Black Culture and Representation in Video Games: Black History Month
Diversity matters when it comes to the video game industry. It is important to make sure each culture is represented not only accurately but fairly. Today let’s focus on culture specifically: the Black community represented in video games. With the celebration of Black History Month, let’s look at the beginnings of black culture and representation […]
Dragon Quest Localization – Part Two
Let’s explore the localization of Dragon Quest! In this second part, we delve into tight character limitations and the translation of spell names.
Tomb Raider is Turning 25
We can all agree that 2021 brought us a lot, but we can’t miss that this year marks the 25th anniversary of Tomb Raider. And I can say after all this time, we’ve seen Lara Croft grow into this beautiful, intelligent, adventurous heroine, that was a source of inspiration for a whole generation. The last […]
Dragon Quest Localization – Part One
Let’s explore the localization of Dragon Quest! In this first part, we analyze two accent-related choices for the English version of the game.
The Benefits of Game Rating Systems for Developers and Localizers
From movies to manga, many entertainment industries rely on rating systems and boards to help consumers find appropriate content to enjoy. Rating organizations, such as the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in North America, have come to shape the growth of modern gaming. Pros and Cons of Rating Systems Game ratings systems have their fair […]
From Age of Empires to Candy Crush: Miguel Sepulveda, a video game localization expert
We chat with the Spaniard behind the blog YoLocalizo. A videogame localization professional with more than 25 years of experience.
Women in Localization: Perspectives from Japanese-to-English Localizers
If you ask the average outsider to picture someone who works in tech or video games, chances are they’ll picture a man. This may be especially true in relation to content from Japan, where women struggle to have their voices heard in the male-dominated workforce. Yet more and more women are becoming involved in tech […]
The Linguistic Art of Transcreation in Video Game Localization
Localized video games would not be fun to play if they used direct translations. Word-for-word translation has its place in certain fields, but interactive entertainment is not one of them. Localizing video games calls for a freer, more creative approach to translation, and that’s where transcreation makes its mark. Rather than merely substituting one word […]
Age of Empires and Localization Project Management
Some weeks ago, I downloaded Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition to re-experience again this outstanding real-time strategy (RTS) game I first played when I was 12 years old, in a demo edition Windows 98 included. But many years have passed since that day, and neither I nor Age of Empires remained the same. So […]
How Localization Made Crash Bandicoot a Success in Japan
Breaking Cultural Barriers for the Win When developing a video game in almost any genre, you have to do some deep thinking, not only about the game’s mechanics and aesthetics but also about its possibilities for localization. The question is: How do you develop a game that can break through cultural barriers and have the […]
