How to deal with the pitfalls of literal game translation

People have treated games as an unnecessary and not-so-important practice for years. The video games industry has emerged as one of the important mediums of entertainment. It’s a billion-dollar industry now. According to experts, this industry seems to reach US$282.30 bn by the year 2027. The annual growth rate stands at around 8.76% during 2024. Moreover, the user penetration rate has also been reported to be around 18.5% in 2027 starting from 16.9%. It is important to mention that this industry witnessed a significant boom during and post-pandemic COVID-19. Many games got popular during the lockdown days when people were left with no choice but to enjoy the video and other games. The immense demand for new genres of games asked for more unique content and also made the developer translate the games into different languages to facilitate diverse audiences. 

When it comes to game translation services, it is important for you as a game developer, as well as for a translation vendor that translating games goes beyond literal translation. The gamer expects the story to unfold in a unique way and their native language. Any difference or language that is alien to them can be frustrating for the users also affecting their immersive adventure. Therefore, the translation needs to be done properly as it needs to be engaging and fun. The translation should be as good as the original content if done correctly. Hence word for word approach does not work in this case. It demands adapting a creative approach to create a more fun translation.

The Pitfalls of Literal Translation

Translating word to word not only kills the essence of the game but can make the whole effort go down the drain. A few of the pitfalls reported commonly are:

Lack of cultural connection 

Translating jokes, cultural references, and puns without cultural references and implications can make the whole effort futile. The robotic translation rather makes it disconnect from the culture. This also leads to content that has no proper meaning or importance. Take it this way if you are a British game developer and your game content contains witty British phrases, it may go over the heads in other countries where people can barely understand English, let alone a British accent.

Awkward phrasing

Languages differ from each other in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. A sentence that you have translated in literal terms can turn out to be clunky or a sentence without making sense. It can be the other way around as well. The translation into another language can make a cluster of words that your target audience finds offensive or controversial. Therefore, during game translation, it is important to take care of this factor and not fall for literal translation as it can disrupt the flow of the content and narrations.

Lost nuances

The literal translation also makes it lose the nuance. The figurative language, sarcasm, and emotional tones are important aspects of the games and make games more crisp and fun to play. However, mistranslating these and falling for the literal translation can hinder the original fun and meaning. It can also have a negative impact on the story and character interactions. Therefore, it is important that only professionals get hired and there is quality translation carried out considering the original meanings and tones.

Strategies for Localization Immersion

A few strategies that can help quality gaming translation are:

Opting for transcreation

One of the best strategies that can help you facilitate your potential player with an immersive gaming experience is opting for transcreation. The transcreation lets you creatively adapt the message and fit in the target language and context. The game could contain funny idioms and phrases in the original language and while translating it can lose its original fun and charm. However, this could be replaced with an equally humorous expression in the translated version with the help of transcreation.

Working on character consistency

The games are nothing without good and fun characters and for creating ever-green characters it is important to work on character-building. It also includes maintaining the character’s voice and personality. A fun character or a goofy character can have a different body language whereas the way a scholarly character represents himself can be another practice. These distinctions and character consistency are particularly taken care of in the localization process of games after translation. 

Improving visual cues

Another strategy is to consider strong visual cues. The games rely on storytelling heavily. The signs, menus, and environmental details often demand adjustment to ensure clarity and cultural relevance. Games can not have a stronger impact without effective and eye-catching visual cues. Many games are adored for their look and interesting graphic elements. The right selection of the game’s interior and visual factors assists the potential player with an immersive experience. Likewise, translating the content with the collaboration of a professional translation agency can make the process worth all the effort.

Conclusion 

Translating games is a challenging task. It is important that only professionals are assigned these tasks. Many people often start translating in literal terms which often kills the game’s spirit. It is important that translators and game developers understand the pitfalls of literal translation and consider good strategies to deliver quality translation. The strategies may include opting for transcreation, working on character consistency, and improving visual cues.