Localization Today

By Kate Edwards

“Allegorical distance” is the amount of effort required for a player to perceive the real-world inspiration behind an allegory in a game. Kate Edwards gives examples of short, medium, and large allegorical distances and urges game developers to intentionally determine the distance that best serves their narrative and players.

By Diego Perez

Video game translators were never meant to be ghostwriters. Diego Perez argues that the significant amount of uncredited work not only hinders translators’ bargaining power, but also undermines their moral rights as creators of derivative work. This article analyzes the current state of translator credits in gaming and suggests ways to achieve better crediting practices.

By Cameron Rasmusson

Three decades ago, the work of translating popular Japanese video games for Western audiences often fell to just a few people using rudimentary technology. In this article, Rasmusson explores the ups and downs of game localization in the ‘90s and how this chaotic period influenced the industry moving forward.

By Mimi Moore

The integration of AI into video and computer game localization is transforming how developers approach their work and how players experience gaming. Mimi Moore explains AI’s impact on inclusivity, indie developers, real-time localization, and game quality across languages and cultures.

Michelle Rabie considers the concept of “African time” and delves into the real reasons behind missed deadlines — from the challenges of working with low-resource languages to the lack of support from language service providers.

Tim Brookes poses the question, “How can a script that serves a language spoken by millions be endangered?” At issue is the traditional Kulitan script, employed by the Kapampangan people of the Philippines. Brookes discusses its decline, efforts at revival, and what’s at stake.

Compiled by Eddie Arrieta and Cathy Martin

With GenAI in its nascent stage, language companies that use this emerging technology are in uncharted territory. In this article, ten of the most influential companies in the industry explain how they are leveraging GenAI to improve outcomes for their teams and customers.

Amy Grace O'Brien, Sr. Linguistic Quality Manager at Adobe, and Roberto Silva, Terminology Program Manager at Amazon Web Services talk about the crucial role of terminology in the language industry.

We talked about their approach to innovation at Bureau Works and participation in the product innovation challenge at LocWorld51.