Open World: Your Game Localization Podcast

The localization process of a video game is huge — and involves many different teams, tons of research, and technology. Learn the ins and outs of the localization process from this episode's guest, Cristina Hernández. She's worked on the localization of AAA games such as God of War and Detroit: Become Human. Cristina Hernández, Spanish Localization Tester at Rockstar

The localization specialist is the last bastion of defense between a game and the players. Get the inside scoop from Sebastian Erasmy on what it’s like working in game localization at Ubisoft. Sebastian Erasmy is the LATAM Localization Specialist at Ubisoft.

How can Western game developers make their way into the Asian market? You need a partner. Chinese regulations are strict, so proper localization, marketing, and PR are key. Get more insights from Vlad on navigating the Chinese market in this episode of Open World. For more information on Neon Doctrine: https://www.neondoctrine.com/ Vladislav Tsypljak is co-founder of Neon Doctrine, an international indie video game publisher based in Taiwan, where he’s worked for almost 7 years. He formerly managed QA teams at EA Games, and also worked at Microsoft.

MMORPGs can be a great way to learn languages and make friends – it’s what turned James Michael into a Japanophile. Hear what it’s like to work in a huge video game franchise, network, and navigate international careers in video game localization in this episode of Open World. James Michael got his start in the professional world working at a subcontracting company in Tokyo making 3D models and AR/VR for pachinko machines, doing interpreting and business development. Later, he got lucky with a job at Nintendo in Seattle, where he worked in localization on e-manuals and mobile titles, with the occasional 3DS and Switch title tossed in. After that, he got an opportunity to take a lead position at Capcom, where he worked in smaller parts on a few Resident Evil games until he worked as localization director on Resident Evil Village. James now works adjacent to games in production management at Cy Games, helping to link outsourcing companies to projects and get the best outside talent to help dev teams fill gaps in their team.

Almost everything we interact with involves localization, whether it’s a Netflix show, video game or app on our phone. Denisse Kreeger strives to talk about the value of localization across all industries, and in this episode, she shares her journey from federal government investigations to dubbing to video game development, while building a healthy and diverse work environment. Don’t miss the LocFact on cultural influences in League of Legends and a sneak peek of Arcane: Animated Series from Riot Games. Denisse Kreeger is the Head of Global Localization Production at Riot Games. She is the chapter manager for Los Angeles Women in Localization, and has held various roles within the localization space for 15 years, including managing international dubbing at Netflix and federal government investigations. Through her Master’s in audiovisual translation in the UK, she developed a network of academics in localization, allowing her to speak on the value of localization on various platforms.

Speaking strange languages and living in foreign lands was the dream for Hugo Miranda, after living in his small home country of Costa Rica. After living abroad in both the US and Taiwan, Hugo’s passion for linguistics and bilingualism grew, leading him to work in the video game localization industry, giving him opportunities to share his passion for language with future generations. Hugo Miranda is the Latin American Spanish language specialist at Blizzard Entertainment. He began working in the video game industry as a translator in 2006. In 2011, he moved to Orange County, California where he set out to finish his degree in Linguistics. Shortly after, he joined Blizzard Entertainment, working in several different roles ranging from localization quality assurance analyst to project manager, all while aligning with his vision of bringing epic entertainment to millions of players in their language. Hugo Miranda is a Blizzard Entertainment employee, but all opinions in this episode are his own.

Working as a freelance translator requires proactivity to keep up with rates, market research and new technologies. In this episode of Open World, we hear from Federica Lusardi who shares her experience finding her way as an Italian translator in London, from freelance to in-house at Square Enix. She chats about best practices for translating visual novels, marketing campaigns, and how to expand languages for indie games. Federica Lusardi began working in the video game industry when she moved to London in 2011 for her MA in audiovisual translation. After working briefly as a language tester for Sega and after translating her first game for Codemasters as a freelancer, she worked at Pole to Win as an in-house translator and team supervisor. She joined Square Enix in 2016, where she currently works as an Italian translator and editor. Her work encompasses translation for video games and marketing campaigns, such as Life Is Strange 2, Life Is Strange: Before The Storm, The Final Fantasy Trading Card Game and Professor Layton vs. Phoenix freight ace attorney.

Localizing a video game is no small task, and it requires you to compromise, prioritize, maintain a clear direction, and collaborate with the myriad of disciplines involved in creating a game, says this week’s guest, Ulises Uno, Content and Localization Manager at etermax. In this episode of Open World, get the inside scoop on Etermax and the expansion of their mobile trivia games to Latin American markets from Ulises, along with some great industry tips and the concept behind his “meme museum”. For more information on Ulises' Meme museum, check out the Museo Electrónico del Meme Extraordinario at https://www.meeeme.org/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/meeememuseu.... Check out the catalog of pettable and non-pettable dogs in video games here: https://twitter.com/CanYouPetTheDog Guest: Ulises Uno is a Content and Localization Manager at etermax, headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ulises and his company have worked on developing and publishing worldwide social games in up to 30 languages. His educational background is in social sciences and translation, and he made his way into the localization industry first as a video game translator and copywriter. He now leads a team of language specialists, user experience writers and content writers, guiding them towards a product-centric mindset.

Working on a game with tons of content like Disco Elysium requires solid reference materials and systems in place to ensure consistency throughout the localization process. For Ivan Lopes, having passionate fans and methods to get direct player feedback is also vital in a big video game localization project. In this episode of Open World, our guest shares his experience working on the localization of Disco Elysium in Brazilian Portuguese and how his background prepared him for this challenge. Guest: Ivan Lopes is Senior Translator at BrazLocT Game Localization. He’s worked as a professional translator and interpreter since 2009 in several fields including video games, tourism and audiovisual platforms. He’s currently based in São Paulo, Brazil and studied Japanese at the Universidade de São Paulo.

Creating the world inside a video game requires thoughtful and intentional considerations of cultural elements– from character design and outfits to symbols and architecture. Culturalization expert and geopolitical strategist, Kate Edwards joins Open World this week to share insight and guidance for effectively navigating video game culturalization. She highlights the importance of allegories for bridging real-world culture and video game fantasies and the need for greater active cultural awareness. Guest: Kate Edwards is CEO and principal consultant at Geogrify LLC. With almost 30 years of experience in the video game industry, Kate is a unique hybrid of an applied geographer, writer, and content culturalization strategist with a passion for global cultures and media technologies. She has held several positions as an industry advocate, including her former role as Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA®) from 2012 to 2017, and her current role as Executive Director of The Global Game Jam. She also worked at Microsoft as geopolitical strategist for over 13 years, consulting on many game franchises including Halo, Fable, Age of Empires, Dragon Age, and Modern Warfare.