Game localization - All in-house

Alpha has been localizing games and entertainment software since the company was founded in 1987. We offer a complete in-house solution: Project Managers, Software Engineers, Sound Engineers, Animation Experts, Graphic Artists, Translators and Software Testers. This makes it easy for everyone to communicate, come up with clever solutions, and provide feedback to clients' programmers. On several occasions we have also put together teams of linguistic and functional testers to work at clients' own premises.

Flexibility

Alpha has localized games for many key players, including Ubisoft, Jagex, Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing, The Learning Company, TDK, Bayard Presse and Gallimard. For some projects, we do individual parts only - for example translation of scripts and audio work only, or pure text translation without integration - while for others we offer a complete in-house solution.

Whatever the client's requirements, we have the flexibility to undertake small and large projects, for one language or several, with maximum cost savings and a minimum of fuss. A number of our clients have told us that one of the key reasons they enjoy working with us is because we respond quickly and always come up with a solution.

Our people

We employ a full-time dedicated games Project Manager with several years' experience in games localization.

Our Engineering team includes experts in HTML, SGML, XML, JavaScript, VB, Delphi, C++, Assembly language and Lingo script for Director. Alpha staff are also conversant with all the main software tools used for building games products, including Dreamweaver, Flash, Director, ColdFusion, Gamecube, Wise and Vise for installers. We have also developed a range of specialist tools in-house for extracting and re-integrating assets.

We produce games for all versions of PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox and Game Boy. We also have two Chinese engineers who specialize in adapting software for double byte capability, which is essential for localizing into Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

We have a comprehensive database of professional voice artists for each language, many of whom boast over ten years' experience in games localization. Our experience enables us to match the most appropriate artist to each specific project, but clients are of course welcome to choose their own preferred artists. Our post-editing staff use ProTools, CoolEdit (now Adobe Audition), Sound Forge, Vegas and SoundEdit (for Macintosh).

Our DTP/graphics department undertakes all animation and graphics editing using Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Shop Pro and FreeHand (graphics editing), and Premiere, After Effects, Flash and Director (animation). Graphic artists and animation experts work together, with guidance from Alpha software engineers, to edit files in a way which will allow them to be easily re-integrated into the localized product.

Wherever possible, translation is done in-house. Whether in-house or associates, all our translators are qualified linguists with years of experience who only translate into their mother tongue.

Our testers are multilingual software experts with a keen interest in gaming, enabling them both to test the functionality of a games product and check language issues. With games in particular, on-screen text often has to be seen in context. If needed, the testing team will draw in native-speaker translators to resolve any remaining problems.

We have fun!

Whether it's thinking up rhymes for children's games, re-animating characters for a different language or recording characters from bunny rabbits to gangsters, we all enjoy working on games localization. And it's always good fun to put it all together and test the finished product. Maybe that's the secret of our success!

The process

Our games localization projects follow a well-established process, though of course it can be adapted for special client requirements. The Project Manager analyzes the assets and assigns the tasks to each of the teams involved. An exact time schedule is drawn up and agreed with the client.

Typical workflow

  • The game is installed. Everyone who will be involved familiarizes themselves with the type of game it is to get a feel. Ideally, the client will provide a brief about target group, etc.
  • In some cases, preparatory language work may need to be done (for example for fantasy games based on published books, where names of characters, locations etc. need to be researched in each of the languages).
  • The engineering team extracts all text for translation from the assets and identifies the graphics, audio and animation files which need localizing.
  • Prepared assets are handed to the translator team, usually in rtf or doc format.
  • The DTP/graphics department prepares the animation and graphics files for substituting source text with foreign-language text.
  • Audio assets may need transcribing from original audio files, or a script may be available from the client. Translators translate scripts with the spoken word in mind, and aware of any time constraints. Special techniques are used if synchronization is required.
  • In consultation with the client, Alpha will hire professional actors or voice artists; in a few cases, in-house linguists may be used.
  • Clients are encouraged to attend the audio session. Their approval is important, as re- recording is very costly.
  • Translated and fully reviewed assets are handed to the engineering team for integration. The game is then built in the new language(s).
  • The game will be tested according to a testplan provided by the client, or drawn up by Alpha. When this has been agreed with the client, the department will test each of the target language products for functionality and also for any language-related issues.
  • The finalised product is then delivered to the client.