Translating for Video Games

By Sarah-Claire Jordan

Video games have come a long way since the days of Pong and even Super Mario World, with characters that have backstories but not much interaction throughout the game besides squishing and kicking. Now, it seems the goal of the video game industry is to make something as close to an actual movie as possible, but still giving the player free reign over their particular character. With this new cinematic approach, we are seeing more and more things like cut-scenes, where the plot of the game is played out in short scenes involving different characters.

All of this is making video games much more attractive to people who scoffed at the older, simpler games with very little plot, but it also presents the issue of how to make these games available and accessible to people from all over the world. Translation is the obvious first step, but with that come a few complications: what is the best way to deal with the translation of the spoken parts of a video game?

You basically have two answers: either translate them using subtitles, or by recording new audio for the spoken parts in the target language, known as “dubbing”. There are pros and cons with both technique, so what you choose to do will be very much dependent on the type of video game project you are working on and the budget you have to work with.

Using subtitles means that you won’t have to deal with looking for voice talent, only translators who have experience with creating subtitles. They can also prove to be a way to get players more invested in the game, in the sense that they will be able to hear the original actors’ voices while simultaneously reading the translated subtitles. This can create a more immersive experience for the player, as they have to put in a little bit more effort on their end to understand what is going on in the game.

The downside to subtitles is that the actual translation has to be kept to a few lines that can be shown at the bottom of the screen quickly and as the characters are speaking them. Sometimes translations have to be altered a bit just to fit on the screen and still make some sense. Also, not everyone enjoys having to stop and read while they are playing a game, and may feel like they are missing out on the true gaming experience when they do this.

Dubbing allows players to get right into the action without having to stop and read anything beyond the instructions for how to play the game. Players will have essentially the same gaming experience as anyone playing the game in its original language, as they will be hearing dialogue rather than having to read it. This also works much better for action games where players have to make decisions based on dialogue. If they have to stop and read everything that is being said, they might make a gaming decision they didn’t intend to make. However, dubbing requires recording new dialogue, which includes auditioning and paying for voice actors.

Both methods have their pros and cons, so it remains up to the translator and the client how they want to make their video game accessible to speakers of other languages.

Category: Translation Services