Preface

As of 2018, the growth of mobile games has reached a point where its influence takes up about 10% of the time we spend on mobile apps, as reported by App Annie. The overall growth rate for engagement time in mobile games has been increasing by approximately 10% per year.

Worldwide consumer spending on mobile games has also been growing rapidly over the past years, as graphed by App Annie.

Statistics by App Annie

App Annie further provides a list of top apps in 2018, sorted by worldwide downloads and consumer spending.

More game companies in the industry are joining the movement of penetrating into this rich market that is undeniably growing.

This article will cover the aspects of localisation, and some of its surrounding processes, to show how mobile games are brought into other foreign markets.

It is strongly recommended to go through the whole article in sequence as many mentioned points are interrelated to one another.

Internationalisation

Before talking about localisation, the application of internationalisation must first be addressed.

Internationalisation is defined as making or configuring a base game to be logically, and design-wise, functional in any or most languages, while keeping its linguistic and cultural figures separated from its functionality.

Chiefly in the design and development phase of a mobile game, this stage precedes and sets up a foundation for localisation to be more efficient and optimised for future ventures into foreign markets.

The below offers the methodology by which the foundation for localisation can be built.

A study from Muñoz Sánchez states that Android, iOS and Windows 10 Mobile has a system of integrated internationalisation; when apps or games are developed according to guidelines of these respective operating systems (OS), games can conveniently achieve internationalisation standards and worry less about technolinguistic issues and screen space availability during localisation.

In terms of technolinguistics, occasionally, a text string or body needs to be adapted so the sentences they contain can be elaborated or simplified due to the omission/inclusion of information (prefixes, suffixes, honorifics, et cetera) in the various languages the game may be translated to; this has to be done so in an optimised way as well. Naturally, text is supported by contexts, but sometimes certain information needs to be made perfectly clear and accurate.

Although sometimes neutral expressions can be used (such as in the Spanish example, “¡Qué atractivo tienes!” instead of “¡Qué atractivo eres!” [“You have great appeal!” as opposed to “You are very attractive!”], the latter of which requires the marker for masculine or feminine in Spanish), it is best to add tags that allow changing the message in real time, depending on if the interlocutor is a man or a woman. (Pablo & Rafael, 2016, p. 17)

In Pablo and Rafael’s research, they highlight that the usage of tag markings to indicate sex, gender or numerals for structuring dialogue is a practice that should be adopted for optimal game internationalisation. They provide a pseudo-code below to illustrate the logic.

An example of this in gender marked languages would be: Eres muy <gender><masculine> guapo <feminine> guapa <end_gender> (an example in English would be: You are very <gender><masculine> handsome <feminine> beautiful <end_gender>). (Pablo & Rafael, 2016, p. 17-18)

Fate/Grand Order bilibili demonstrates this practice, making game characters refer to the Master as he (他) or she (她) in dialogue, depending on the gender the player had selected.

User Interface & Font

Polytopia main menu © 2019 Midjiwan AB

For a user to understand the information being displayed on a screen, it has to be in the form of semantic text or visual figures in an organised manner.

User interfaces are all the graphical illustrations players see on the screen, which enables them to identify functions associated with a game. Usually, button-shaped icons are accompanied by text to indicate their usage; in a main menu screen, players can discern the functions of pressing either button and can navigate through the game with ease.

User interfaces make up to 100% (including loading screens) of the game’s visibility to the players’ eyes, much like Windows and Apple applications on mobile or computer.

Everything with a screen is a user interface, and its purpose is to provide information to a user. For a user to understand the information being displayed on a screen, it has to be in the form of semantic text or visual figures in an organised manner.

This relates back to internationalisation. Games’ user interfaces should be initially designed to be versatile in the case when those games are being translated into another language (or aspect ratio). If not, problems or inconsistencies will emerge when a game is attempted to be translated and may decrease accessibility.

Space should be considered when translating words. Having insufficient space leads to an awkward presentation of text.

Mobile game app icons on different phones can display a limited amount of text below

Image from iStock

Azur Lane dorm furniture tab text is disjointed (Jan 22, 2019)

Appropriate fonts have to be used to avoid errors in written language.

Take a look at the name of Pokémon GO; if Niantic were to post an announcement message, spelling it as “Pokemon GO,” it would be an inaccuracy in practice.

It might be the layout of a book, well composed subtitles, a clean user interface, or a good logo—these are all part of a whole that create a less frustrating and fuller experience for players. (Jackson, 2018)

Text and information on the screen must be organised to prevent confusion or misunderstanding.

Azur Lane PVP rank up requirement (Oct 15, 2018)

Localisation

The following about localisation will not account for localisation viability, financial standpoints and playtesting.

Localisation is the adaptation of an existing game for a cultural-linguistic market. Players and news reporters may see the act of localisation as porting the game to other platforms, regions or languages, however, it also covers user interface (UI) adaptation and culturalisation. Moreover, some games themselves can also be built for the purpose to be immediately localised.

Evidently, mobile games in recent years are part of a trend of massive localisation plans, with the aim to penetrate into the global market or cater to large niches in certain parts around the globe.

