreover, you should always opt for a professional translation solution.
