Translation & Localization
Make your game more accessible for people in new markets. A translation opens new roads to increasing your revenues. We offer professional translations, proof-reading and copy editing of rule books and game components.
As literally as possible, as freely as necessary! – That is our guiding principle. The goal of a translation is to represent the content of the source text the best way possible. In order to maintain the meaning of the text and to ensure that your documents are translated correctly, we translate freely but in accordance with the rules of the game. That way you will get a natural sounding document that is easy to read, easy to understand and yet correct in every detail.
Translation
Translation is the conversion of text from one language to another. Or to quote from The Oxford Companion to the English Language: „Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text.“
Localization
Language localization is the process of adapting a product that has been previously translated into different languages to a specific country or region. It is the second phase of a larger process of product translation and cultural adaptation (for specific countries, regions or groups) to account for differences in distinct markets. Localization differs from translation activity because it involves a comprehensive study of the target culture in order to correctly adapt the product to local needs.
Video Game & App Translation
These days more and more board games have companion apps or digital versions.
We work together with experienced freelancers, who have spent many years translating and playing board games giving our team a breadth of experience and a high level of professionalism. That’s why we are the perfect partner for you when it comes to preparing your analog or digital game for the German market!
Thanks to our multi-level quality assurance, game enthusiasts will enjoy your game in both the digital and analog versions!
Languages
We believe that only a professional translation done by skilled native speakers is good enough to face the market. Unofficial or fan-made translations may cause confusion and bear the risk of harming your game’s reputation, caused by reviews and impressions based on an ambiguous rule book translation that lacks of profound language and comprehensibility.
Therefore we are working with a team of freelance translators and proofreaders with a proven track record who are all native speakers in their respective language. We currently localize and translate to and from English (BE/AE), German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese and maintain a network of freelancers for several other languages. If you need support for additional languages, we may always extend our network.
Work Flow
We have experienced translation teams for several popular languages. Each team consists of two persons, one translator and one copy editor. These work together to ensure best quality of the translation and a third person supervises them.
Before translations starts, we will check the source in terms or clarity and structure. Comments and questions will be exchanged with you on Google Docs if any obscurities came up. Then the translation starts. Once the translation is done by the translator (typically in a translation table with the source in the left column and the translation in the right column), the copy editor will review the translation and correct/make suggestions to the translator. Both then discuss these and finalize the translation.
When this is done we will share the translation document(s) with you. You may then proceed transferring the text to your layout. When you have exported the PDF file(s) our team (translator and proofreader) will look over the exported file again and comment any mistakes they spotted.
Quality Assurance
Each translation runs through numerous steps, assuring proper grammar, punctuation and speech in regards of the specific idiom of each language.
1. Translation
The first step is the transfer of the original files into the desired language. This is usually done by one person, guaranteeing a coherent translation in terms of speech and tone. Once the transfer is done, the translator proof-reads his work before proceeding to the next step.
2. Copy Editing
The second step of the transfer to the new language includes copy editing. With a focus on readability, text comprehension and thoroughness, the translation is given its polish with regards to easy accessibility and completeness.
3. Proofreading (Four-Eyes Principle)
Two pairs of eyes are looking at the translation in depth. During this step remaining typos and errors are fixed and the translation is getting a thorough look in terms of logic and text comprehension.
4. Play Test (if sample is available)
Here comes the fun part! The localized game is play tested by a group of gamers, who haven’t played the game before. They’ll have to learn, understand and play the game solely with the help of the localized rules. The accurate outcome of this final step is proof of the successful localization.
Good Reasons
Playing board games is popular all over the world, especially in Europe where a major count of publishers, board games and their designers originate. Translations and localizations are a great foundation for your board game marketing. When selling internationally, localization of your game for specific markets becomes a necessity.
With a localized product, you can exceed your regional growth limits on international markets. Scaling your projects opens new roads to increasing your revenues.
Translated board game rules and components are important for major publishers who want to reach a wider audience and aim to have international revenues increasing their total turnover. Accessibility requires developing editions of games that are specifically tailored to the needs and requirements of local customers.
Localization of board games and associated materials is also a must-have for a successful market entry of startups and small, fast-growing publishers that are just starting to sell their products overseas.