Japanese games based on anime series or strong IP bases are one of the common examples. Some familiar names are Fate/Grand Order, Danmemo and Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story.

In addition, more Chinese/Taiwanese made mobile games have also received English localisation as seen in Tower of Saviors, Honkai Impact 3rd, Azur Lane and many more.

Localisation, although a huge potential monetary benefit, can pose many issues if not done effectively or reasonably within systematic operations, even more so if the game was not built according to internationalisation.

Localised games may have technical (bugs) or linguistic issues when compared to their original versions; oftentimes, localised versions may inherit issues that existed in the original.

In order to understand how game companies/studios deliver localised games to the masses, we have to know the localisation processes and other related factors which they carry out.

A scenario is written below.

An original anime game based in Japan has made a big success and seeks to find a way into the global market. The collaborators first seek out a target audience anywhere in the world. They settle on the United States, as it is a good starting location where a significant population within is fond of anime culture. After that, the following processes are easy: just translate everything from the original game and port it over to the USA, right?

Translation is one of the biggest concerns when trying to localise a game for another country, however.

Getting Translators

A team of translators needs to be procured.

When a game has been planned to be released in another country under a different language, the developers or the company will have two main options to consider regarding translation – Crowdsourcing or seeking Professional translation – both with benefits and drawbacks.

Crowdsourced Translation

Usually hiring supporters and players of the game/series/company.

Cheaper.

Easier recruitment from a community to help with translation. A bonded community can effectively give and take feedback.

Volunteers do not always have the time to translate content, lowering consistency.

Ethically, volunteers should not be pressured with fixed deadlines, which is a problem for scheduled content.

Volunteers produce varying levels of grammatical and contextual accuracy, lowering translation quality.

Volunteers could be gamers who understand the game inherently, increasing translation quality.

Professional Translation

Professional translators assure high quality translations, supported by portfolios and job experience.

Translators are more expensive but allows more control over deadlines and timelines.

Translators can be hired as editors.

Professionals may have less in depth understanding of the game, id est have not played the game, making translations contextually empty despite being grammatically correct.

Another option aims for a balance of localisation quality and connection in a game; this works by employing professional translators or companies to edit crowdsourced translations.

Once the game has a team of translators, they are included in a localisation team. Their jobs are more than just translating text and dialogue.

The translated language needs to embody the universe of the game and must derive context and meaning intended from its original game design as much as possible. What they have to keep in mind is explained in culturalisation.

Culturalisation

Below are screenshots from Fate/Grand Order JP and EN respectively:

Nero (topmost) is known for using “umu (うむ)” as an equivalent for “mhm” in her Japanese speech. In the latter image, the localisation translators have chosen to use “mhm” in her English speech.

Even though the dialogue is grammatically correct, players of the English version who have encountered her for the first time will definitely have a different first impression than if she said “umu” instead. Regardless of the translation decision made, Nero is still widely known for using “umu” in the Fate series, though not because of localisation.

Nero’s speech pattern is a cultural habit of hers, which may be used to distinguish from conventional communication, or just as a form of expression. Other series’ also have this cultural trait, like Hikawa Hina from BanG Dream! with her “Run~☆ (るん~☆)”; Yuudachi from KanColle habitually uses “Poi (っぽい)” similarly.

There are special cases where the cultural context of whole words are directly romanised in some languages as their meanings have been made widely understood by many: Senpai (先輩), Oppa (오빠), Raison D’être, et cetera.

It is helpful to see games and its elements as an embodiment of culture, forged together by people from a variation of cultural backgrounds. Instinctively during creation, cultural references are employed in elements of the game, whether as text, voice-overs, visual representation or gameplay, granting the game a life that gives connection to those who play and understand them.

Therefore, the translation must be done very scrupulously as to recreate this portrayed connection.

Jargon and Slang

Language itself is an expression of culture. In this respect, not everyone who plays a game in a language with culturally exclusive jargon or slang will completely understand its underlying meaning.

If “jump the gun” is directly translated into Japanese “銃をジャンプ”, no one in Japan would understand the implication unless they are familiar with the phrase. Instead, they use “あまりにも早く (too soon)” among other phrasing to refer to similar meanings.

Using another language to reconstruct the meaning from its mother language is also not uncommon. Seta Kaoru, from BanG Dream!, occasionally recites:

何もしなかったから、何も送らない。 (Seta, 2017)

This is a Japanese reconstruction of a phrase from a famous writer:

Nothing will come of nothing. (William Shakespeare, 1603)

The local translation team will have to make the decisions when translating culturally embedded content (with assistance from the game company) to make sure it is in line with the target audiences’ cultural understanding.

Graphic Localisation

In a happening earlier this year, Fate/Grand Order EN had a case of Emiya Alter being visually altered, debuting with a slightly different appearance compared to his original design from JP. This is a case of graphic localisation.

Graphic localisation is the altering of graphical assets to fit the requirements or cultural trends acceptable in the target population of the localised game. Country law is also another factor that leads to this.

Otherwise, it is up to the localisation team and the game company to determine the need for such a procedure.

