Thread
So I'm translating a video game...
I've been working as a freelance Japanese-English translator for a while now, and I'm finally starting to get some good jobs. I'm now translating all of the text for a major upcoming video game for the PS2 (lots of onscreen dialog and the menus, etc) and I've done some other smaller games as well.
It may sound stupid, but once of the reasons I started studying Japanese years ago was because I wanted to develop video games, and now I'm actually doing it, albeit in a round-about way.
I'm really stoked to see what I wrote appearing in a game...
There's a fair amount of freedom in this too. You can't just translate things the way they are in many cases, since they won't make any sense in English. You've got to make up new versions of jokes or puns etc that will work in English, so there's a lot more creativity in it than you might expect.
Unfortunately I'm bound by a non-disclosure agreement, so I can't say anything about the game itself (maybe after it comes out in the US I can talk about it). But it's kind of amazing to think I'm getting paid for this...
It may sound stupid, but once of the reasons I started studying Japanese years ago was because I wanted to develop video games, and now I'm actually doing it, albeit in a round-about way.
I'm really stoked to see what I wrote appearing in a game...
There's a fair amount of freedom in this too. You can't just translate things the way they are in many cases, since they won't make any sense in English. You've got to make up new versions of jokes or puns etc that will work in English, so there's a lot more creativity in it than you might expect.Unfortunately I'm bound by a non-disclosure agreement, so I can't say anything about the game itself (maybe after it comes out in the US I can talk about it). But it's kind of amazing to think I'm getting paid for this...
Maybe you'll give us the next "All your base are belong to us!"
That's my dream...
Wait, that's my nightmare!
Seriously, that kind of thing is the best argument for only having translators translate INTO their native language I can think of...
Wait, that's my nightmare!
Seriously, that kind of thing is the best argument for only having translators translate INTO their native language I can think of...
All your base are belong to us
Mike
Mike
who makes the game?
Can't tell you that either, unfortunately.
I, Garland, will KNOCK YOU ALL DOWN!
It's too bad Nintendo owns the English translation to Final Fantasy. The remake would have been better if Square had been able to use (in)famous Engrish lines in the PlayStation remake like it did in the Final Fantasy IV remake.
Speaking of which...
YOU SPOONY BARD! DIE!!!
It's too bad Nintendo owns the English translation to Final Fantasy. The remake would have been better if Square had been able to use (in)famous Engrish lines in the PlayStation remake like it did in the Final Fantasy IV remake.
Speaking of which...
YOU SPOONY BARD! DIE!!!
That's cool. I hope the game is equally as cool. Although when you play it, you won't be "surprised" by the storyline seeing that you are the one writing it.
I'm studying Japanese now. I hope to be able to use it in the future, maybe in the same way you are now.
I'm studying Japanese now. I hope to be able to use it in the future, maybe in the same way you are now.
Do you have any accreditation like JLPT1? If so, do you think it helped you get this job? Or has it helped your career?
I passed it two years ago, but I haven't tried to break into professional translation. Any tips or tricks you might like to impart?
I passed it two years ago, but I haven't tried to break into professional translation. Any tips or tricks you might like to impart?
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Originally posted by Xeo: That's cool. I hope the game is equally as cool. Although when you play it, you won't be "surprised" by the storyline seeing that you are the one writing it. |
Actually it sounds like a game I will the kind of game I would enjoy playing, even if I know the whole story, and of course there is the thrill of seeing my own work on the screen.
My fear is that some mistake of mine will make it through to the finished game OR the Japanese game designers will change something to make it strange/wrong after I submit everything. But it's fun.
Quote:
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Originally posted by wataru: Do you have any accreditation like JLPT1? If so, do you think it helped you get this job? Or has it helped your career? I passed it two years ago, but I haven't tried to break into professional translation. Any tips or tricks you might like to impart? |
Yes, I have the 1st level Japanese proficiency and some other things, and it doesn't hurt (sort of helps you get your foot in the door) but it was the trial translations I did for some of these companies that seemed to be the deciding factor. That is, they seem to care more about whether you can really do the work, rather than about your credentials.
The biggest problem in doing freelance translation is just finding clients.
If you have difficult time translating some jokes, you can come here for some help/advices 
We have some microprocessor programming software that states:
"The programming ended normally completely."
"The programming ended normally completely."
can we get an update on your progress?
Hmmm.... Japanese humor. Very tough to translate. Many puns.
I guess you just have to add some crude American humor in there.
I guess you just have to add some crude American humor in there.
Wow, didn't expect to see this dragged up. 
The game in question was La Pucelle: Tactics. I actually finished it almost a year ago, and have moved on to other games in the meantime. The game turned out quite well, overall, although I didn't have final editorial say in the matter, so some things in the final game are not what I wrote, including a couple of typos... It's a good game if you like anime or strategic RPGs.
The game in question was La Pucelle: Tactics. I actually finished it almost a year ago, and have moved on to other games in the meantime. The game turned out quite well, overall, although I didn't have final editorial say in the matter, so some things in the final game are not what I wrote, including a couple of typos... It's a good game if you like anime or strategic RPGs.
Wow! that was a big one.
See if you can get to write the dialog for FFXII, FFX was agonizing at times, though that could have just been the voice actors...
-Owl
See if you can get to write the dialog for FFXII, FFX was agonizing at times, though that could have just been the voice actors...
-Owl