作者：Damien Yoccoz

游戏是少数真正面向全世界的产业之一，这里充斥着许多对自己喜欢的游戏充满激情的玩家。这意味着只是进行本土化是不够的。

错误的本土化可能会导致你的游戏制作成本的提高，破坏你的、、游戏销量并招来一些负面报道。但是我们还是会一而再再而三地看到犯同样错误的发行商。

以下便是你想要避免的5大代价最高的游戏本土化问题：

1.在游戏的核心文件中植入文本

我们经常看到的一个代价最昂贵的问题便是文本被硬编码到核心文件中。即包括你的游戏的名字，菜单文本以及游戏玩法过程中呈现在屏幕上的任何对话。

开发者总是希望能够直接将这样的文本嵌入游戏代码中，特别是当你先基于一种语言发行游戏时。但事实上这却是一种错误的选择，即使你在这一阶段并未打算去扩展其它语言。

相反地，你应该将所有文本以变量的形式储存在一个独立的资源文件中。

基于这种方法你并不需要使用源代码将翻译文本添加到游戏中。你可以只是添加全新变量并在它自己专有的文件中放置翻译内容。这不仅能让你们团队之后的本土化工作变得更加轻松，同时也能造福于你的译者。

2.在翻译上投机取巧

这不仅对于游戏本土化来说是个大问题，对于任何需要精确翻译的项目来说都会是个大问题。

实际上，在翻译上投机取巧只会为你之后的工作带来更多麻烦，也就意味着你将为此投入更多钱。

你一定不要想着使用机器翻译也不要使用像谷歌翻译这样的免费工具。它们不仅不能创造你需要的精确度，同时也有可能对任何敏感内容造成威胁。

这种翻译工具很容易导致黑客的入侵（游戏邦注：即通过你的网络连接，特别是通过无线网络）。虽然这种风险大家都知道，但是你可能不会将其与在线翻译联系起来。更让人担心的是，你输入翻译工具中的所有内容都将被传递给翻译供应商（如谷歌）。这将变成他们的数据，而他们可以拿这些数据去做任何事。

与你的翻译代理商讨保密协议。

这些合同能够确保你的游戏中的所有内容都是完全保密的，如此你便可以放心让译者去进行你的游戏本土化工作。

arcade(from gamasutra)

事实上如果你在翻译上投机取巧，你最终将为此支付更大代价。我们便遇到过许多因为选择更快或更便宜的翻译方法而不得不重复工作的合作伙伴。

3.使用并不了解你们游戏的译者

因为语境对于游戏本土化非常重要，所以如果译者能够越了解你的电子游戏就越好。

但是我们还是经常会看到许多发行商将满满的文本内容交给对自己游戏根本不了解，或者更糟糕的是对游戏一点不了解的译者。

比起这种情况，你应该去寻找有经验的电子游戏译者并让他们尝试着去玩你的游戏。只有当他们越了解你的游戏体验，他们才能更好地将其翻译成其它语言。

如果你不能让译者尝试你的游戏，至少你应该找到一个翻译过与你们游戏相同类型游戏的译者。确保能够提供给译者更多有关你的游戏的信息，如词汇表，视觉效果，风格设定以及你之前发行版本的任何翻译内容。

如果你的游戏将面向PlayStation 4，Xbox One或任天堂的主机等平台，你应该确保事先能够满足索尼，微软等平台对于语言的严格要求，否则你便只能承担被拒绝的风险。而有经验的本土化服务商则能够帮助你顺畅地通过这一阶段。

4.忽视文化元素

精确的翻译并不是本土化的唯一目标。你还需要确保你的游戏能够从文化上适合每个市场，否则你便可能因此疏远了目标用户。而这归根究底就是关于游戏的内容，如故事，角色和事件。

你可以问问任天堂电子游戏本土化到底有多重要。整个2016年第一个季度，有关本土化的争议甚至超过了性别歧视，恐同症，儿童色情作品，卖淫等等。

就像《火焰纹章：命运》便引起了有关本土化和审查制度的争议。因为其美国与欧洲市场的版本和最初的日本有很多差异，粉丝便因此感到非常难过。

并且当任天堂决定改变备受人们喜爱的Pokémon Pikachu名字时，便有市民在香港进行抗议声明。因为这涉及到了中国与相关关系之间的敏感话题。

5.将本土化作为游戏开发的最后一步

也许你关于游戏本土化可能犯的最严重的错误便是将其放在任务清单的最后一行。我们总是很容易认为这是制作过程中的最后阶段，但这却是代价昂贵的一种错误假设。

对此的一个典型例子便是简陋的游戏描述；这对于销售游戏非常重要，但却也经常遭遇忽视。这是你唯一能够说服新玩家的内容，特别是当你所创造的并非什么知名品牌时。

你需要做的便是去访问Google Play去看看其它发行商为何会做出这样的描述：

description(from gamasutra)

文字很多但都没什么实际意义。

发行商总是会像在其它开发领域那样使用捷径去创造这样的第一印象。

关于电子游戏本土化问题最让人惊讶的是，其实只要做出适当的规划，这些问题便都是可以避免的。

例如在最初有关将文本植入游戏中的要点，你会发现糟糕的本土化计划会导致制作成本的飞速增加。

如果今年任天堂能够在编写过程中有效本土化内容，而不是将其留到后期制作过程，他们便能够避免许多问题。

事实上，本土化应该是开发者在游戏开发的早期阶段便去考虑的环节，你需要为这个过程投入足够的时间与预算。如此才能够避免之后投入更多工作和金钱。

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

5 Most Expensive Game Localization Mistakes

by Damien Yoccoz

Gaming is one of the few truly global industries, filled with passionate fans (like us) who really care about their favorite titles. Which means simply doing localization isn’t enough. You have to nail it.

