Post on 06-May-2023
On the Translational Specialisation of Digital
Interactive Entertainment
Game Translation and Terminology
Silvia PettiniDoctoral Student
Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures
CLAVIER Workshop
LSP research, teaching and translation across languages and cultures
Università degli Studi di Milano, 20-21 November 2014
Outline
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
Background: the Game Localisation Industry
Game Translation Issues
Legal and Commercial Constraints
The Realism-Fantasy Spectrum
Simulation games: Glossaries
Aim: to show the role of terminological
accuracy and consistency in game translation
quality
Multimedia Interactive Entertainment
1970s in USA and Japan
Global Mass Consumption Product
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
Video games’ success story is fully
dependent, and is inextricably linked to
the success story of the game
localisation profession that had to be
created from scratch in order to cover
the unprecedented demands of
multimedia interactive products.(Bernal Merino 2011:11)
Game Localisation (1)
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
Game Localisation (2)
Translation
US English > E-FIGS
Japanese > US English > E-FIGS
Locale: “a specific combination of region, language
and character encoding” (Esselink 2000: 1)
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
Game Translation (1)
Game Translation / Game Localisation
Translation as linguistic and cultural transfer
Immersion
Entertainment and Fun
Skopos: “to keep the same look and feel of the
original and preserve the gameplay experience”(Mangiron & O’Hagan 2006; Bernal Merino 2009).
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
Game Translation (2) - IssuesSpace constraints English – Romance languages UI text: player - game world
= Abbreviations
Terminology Platform-specific references In-house glossaries
String ID Comments Screen Name Max Length ST TT
April_abbr3
Month - 3 letter
abbreviation Calendar 3 Apr Apr
CM_Average_abbr3 Average abbreviation Transfers 3 AVG MED
CM_ET Extra Time - 2 char abbrev Half time results 2 ET TS
CM_FT Full time - 2 char abbrev Half time results 2 FT 2T
CM_Losses_label 1 letter abbrev for losses
Group / League
Tables 1 L S
Game Translation (3)
The Realism-Fantasy Spectrum(Dietz 2006)
Genres and sub-genres
Reality Fantasy
Game contents: Verisimile, real Fictional, unreal
Simulation games
Strategy games
Sci-Fi games
Fantasy games
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
There are only two types of games, based on
the degree of freedom translators are given
from the ST: some games require more
research than creativity, and others require
more creativity than research. (Bernal Merino 2007: 3)
Game Translation (4)
Research Creativity
Technical Translation
Specialised Translation
Terminology
Literary Translation
Transcreation
Terminology
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
The Realism Edge of the Spectrum
Sports Simulation Games
Formula 1 Racing
Tennis
Boxing
Golf
Bowling
Basketball
Football
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
FIFA 14 Localisation and Translation
Domestication
Localised, adapted and
tailored to meet the
expectations and the
preferences of the target
market’s players.(Fernández Costales 2012: 396)
FIFA 14 Global Cover
51 countries
16 languages
Game Translation and Terminology
Platform-specific references
PS3 and Xbox360 Terms
The game world’s own vocabulary
FIFA 14 Terminology
In-house Glossaries
English Italian
Category Comments Term Abbreviation Term Abbreviation
system PlayStation®3 Product Group Naming Conventions
system power indicator spia di accensione
system power button / button tasto di accensione / tasto
system eject indicator spia di espulsione
system eject button tasto di espulsione
system disc slot vano disco
Hardware
manuals
instruction
manual
manuale di istruzioni
controllers wireless controllers controller wireless
controllers PlayStation®Move
controllersPS Move
controllers
controller
PlayStation®Move
controller PS
Move
system ALWAYS use
this term to
refer to
PlayStation®3
in software.
system sistema
Platform-specific references (1)
“PlayStation®3 Terms” (Electronic Arts 2013), FIFA14
Platform-specific references (2)“Xbox360 Terms” (Electronic Arts 2013), FIFA 14
English Italian
Term Notes Term
UI Messaging
Saving content. Please don't
turn off your console.N/A
Salvataggio del contenuto. Non spegnere la
console.
Saving…Short form of 'Saving content. Please don't turn off
your console.'Salvataggio…
Hardware
A / A button A The A button. A
B / B button B The B button. Pulsante B B
Ring of LightThe circle of four lights located on the console and
controller used to indicate game and system information.
cerchio di luce
Xbox 360
console
"Console" is
appropriate for
in-game text.
The Xbox 360 console. 'Console' is appropriate for in-
game text.console Xbox 360
"console" è
appropriato per testo
in-game
START / START
buttonSTART The Start button. Pulsante START START
Xbox 360
Controller
"Controller" is
appropriate for
in-game text.
The Xbox 360 gamepad. 'Controller' is appropriate for in-
game text.Controller per Xbox 360 controller
Xbox 360 VGA
HD AV CableThe Xbox 360 VGA high definition AV cable.
