Localisation in video games

TV Tropes - Bowdlerise
Bowdlerization means altering existing programs, plays, etc. so they are less rude and/or offensive. Used in a very negative sense, by those who think the alterations are often done with a ridiculously high fear of lawsuits and/or need for political correctness.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Bowdlerise


TV Tropes - General localisation examples

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LocalizationTropes

Some great examples on there, some of them are serious and some you may think are a bit strange! But publishers will do what is necessary to cater for regional audiences.

Remember the task I set you at the end: Find out the name of the Free to Play Xbox 360 game launched by Microsoft that is going to be funded entirely by additional DLC microtransactions? Find out what it is and a bit of information about it. This shows that Microsoft is very interested in getting in on the Free to Play (or F2P) market - you might find it strange but companies can potentially earn a LOT more by releasing a free game than a £40 title. It's the future!

Ever increasing game costs could cripple the industry.

Video Game Costs Could Crash the Industry

Essential reading for G322 resitters - very interesting stats regarding the state of the industry - the fact that Tomb Raider can be critically acclaimed, sell 3.5 million copies and yet the publishers make a Loss for the year: something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Something needs to change or the industry is heading for a meltdown.

Read the Mashable article after the cut

Examples of game changes - many due to local audiences

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A localised world

It took seven months for a localised version Final Fantasy VII to hit US shores after its original 1997 Japanese release. It took another two months for it to reach Europe and Australia. It took a full year before Dragon Quest VIII finally came out in the US after its 2004 Japanese release, and another five months before it arrived in the dense cultural and linguistic patchwork of Europe.

Lesson 21 - Targeting local audiences - essay

Bulletpoint we are focusing on from the exam spec:

The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audience, specifically British, by international or global institutions.

Therefore, this morning we are going to research for and Blogpost an essay on this subject, taking in the various sectors of the gaming industry.

Introduction: Why do you think it is important to target national or local audiences?

Production: How do local audiences change the products introduced to markets? Use the example of China and consoles.

Localisation: What is localisation and what are the issues involved?

Marketing: How does games marketing change to target local audiences?

Conclusion: What do you think are the most important issues - and with globalisation and the role of the internet, is localisation more or less important in the current climate?

For each section, remember to back up with contemporary examples and make your own assumptions about the audiences involved.


http://www.edge-online.com/features/localised-world/
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/tag/localisation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_localization
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/feature-q-a-and-localisation-roundtable/084699
http://gengo.com/about-us/blog/an-inside-look-at-video-game-localization/
http://www.languages-media.com/press_interviews_mangiron.php
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/industry-careers-video-game-localization/

Game localization

Game localisation or game globalisation refers to the preparation of video games for other locales.

This adaptation to the standards of other countries covers far more than simply translation of language. There are different areas, such as linguistic, cultural, hardware and software, legal differences, graphics identity and music. Globalization refers to general Eastern/Western variations, while localization refers to several regional sub-divisions within the globalization.