Will translate for food

[Dahne]

I know, I know. Geeks who dream of working in the industry are a dime a dozen. I've heard enough people talk about the chances of a newcomer doing any of the writing part (creating the story, writing the dialogue) to know that, if I pursued that course, I would end up hearing very little from companies besides "HAW HAW HAW!". So I've more or less given up on that dream, as it seems to be undeniably of the pipe variety. What about translation? I've taken a few Japanese classes, and I'm young enough that getting more wouldn't be a problem. Is a career in this field possible in the least? What could I do to make it more so?

[hezeuschrist]

From what I understand translators are always in high demand and always make good bank. Maybe not in the game industry, but if you become fluent in Japanese and spend some time over there to learn a bunch of the culture I don't think a job would be hard to find. Take some time to inquire with some of the big companies, send a few emails and see what they say.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Dahne, if you could help me figure out how not to repeatedly get killed on the first screen of Hyper Crazy Climber, I'd definitely cook for you. :-D

[IntvGene]

I am assuming that you would be thinking of translating from Japanese to English, right? Well, you better know your kanji. Because that's the key to your success. I think it is also important to have some style in your English writing. If you just translate Japanese directly, you can get some weird shit. We have all seen some bad translations in games, but good translation is taking the feeling of the character and expressing it in a unique way. Personally, I think this is more innate, and isn't something that you are gonna learn in class.

The other key is having a good network or connection in the industry. Japanese companies will tend to hire Japanese translators a lot more than anyone else (I am assuming you aren't Japanese :) ).

I met an American guy who was translating for Toyota in Japan when I was over there, and he would translate things into English, and then send them to his boss, and eventually his boss's boss, etc. When it gets to the top, the Big boss who barely knows any English reads it and doesn't understand it.. so, being all-powerful tells him to re-do it. But, the American guy insists that it is correct and perfect English. It doesn't matter, do it over. So, he makes the translation worse and worse until it finally gets approved. Funny. This guy just gave up on really translating because he was banging his head against the wall all the time.

Anyway, better wrap this up. There is obviously a need for better translation, and if you're good, you can do it. Spend a couple of years in Japan for sure, and start studying those Kanji now!

[zmeston]

I know, I know. Geeks who dream of working in the industry are a dime a dozen. I've heard enough people talk about the chances of a newcomer doing any of the writing part (creating the story, writing the dialogue) to know that, if I pursued that course, I would end up hearing very little from companies besides "HAW HAW HAW!". So I've more or less given up on that dream, as it seems to be undeniably of the pipe variety. What about translation? I've taken a few Japanese classes, and I'm young enough that getting more wouldn't be a problem. Is a career in this field possible in the least? What could I do to make it more so?

Companies that do Japanese-to-English localization either have in-house guys (Square) or farm it out to companies or individuals.

During my Working Designs stint, we farmed it out, and we would never have used you, because you're a gamer. Victor's experience was that gamer-translators introduced their own biases into their translations, whereas non-gamers gave us straightforward translations (which we could then Americanize/butcher later on).

While there are occasional new-school translations that make me shudder (Okage: Shadow King, Ephemeral Fantasia), the overall quality of Japanese-to-English translation is MUCH higher than in the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.

And speaking from personal experience, if you enjoy videogames as a hobby, think very, VERY hard about turning them into a profession.

-- Z.

[Anonymous]

Translation/Localiztion is my plan, too. I'm working on getting a degree in Japanese, with emphasis on the culture/history of the country. I would be perfectly happy working in the video game industry, but translating for ADV, Manga, or any of the other anime companies would do me right as well.

How close are you to being 'ready' to take a full time job? I'm still a couple years away, but if you're almost ready, Dahne, I'll keep an ear open for you. I know that Nintendo is always looking for bilingual (japanese/english) everything.

[Dahne]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Good to know it's not outright impossible. As for when I'll be out looking for a job, it won't be for a while yet. Still in the middle of high school here. Hey, they say it's good to plan ahead. :D

[zmeston]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Good to know it's not outright impossible. As for when I'll be out looking for a job, it won't be for a while yet. Still in the middle of high school here. Hey, they say it's good to plan ahead. :D

If you're serious about a career in the modern videogame industry, you NEED to start planning during your high-school years. Again, however, I beseech you to think about the big picture. If I knew in my teens what I know now, I would've pursued a job with benefits and security and reasonable hours. Videogames would still be in my life, but as a hobby and passion, not a bizarro career.

No less a figure than David Crane, at the 2002 CGE, had this sage advice for anyone wanting to get into the game industry: "Don't." As always, I thank game developers for sacrificing the best years of their lives to bring me pixel-pleasure, but I don't envy them for a nanosecond.

-- Z.