Language | Technology | Business September 2011 Industry Focus: Games Improving translation of variables in interactive games Translating gamer slang in World of Warcraft Adapting humor in video game localization Games localization QA Tips for successful games audio production Games accessibility for all Improving a development team through culture analysis 01 Cover #122.indd 1 8/11/11 8:27 AM YOUR COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT TRANSLATION MANAGEMENT SOLUTION ALL OF THE POWERFUL FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY YOU EXPECT, PLUS: Asset and Translation Memory Management for Authors Advanced Project Reporting and Statistics Short-term Subscription Licensing Available Annual Release Cycle and Regular Updates Award-winning Technical Support and Training And Much More! Purchase MadCap Lingo and Receive 12 Months FREE Maintenance. 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Other marks are the properties of their respective owners. 2-3 MLC #122.indd 2 8/11/11 8:29 AM on the web at www.multilingual.com MultiLingual Core Focus and Guides #122 Volume 22 Issue 6 September 2011 Editor-in-Chief, Publisher: Donna Parrish Managing Editor: Katie Botkin Editorial Assistant: Jim Healey Proofreaders: Bonnie Hagan, Bernie Nova News: Kendra Gray Production: Darlene Dibble, Doug Jones Cover Photo: Doug Jones Webmaster: Aric Spence Technical Analyst: Curtis Booker Assistant: Shannon Abromeit Circulation: Terri Jadick Special Projects: Bernie Nova Our Core Focus and Guides content provides valuable information to Advertising Director: Jennifer Del Carlo help people understand the issues and challenges involved in localization. Advertising: Kevin Watson, Bonnie Hagan These provide a great introduction on what questions to ask and where to Editorial Board go for answers. 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Periodicals postage paid at Sandpoint, ID and additional mailing offices. year (eight issues plus an annual resource POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MultiLingual, 319 North First Avenue, Suite 2, Sandpoint, ID 83864-1495. directory/index) for $58 domestically, $85 internationally, and includes full access to This NewPage paper has been the digital version of MultiLingual, deliv- chain-of-custody certified by ered in a new interactive format. A digital three independent third-party subscription is available for only $28. certification systems MultiLingual is printed on 30% Subscribe online at multilingual.com/subscribe. post-consumer recycled paper. September 2011 MultiLingual | 3 2-3 MLC #122.indd 3 8/11/11 8:29 AM All in One. End to End. Across. Hundreds of leading market players including Volkswagen, Meet us at HypoVereinsbank, and SMA Solar Technology have already migrated to Across. What about you? Oct 10-12, 2011 Silicon Valley, California Across Systems, Inc. Info-Hotline +1 877 922 7677 [email protected] Across Systems GmbH Info-Hotline +49 7248 925 425 [email protected] Language Technology www.across.net for a Globalized World. 4-5 TOC #122.indd 4 8/11/11 8:30 AM MultiLingual Language | Technology | Business September 2011 #122 Volume 22 Issue 6 n Up Front n Feature Articles n 3 www.multilingual.com n Industry Focus n 6 Post Editing 26 Improving translation of n News variables in interactive games n 7 News — Janaina Wittner n 8 Featured Webinars 30 Translating gamer slang n 9 Calendar in World of Warcraft n Reviews — Frank Dietz 13 The Game Localization Handbook 33 Adapting humor in — Reviewed by Gianna Tarquini video game localization Front Up n Columns and Commentary — Alberto Fernández Costales 36 Games localization QA 15 Enterprise Innovators — Lori Thicke 18 Off the Map — Kate Edwards — Curri Barceló 20 38 Five reasons to budget World Savvy — John Freivalds more time for testing 22 Perspectives — Terena Bell — Pablo Muñoz Sánchez 24 Perspectives — Aaron Schliem 40 Tips for successful 62 Takeaway — Nataly Kelly games audio production — Simone Crosignani n 53 Basics 44 Games accessibility for all n 55 Buyer’s Guide — Jennifer Vela Valido 61 Advertiser Index n Business About the cover 48 Improving a development Imported and retro electronic games team through culture analysis on display in a cabinet at Pink Gorilla, a collectibles shop located in the Inter- — Aaron Marcus & Emilie Gould national District of Seattle and serving the Asian gaming community. www.multilingual.com September 2011 MultiLingual 5 4-5 TOC #122.indd 5 8/11/11 8:30 AM Katie Botkin Post Editing Back in the game Last winter, there was a two-week The whole situation made me feel like for attention and straining to keep up period I spent playing Mario Kart at a I was in junior high school. I couldn’t with the technology curve, something friend’s house because I kind of had a control the new extensions to my body, magical can happen. You can create Lcrush on a guy who also apparently liked and here I was, turning beet red with something memorable, whether you’re to come over and play it. Actually, as it annoyance at my own flirtation attempts. courting clients, business partners or turned out, he didn’t really like it that But that’s part of the game, right? even just something like interoperability. much — which was fortunate because Not Mario Kart so much, but the dating Interoperability in games is something I was terrible. I could barely even get game — putting yourself out there even Janaina Wittner touches on in the first Mario to move, let alone race full-speed when it’s awkward and frustrating, even article in the focus, followed by Frank in the direction he was supposed to for when you feel like you’re much too old Dietz’s article on translating gamer more than five seconds. He just sort to still not be winning. And maybe, as slang in World of Warcraft and Alberto of ran repeatedly into brick walls and Terena Bell suggests in her Perspectives, Fernández Costales’ on adapting humor slogged through turf until someone put that in turn is like the language in video games. Then Curri Barceló looks him out of his misery. services game. In the midst of vying at quality assurance (QA) in games, with a sidebar on QA testing by Pablo Muñoz Sánchez. Next, Simone Crosignani has some tips for successful games audio INTRODUCING TO YOU: production. Jennifer Vela Valido wraps up the focus with a discussion of games OUR “AUTOMATIC TRANSLATORS” accessibility for everyone. Toward the front of the magazine, Uwe Michalis Brigitte Gianna Tarquini reviews the second MEET US AT Alessandra edition of The Game Localization Handbook by Heather Chandler and Stephanie O’Malley Deming. Lori Thicke SILICON VALLEY OCT. 10-12, 2011 interviews Mirko Plitt of Autodesk in her column, Kate Edwards has a column Isabella on cultural acceptance of games and Yasmin John Freivalds advises localization professionals not to burn bridges. Aaron Schliem’s Perspectives looks at some of the benefits and drawbacks of social gaming. Toward the end of the magazine, Aaron Marcus and Aleksey Stéphan Emilie Gould analyze different locales in a cross-cultural study designed to BECAUSE LOCALIZATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT TECHNOLOGY. educate a corporation in the United IT’S ABOUT PASSION TOO. States on collaboration styles. Finally, there is Nataly Kelly’s Takeaway Thanks to the Xlated Team, your products will break language barriers. on visual media localization in the Our professional mother tongue translators work hard in their native countries economic downturn. to make the language of your software less “automatic” and more “human”. So when you’re wanting to get Mario out of the turf and off the wall, back into the proverbial game, here are plenty of tips to help you out. It just takes a A Translators’ Company, not just a Translation Company. www.xlated.com little hand-eye coordination . turn the page to begin. : 6 | MultiLingual September 2011 [email protected] 6 Postediting #122.indd 6 8/11/11 8:30 AM Localization education programs for fall With autumn come the back-to-school tation and localization management. News rush and thoughts of continuing education.