Why localise an RPG or board game into other languages? First and foremost, because gaming should be a fun and exciting activity, and often not all players around the board have the same level of knowledge of a foreign language.
If it is a new game to be launched on the market, localisation into multiple languages expands the prospective audience, as well as the potential for sales or success on platforms such as Kickstarter.
The translation and localisation of games are therefore extremely important and delicate activities, which are worth investing in to ensure they are handled by professionals.
3 advantages of professional localisation
- In the event of doubts about the definitive version of the game, the expertise of an expert linguist can help in the revision of the finished product with a final proofreading to remove any minor errors and check the grammatical correctness, internal consistency and fluency of the text. You worry about the creative side, we translators will handle the “boring” part.
- A mother-tongue translator who is an expert on board games and RPGs is essential in producing high-quality results adapted to the destination language and culture. These games are, indeed, often complex products which touch on delicate and sensitive topics, and are full of cultural references. A competent professional will ensure that none of these aspects are lost in the translation process.
- Games are made up of various components, for example the rules, cards, the board, characters: all these parts must be in harmony and consistent with each other in order to immerse the players in the game’s atmosphere; they have to guide them in performing the necessary actions without creating misunderstandings, and explain the rules and moves in a clear and consistent manner.
This may seem like a lot of work, but professional localisation of a game into one or more languages avoids all the difficulties which can arise from an unprofessional, poor-quality translation: for example, player dissatisfaction and, as a consequence, the need to redo the work to repair the damage.
Have you created a role-playing game that you need localised? Wabbit can help you!
- It’s simple and stress free: you just need to send us the original game files and tell us which languages you need them translated into.
We translate between Italian and the main European languages. We can provide you with a free quotation based on the word count. - Once we have received the files, our Project Manager will select expert translators for all the target languages, and a reviewer for each. If required, we can also carry out proofreading of the original product.
- If you have a Kickstarter page, we can help you translate it into multiple languages.
- Relax, you’re in good hands – at Wabbit, we’re professional translators, but also genuine gamers. (We also spend most evenings engaged in a gaming session of one game or another …)
Would you like to see one of our projects? Let us tell you about Wabbit and Mana Project Studio!
We met Michele from Mana Project Studio on the occasion of the launch of Norse Grimoire. The Mana Project team had already published Journey to Ragnarok, the setting for D&D 5th Edition, and earlier this year was preparing to launch the new compendium Norse Grimoire on Kickstarter.
We helped the team with the localisation from Italian to English, and carried out a full revision of the game, in time for the scheduled launch.
It was a constructive experience, and our partnership helped increase the quality of the product and create a relationship of trust between ourselves and the Mana Project team, laying the foundations for a long-lasting partnership.
If you have a game which you need localised, send an email to info@wabbit-translations.com.
