QA & LOCALISATION FOCUS
“So the best we can do as a service provider is help them as much as we can.” Enzyme Labs’ president and CEO
Yan Cyr adds: “What we have done in the past year is improve our processes. In addition, our newly announced partnership with [localisation firm] Binari Sonori has helped us jointly to greatly improve localisation and QA services.”
CUTTING COSTS However, there are concerns that select publishers neglect the entire sector completely, hoping to cut down on the mounting costs of bringing a new game to market. More and more games are failing to meet sales expectations – and services firms say this is even more reason to every release of as high a quality as possible.
“It is more important than ever to
make the most of your QA resources and process,” says TechExcel’s director of marketing and product management Jason Hammon. “Teams just don’t have as much time to find and correct problems in the software. Our customers find significant gains in productivity and quality using our solutions.” Testronic’s Harsant adds: “With the variety of platforms and delivery methods to reach countries all over the world, it would not be wise for publishers to cut costs. There is still money to be made provided that the product is well made, appropriately localised, and fully functional. And there are ways to minimise the costs, provided the QA and localisation company is involved fully, pre-Alpha.” Van der Giessen adds that the myth of strong English skills in certain foreign markets needs to be dispelled, rather than used as an excuse for unlocalised releases: “[Some publishers] forget that understanding English in a fast- paced, story-driven game is completely different. The real argument is always costs and them not willing to make the investment in conquering the hearts and hard drives of these consumers. These publishers are being overtaken by others that do.” Fortunately, outsourcers report that this does not apply to the majority of games firms. “Most publishers that I’ve talked with make the verbal commitment
32 March 16th 2012
There is still money to be made provided products are well made and appropriately localised.
“ Alistair Harsant, Testronic GOING GLOBAL
WHAT WERE once emerging gaming markets are becoming much more developed all the time. As the popularity and
mainstream acceptance of video games increases, so too do the demands for localised editions of the latest releases.
“There is more interest to localise into languages outside of EFIGS,” says Testronic’s Alistair Harsant, referring to the typical English, French, Italian, German and Spanish SKUs. “Turkey has huge potential, and
is likely one of the regions publishers are keeping a close eye on.”
Turkey was also highlighted by other firms, as was the Nordic region, Czech Republic, Poland, and Central and South America – particularly Brazil.
Meanwhile, the rise of MMOs in China has increased the need for extensive translations in the region. “New work requests usually include large volumes, short deadlines, cheap prices and odd language pairs,” says Localsoft’s Randall Mage. “Who said localisation was easy?” Some firms even open local offices to improve their operation. U-Trax has recently opened a
Portuguese office, adding to its bases in Holland, Denmark and Sweden. The Portuguese team handle games for their own market and Portuguese-speaking Brazil. U-Trax’s Richard van der Giessen says: “It fits perfectly in our strategy of having local offices with small teams of expert linguists in smaller or emerging markets, backed by a central, professional organisation. “That way the translators keep doing what they are best at and at the same time we offer them a chance to grow both personally and professionally.”
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to the globalisation of our industry,” says XLOC co-founder and president Stephanie O’Malley Deming. “I do believe that people recognise the upside and ROI of localisations, particularly simultaneous releases. It’s ultimately cheaper in the long run if data and the localisation process are approached with organisation and forethought.” PlayableGames’ Mark Brady adds:
“Yes, costs are being cut, but the emphasis from the big publishers is
on keeping up the quality. Usability testing and user research are some of the key areas where the quality of the game can be improved. So user testing is definitely still on the agenda, and if anything increasing.” Video games are becoming more elaborate. Titles like Mass Effect 3 and Skyrimhave colossal scripts that require nothing less than a thorough translation, while all titles need extensive testing if they are to meet consumer expectations.
(Below left to right) Xloc’s O’Malley Deming, Localize Direct’s Souto, PlayableGames’ Mark Brady, Partnertrans’ Iris Ludolf, Localsoft’s Randall Mage and Enzyme Labs’ Yan Cyr all call for publishers to approach QA and localisation firms earlier in the development process
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