作者：Caitlin Nicholson

在我们之前的文章中，即《Gaming Localization Part I: Translation vs. Localization for Gaming》，我们强调了一些你在面向全新领域准备游戏时需要注意的一些重要内容。今天让我们进一步去分析这一内容。以下是尝试着确保你的游戏能在目标市场使用当地玩家的语言的一些诀窍。

Localization(from flickr)

1.雇佣玩家—-你会想与使用目标语言并且也是相关主题专家的当地语言学家，声音方面的人才，以及本土化测试人员合作。这是在语言服务产业中的最佳实践，也是游戏领域中最重要的一种方法。雇佣拥有游戏体验的人，如果可以的话，找到那些熟悉你的游戏类型的人会更棒。

2.提供更多的环境—-实际上：在本土化过程一开始提供好的环境将能够节约时间，并同时进行着翻译工作。花时间去提供关于游戏将运行于怎样的主机或平台上，游戏目标群体是谁（游戏邦注：小孩，成人等等），以及任何格式问题等的简短解释。要知道，滴水也能汇成河。你可以编写一个段落或说明并通过截图或其它视觉效果进行解释。这将能够在翻译者回顾并询问自己问题前提供给他们网站链接。

3.以终为始—-一开始你可能不知道你的游戏将进行本土化，但它将会在未来执行本土化。当时间到达时这种前瞻性方法将很有帮助。例如使用文化咨询顾问去帮助游戏开发将能够提供给你一些之后可能会出现的潜在的文化问题。在不同国家对于宗教，战争或其它地理问题的描述将呈现不同的含义。同样地，在进行本土化之前确保你的源文本不带有拼写，语法和标点问题。在保持翻译的一致性时，术语词汇参考将带给语言学家很大的帮助。

4.与本土化负责人进行交流—-在本土化过程中，制定一个测试计划是非常重要的阶段。你应该与本土化负责人进行交流并制定一个逐步的QA测试计划。在过程中定义每个人的角色以及完成他们角色的不同时间表。如果在一开始就具有一个清晰的计划，然后整个过程将会更有组织性且更加顺畅，反过来你也能够创造出更棒的作品。

5.考虑到创造性—-翻创是指翻译和创造的结合。专业的语言学家将会知道在他们的目标语言中什么是可行的。如果你让他们可以使用一些创造性去本土化文本内容让一些口语和描述能够让用户开怀大笑或引出其它情感，它便能够将你的游戏与其它竞争者区分开来。总之，应该让游戏尽可能地有趣。

真心希望这些诀窍能够帮助你的游戏更好地执行本土化。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转功，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Gaming Localization Part II: How to Ensure Gaming Localization Success

by Caitlin Nicholson

In our previous post, Gaming Localization Part I: Translation vs. Localization for Gaming, we highlighted a few important components for you to be aware of when preparing your game for a new locale. But let’s take it a step further. Here are some tips to try to ensure that your game speaks the language of gamers in each target market.

1.Hire gamers – You will want to work with linguists, voice-over talent, and localization testers who are native speakers of your target language, and who are also experts in the subject matter. This is best practice in the language services industry and is paramount for gaming. Hire people who have experience playing games, and if you can, take it a step further and find people who are familiar with your genre.

2.Provide as much context as possible – Fact: providing good context at the start of the localization process will save time while the translation process is happening. Take the time to provide a brief explanation of what console or platform the game will be run on, who the public is (kids, adults, etc.), any potential formatting issues, gender, etc. Every little bit helps. You can write a paragraph or show and tell with screenshots or other visuals. It may also be helpful to provide translators a link to the website before the process starts to that they can review and ask their own questions.

3.Begin with the end in mind – You may not know from the outset if your game will be localized, but it could be localized in the future. This proactive approach will help when the time comes. For example, enlisting cultural consultants to help with the development of your game will offer insight into potential cultural issues that may occur later on. Portrayals of religion, war, or other geopolitical issues carry different meanings in different countries. Also, make sure that your source text is free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors before sending it to be localized. A glossary of term preferences can also be useful for a linguist when translating to keep consistency.

4.Communicate with your localizers – Developing a testing plan is a very important phase in localization. Communicate with your localizers and plan a step-by-step QA testing plan. Define what each person’s role is in the process and different milestones to accomplish their roles. If there is a clear plan in place from the beginning, then the process will be much more organized and smooth, and will in turn, create a better product.

5.Allow for creativity – Transcreation is a fusion of translation and creation. A professional linguist will know what works in their target language. If you allow them a little creativity to localize text will colloquialisms and descriptions that will make users laugh or evoke another emotion, then it could separate your game from competitors. After all, playing a game should be as fun as possible!

Hopefully, these tips are helpful to you when localizing your game for a new locale. Coming soon: Gaming Localization Part III: Successfully Promoting Your Game Abroad. (source:gamasutra)