Equivalent Exchange

Some words or characters in one language have no true equivalent in other languages. They would have to be explained through extra phrasing or reinventing the terms to maintain content flow, albeit deviating slightly from the original script.

For instance, Stempniewicz provides some translated names of pokémon in different languages of the mobile game Pokémon GO.

For example, Geodude became Kleinstein (“little stone”) in Germany, and Squirtle is known as Carapuce (“flea in a carapace”) in France. There are exemptions however; Pikachu remains Pikachu or something very similar in all languages. (Stempniewicz, n.d.)

With the manifold rules of different languages, even pokémon names can turn into something else.

Legal Translation

In summary, legal translation is a precise translation of legal language seen in terms and conditions, disclaimers, copyright, et cetera. Mobile games need to have careful legal translation to avoid legal complications.

This subject is very sensitive to interpret, so it will not be elaborated further. If you are interested to explore more into this field, I suggest this website, What exactly is Legal Translation?

Creative Translation

It is the translators’ jobs to translate content for a target audience, preserving the context, culture, and meaning expressed as much as possible unless under other specifications.

The role a translator plays is very significant, yet translators do not always have to translate precisely to convey a message to the players. Translators who understand the story, character, and purpose of a game can use the expressiveness of language to translate content creativity.

They can produce phrases that deliver culture, emotion, and environment to players without contradiction.

Kanon’s dialogue in BanG Dream! EN

In her voice-over, Kanon actually says:

あっっ。。良っかた、これで何とか皆と合流出来そうだね。 (Matsubara, 2017)

あっっ 。。 = “Ah…”

良っかた = “I am glad”

これで何とか = “somehow”

皆と = “with everyone”

合流出来 = “able to come together”

そうだね = “seems”

Note that the bullet points above are rough translations within the story’s context. They may carry more than one meaning.

In BanG Dream!’s dialogue translation, the text, although imparted a little differently from its Japanese equivalent, managed to depart Kanon’s sense of relief and thoughts creatively using English vocabulary to provide constructed and added meaning.

Dialogue Customisation

As long as translations are paired with understanding, localised content can come with additional features that may not have been implemented in the original game in order to suit the target audiences’ needs. Dialogue customisation is one method.

Fate/Grand Order bilibili has a customised dialogue with two added components to provide more context and draw emphasis to certain characters.

One component is the placement of text above Chinese characters (linguistic) in a furigana-like manner. The text serves to hint context for the players to understand the references and jargon used by characters in dialogue.

The dialogue below is taken from the recent Teito Seihai Kitan (GUDAGUDA 3) event in the game.

The words, “red line,” are placed above “战线 (battlefront),” similar to the direct translation of “红线 (literally: red line)”; they all refer to war territories of individual Servants in the Holy Grail War. Redlining (in the war sense) in the game is shown below.

Illustration of red lines (white, red, umber and blue)

©TYPE-MOON / FGO PROJECT

Another component of the customised dialogue is the use of dots above Chinese characters.

The dialogue below is taken from the first Epic of Remnant chapter in the game.

Their use is to bring attention to important details or main points to help with differentiating information when there are a lot of characters on the screen or when the dialogue becomes intense.

Other Options

Other processes in localisation are not highlighted as much in the article. Some of them are listed here:

App Store/Play Store Description,

Changes in Game Storyline,

Game Notification Display,

Converted Currency Display (in-Game Store),

Consistent Translation Style (SOP, ISO)

Technology for Assisted Translation,

Concatenations and Word Count,

Understanding Language Homographs,

Milestones for Localisation,

et cetera.

Voice-Overs

For games like Revue Starlight Re LIVE, Tales of Crestoria and Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, voice-overs are usually in one language – Japanese; Murder in the Alps and Infinity Blade have only English voice-overs; Mobile Legends has both Japanese and English voice-overs.

Voice-over adaptations in another language are known as dubbing.

Dubbing in localisation is still an area in the industry being improved, thus not weighing as much priority as the other processes. It may be sometimes considered as a quality of life change.

If you are looking for a well-dubbed console game, I will recommend the Etrian Odyssey Untold series, especially Fafnir Knight.

Language Options

Mobile games may have, but do not necessarily need the option of multiple languages.

They are useful in global-based servers that cover nearly the entire world. Global servers would have many players with different language backgrounds so the added languages may improve legibility and readability. It may also curb the need for many region-based servers (JP, EN, EU, CN, TW, etc.).

The problem with multiple languages is that translation team(s) will have to cover all the supported languages with decent quality, which leeches a company’s resources when they could be used to provide more immersive content instead.

In 2017, Crash Fever EN announced the discontinuation of support for ten languages so they could focus more on delivering content to their players.

After learning some of the tasks to attain internationalisation and localisation for mobile games, we would be able to picture the workload and the amount of effort a team has to exert to accomplish it.

The processes which lead to localisation of a mobile game are not as simple, but they are the reasons why the world has many great games today under a language people are comfortable with.

The discussion is still not over. The third puzzle piece, after internationalisation and localisation, is globalisation. Please look out for more articles in the future.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Sources