Pink Noise Game Localization // Pink Noise works in the game localization industry since 1999 offering full localization services: translation, audio dubbing, testing.
Our experience is backed up by the most important developers, distributors and publishers in the industry.
Being committed to game localization means also being informed of the changes and requirements your clients might be asking in the future. Mobile games require revisiting processes, requirements and concepts.
Related news: Google Releases Chrome For Android: http://mobile.informationweek.com/80256/show/3cd62a44040bf6266cad6cf10fc81531&t=2tcvbbsm73itatirn9kbicmjt5
Yesterday, we mentioned a few sessions announced at GDC.
Today the full program has been released: http://schedule.gdconf.com/sessions/track/localization-summit.
Pink Noise will be in San Francisco, CA during the conference.
Want to discuss about your game localization projects or localization strategies?
We will be pleased to meet: please contact victor.alonso@pinknoise.es to schedule a meeting.
It's always nice to see localization mentioned in articles and news, specially if the news comes in positive terms. This article from Gamasutra mentions new sessions to be held during the Localization Summit:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39865/Fez_Woolsey_Failure_Workshop_session...
“MAU, DAU, ARPPU, ARPU”
This is not baby talk, nor this is a coded message J:
“The number of unique users of a game for a given day (DAU – Daily Active Users) or a month (MAU-Monthly Active Users) needs to be considered by game developers. The higher the number the better of course.
But an even more important figure is the ARPU (Average Revenue per User) and specially the ARPPU (Average Revenue Per Paying User).
Even free-to-play games need some kind of monetization strategy to survive (J).
Translators and localizers need to understand the triggers that make advanced players in the game.
Game localization often has the same requirements of pure marketing translation, with the mandatory additional requirement of maintaining the “fun” level high.
The game industry is ineluctably going towards social.
Defining social games as a game that typically requires the player to be online, is embedded in a social network and uses social features is not restricted to a specific type of game.
Even hardcore AAA running on consoles could be defined as social today. Hardware capabilities enable a social layer to any type of game today.
It’s actually up to the player to choose if she/he prefers to get social or play on his own.
Consequences for localization? Many indeed. From the type of project that needs to be tacked, to the style, terminology and interactions that need to be considered in a game.
No matter how well a project is prepared, there will always be questions in all phases of the project.
Actually not getting questions from your team or vendors could be a sign that something might not be going perfectly. Or at least there is a good risk you will get something different than expected. Planning for handling and responding queries and questions is crucial. All parties need to put an extra effort for providing accurate and specific information. Let' face it, responding to queries can be troublesome... and questions always come at the worst moment. When asking and responding, putting yourself in your interlocutor's position can facilitate the process big time.
"Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point"
La Fontaine was talking about getting well prepared before jumping on doing things if you allow the project management point of view of the fable. Going too fast, wanting things to happen at our own pace, without asking what the client really needs, usually means rework and frustation. Communication is easier than ever. Communication is more important than ever.
Daily "ready for publish" deliverables, localized batches in record time.
Quick reaction, multidiscipline specialists working together... If your clients have an agile approach for content updates and content creation, your service needs to adapt :-) Pink Noise will be present at the Game Developers Conference 2012 (San Francisco, CA - 5th to 9th March). Please contact us to schedule a meeting! victor.alonso@pinknoise.es
When games are based on classic books, IPs (Intellectual Property), comics, or movies, the translation needs to maintain a consistency with existing content.
.... What if there are different sources?
. ..What if different publications or movie publishers decided on different terminology?
Finding a compromise is not really easy. Most often a leading reference has to be considered as the only reference.
If the game is really going to be a hit J, the client might decide that the linguistic decisions for the game will be the new standard for the IP!