Cavo AV ad alta
definizione VGA per Xbox
360
Xbox 360 Hard
Drive Transfer
Cable
Cable that transfers data from one Xbox 360 Hard Drive
to another.
Cavo di trasferimento
disco rigido per Xbox 360
FIFA 14 Glossary (1)
Semantic fields: Actions; Footballers and other roles;
Teams; Matches, and Penalties.
Football Language: subject domain-
specific vocabulary
380 entries: 562 EN SL words and 581 IT TL
words
Literal translation: one-to-one or many-to-
one equivalence
English Italian
Assists Assist
Attack Attacco
Ball Control Controllo palla
Ball Possession Possesso palla
Chip Shot Pallonetto
Corner Kick Calcio d'angolo
Counter Attack Contropiede
Cross / Crossing Cross
Curled Shot Tiro a effetto
Dive / Diving Tuffo
Dribble / Dribbler / Dribbling / Dribbles Dribbling
Drop Kick Rinvio
Dummy Finta
Foul Fallo
Free Kick Calcio di punizione
Goalscoring Segnare
Handball Fallo di mano
Heading Colpo di testa
Lob Pallonetto
FIFA 14 Glossary (2): ActionsEnglish Italian
Long Ball Palla lunga
Long Pass Lancio lungo
Low Cross Cross basso
Man marking Marcatura a uomo
Momentum Slancio
Offence Attacco
Offside Fuorigioco
Own Goal Autogol
Pass / Passing Passaggio
Penalty (Kick) (10) Rigore
Penalty Shoot-out Calci di rigore
Save Parata
Shoot Tiro
Shooting Tiri
Short Pass Passaggio corto
Sliding Tackle Scivolata
Sprint Scatto
Throw Passaggio
FIFA 14 Glossary (3)Footballers and other roles
English Italian
Amateur Esordiente
Attacker Attaccante
Bench Panchina
Captain Capitano
Centre Centrale
Centre Back Difensore centrale
Club Manager Allenatore di club
Defender Difensore
Defender Line Linea difensiva
Forward Attaccante
Full Back Terzino
Goalkeeper Portiere
International Management CT della nazionale
Manager Allenatore
English Italian
Midfielder Centrocampista
Pro (15) Calciatore
Referee Arbitro
Semi Pro Dilettante
Speedster Velocista
Star Player Campione
Starting 11 Titolari
Stopper Stopper
Stricker Attaccante
Substitute Sostituto
Top Scorers Marcatori
Wide Man Ala
Wide Midfielder Esterno di centrocampo
Winger Ala
FIFA 14 Glossary (4)
Teams, Matches, Penalties
Teams
English Italian
Away Team Squadra ospite
Club Club
Home Team Squadra in casa
Line-up Formazione
Squad Rosa
Team Play Gioco a squadre
Youth Academy Vivaio
Youth Squad Squadra Primavera
Matches
English Italian
Final Finale
Friendly Match Amichevole
Half Time (9) Intervallo
Home In casa
League Match Partita di campionato
Quarter Finals Quarti di finale
Rematch Rivincita
Semi Finals Semifinali
Tournament Torneo
Penalties
Max Length
Comment English Italian
Match Ban Squalifica
Red Card Cartellino rosso
red card given Sent Off Cartellino
Suspended Squalificato
Yellow Card Cartellino giallo
Space limitations
2 Goals Scored GS GF
2 Red Card RC CR
Abbreviation
for "Team of
the Week"
TOTW SdS
2 Yellow Card YC CG
**
*
*
*
Concluding remarks
Silvia Pettini
CLAVIER Workshop 2014
Linguistic and Cultural Game
Localisation as Specialised Translation
Unique challenges to translators, i.e. space
constraints, platform-specific references;
Subject domain-specific expertise;
Terminological accuracy and consistency
Silvia Pettini
PhD Student
Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures
silvia.pettini@uniroma3.it
ReferencesBernal Merino, M. 2007. “Challenges in the translation of video games”. Revista
Tradumática, 5, 1-7.
Bernal Merino, M. 2009. “Video games and children’s books in translation”. The
Journal of Specialised Translation, 11, 234-247.
Bernal Merino, M. 2011. “A Brief History of Game Localisation”. TRANS. Revista de
Traductología, 15, 11-17.
Dietz, F. 2006. “Issues in localizing computer games”. In Dunne K. (ed.),
Perspectives on Localization. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing
Company, 121-134.
Esselink, B. 2000. A Practical Guide to Localization (Rev. ed.).
Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamis.
Fernández Costales, A. 2012. “Exploring Translation Strategies in Video Game
Localization”. Monographs in Translation and Interpreting (MONTI), 4, 385-408.
Mangiron, C. and M. O’Hagan M. 2006. “Game localisation: unleashing
imagination with ‘restricted’ translation”. The Journal of Specialised Translation, 6,
10-21.