Poor localization can make your games more expensive to produce, hurt sales and create all kinds of bad press. Yet we see publishers large and small making the same mistakes time and again.

Here are five of the most expensive game localization mistakes you want to avoid.

#1: Embedding text into the game’s core files

One of the most costly mistakes we often see is text being hard-coded into the core files. This will include things like the title of your game, menu text, and any dialogue printed on-screen during gameplay.

It can be tempting for developers to embed this text directly into the game’s code – especially if you’re launching in one language first. This is a bad idea, though – even if you don’t have any plans to expand into other languages at this stage.

Instead, you’ll want to store all text as variables in a separate resource file.
This way nobody needs to plough through source code to add translated text into the game. You can simply add the new variable and place the translation inside its own dedicated file. This not only makes future localizations easier for your team but also for the translators you call in.

#2: Cutting corners on translation

This isn’t only a problem for game localization but any project that needs accurate translation.

The fact is, cutting corners on translation only creates more work further down the line – and that means spending more money, too.

Forget machine translation and don’t even think about free tools like Google Translate. Not only are they world away from producing the accuracy you need, they’re a security threat for any sensitive content.

Such translation tools are vulnerable to hackers via your Internet connection – especially via WiFi. These risks are widely publicized but they may not be something you associate with online translation. More worryingly, anything you type in is handed over to the translation provider (eg: Google). It becomes their data and they can do anything they want with it.

Speak to your translation agency about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
These contracts make sure everything in your game stays completely confidential – so you can relax while translators are working on the localization of your game.

Money-wise, the reality is, if you cut corners on translation, you’ll only end up paying more for it later. We get far too many partners who need to start all over again because they tried to take the faster/cheaper option on translation.

Take shortcuts and you’ll end up with the kind of mistakes we still mock the arcade classics for – or worse.

#3: Using translators who don’t know your game (or video games at all)

With context being so important in game localization, the more a translator knows about your video game, the better.

We still see too many publishers handing over spreadsheets full of text to translators who basically know nothing about the game they’re working on, or worse, nothing about gaming at all.

Instead, you should seek out experienced video game translators and give them the chance to play your title whenever this is possible. The more they know about the gaming experience you’re trying to build, the better equipped they’ll be to recreate that in another language.

If you can’t give translators access to play your game, then at least get someone in with a track record of translating games in your genre. Be sure to hand over as much information about your title as possible: glossaries, visuals, style guides and any translations you may have from previous releases.

And if your game is about to hit platforms like Playstation 4, Xbox One or Nintendo’s consoles, make sure way ahead of submitting your build that it meets Sony, Microsoft and big “N”‘s strict naming conventions in all languages, or risk getting it rejected. Here as well, it takes an experienced localization service provider to go smoothly through that phase.

#4: Ignoring cultural factors

Accurate translation isn’t the only goal of localization. You also need to be sure your titles are culturally sensitive to each market – or risk alienating one of your target audiences. Much of this comes down to the actual content of your game: the story, characters and events that take place.

Just ask Nintendo how important it is to get video game localization right. It spent the first quarter of 2016 embroiled in a localization row that escalated into debates over sexism, homophobia, child pornography, slut-shaming, prostitution and a hate campaign against one of its most infamous employees. It was pretty intense.

It all came down to a localization vs censorship debate that peaked with Fire Emblem Fates. The version for US and EU markets was heavily altered from the Japanese original and fans were less than pleased.

Shortly after, there were protests in Hong Kong after the firm decided to alter the name of beloved Pokémon Pikachu. It sparked a centuries-old sentiment of China encroaching on Hong Kong culture – all of which was reignited by the slight change of a name to one character.

#5: Thinking of localization as the last step of game development

Perhaps the most expensive mistake you can make with game localization is letting it sit at the bottom of your to-do list. It’s easy to think of this as the last stage of production – but that’s a costly assumption.

A classic example is the humble game description; vital to selling your game but something often overlooked. These few words are your only pitch to convince new gamers – especially if you’re not creating a famous brand title (eg: Star Wars, Final Fantasy, etc.)

All you have to do is visit Google Play to see how little effort many publishers put into these descriptions:

lot of words in there but not much that makes any sense.

And this publisher didn’t even bother trying…

It rarely ends with game descriptions either. Publishers who are happy to settle for this kind of first impression tend to take similar shortcuts in other areas of development.

The amazing thing about video game localization gone wrong is that most mistakes could have been avoided with the right planning.

Just go back to our first point about hard-coding text into a game and you can see how poor localization planning makes production costs skyrocket.
Or think how many problems Nintendo could have avoided this year by localizing its content during the writing process, rather than leaving it until post-production.

The fact is localization should be included at the very beginning of game development – and you need to allocate enough time and budget for the entire process. This way you can avoid extra workload and costly mistakes further down the line.

So there you have it – the five most expensive game localization mistakes.
They’re all completely avoidable with the right planning in place from day one and the game localization company with the right experience and methodology.(source:gamasutra)