The gaming industry is huge now. It is a billion-dollar industry and lately has been on the boom. This industry has been creating revenue in billions of US dollars. Moreover, the mobile gaming market stands at 248 billion industry now. Like all other industries, the gaming industry has also been evolving with technological advancements which are helping with new possibilities for game developers. They get to back up more immersive and engaging experiences through new and innovative emerging technologies such as cloud or VR gaming. All these stats and the popularity this industry comes with now ask for accurate and precise gaming translation.
Gaming translation services have become an inseparable part of this industry. The games are something that gets accepted by the different masses in different regions. It was not long ago when the world started with the Pong joystick and enjoyed Pac-Man during the 1970s and 80s. These simple games which were not considered much back then have turned out to be the bedrock of the current gaming industry. To make all these new and old games accessible for people, it is extremely crucial to provide the content with the translation in the relevant languages so that people can understand the games and get into them accordingly. Not only this but it is also vital to maintain the intended style and tone while translating the games. Moreover, the emotional impact of the story of a game also needs to be maintained.
Here is how the maintenance of the tone and style can work. This can also help with the emotional impact of the story.
Player immersion and engagement
Many players get connected to the games emotionally. It is where they seek comfort in times of stress and despair. Therefore, a faithful translation is the one that preserves the intended tone and style. It should enable the players to connect with the characters. They need a well-maintained story and tone to immerse in the overall story for the betterment of the game.
On the contrary, a different tone can break the immersion and can also disconnect the players from their experience. Also hinders the enjoyment and engagement that players seek in the games.
Better brand identity and consistency
The brand identity is an important part of gaming translation. The better style, tone, and emotional impact of a game’s story helps with a well-settled and recognized brand. Different games come with distinct styles and identities. These can be lighthearted or gritty. Many times these are humorous and suspenseful. It is extremely crucial to maintain the style through gaming translation services. It assists with consistency and preserves the brand image with the developers they have crafted after putting best of their efforts. If you fail to maintain the tone it can lead the content to inconsistencies and inaccuracies, which can confuse players and undermine the overall message or the visuals and aesthetics of the games. Therefore, it is imperative to take care of the overall identity and brand look while dealing with gaming translation.
Cultural sensitivity and nuance
The cultural sensitivity in the games is what demands a competent translation company to deal with the humor and sarcasm with emotional expressions. The humorous elements and emotional expressions need to be culturally specific. Only skilled translators from a professional translation agency can ensure that the relevant elements land in the target language appropriately, also preserving the intended sentiments. This needs to be done without causing an offense or misunderstanding with the targeted audience.
Forced humor is no more a humor. Also, what is humorous in one target audience does not imply equally funny in your targeted audience. Therefore, forcing humor or emotional responses with literal translation can make it look artificial and inauthentic. This can isolate the players, making them separate from the different cultures.
Imagine a game that has a dark and distinct fantasy. If the translators don’t consider the tone of the overall theme and translate the content in a rather cheerful and chirpy manner, this can disrupt the intended atmosphere and disconnect players from the story. The players also feel annoyed and can not enjoy the game accordingly. Likewise, if you get to translate a fairly humorous and comic game in a dry and serious manner, the humor would lose its charm. Hence nuances are important and vital to consider for a regulated overall tone.
How to achieve the required tone?
A professional translation company can help you navigate through the challenges of gaming translation. You should make sure that your translators have a deep knowledge of the source material. They should have a heart for the games and insight to grasp the overall tone of the games. The characters’ personalities and narrative themes are also significant to work on. The translators should be creative enough to sort out the issues regarding the translation of the conveying emotions, jokes, and cultural references without infuriating the targeted audiences.
Conclusion
Translating games comes with certain responsibilities. The game developer should ensure they hire a professional translation company and experienced translators who can take care of the overall tone and style of the game story and theme. This also helps with better player immersion, improved brand identity, and cultural sensitivity.
