Is the fundamental issue really just that they want full English translations but refuse to re-code their dialog boxes to accept more than a few characters? I mean, that was an actual issue in the 90's when everyone was working with 16, maybe 32 bits... but there is really no excuse but being cheap/lazy to not do it today.
Maybe you guys need a policy on it.
No, that's just one issue among many from this client. And we have several game companies as our clients, each with different quirks and requirements for their translations.
I think, without going into too much detail, the primary issue is that game translations can't be treated like translating a financial report or a marketing campaign. When we're translating games, we're only given the strings from inside the games, without any outside context. Context matters a lot in translation. For example, the word "book" can be translated into, like, eight different things in Chinese, depending on how the word is used.
To get the right context in a video game translation, we need to actually play the game. We need to see where every string appears in the game, and only then do we have the background info needed to render an accurate translation. Problem is, the game companies rarely provide the game to us in advance, and even when they do, we don't have time to actually play it. All we can do is translate if we can, and guess if we can't. Sometimes we will guess wrong, which leads to really weird translations.
There was one company who asked us to not guess, instead we should submit queries when we don't know the background context to something. After receiving a translation where approximately half the strings had queries attached, they decided not to do that any more.
So, yeah, I hate video game translations, because so often it feels like we're translating while blindfolded, hamstrung, and with both hands tied behind our backs. And on a tight deadline.
Who the fuck uses the phone in their hotel room any more?!Phones are down and I can't fix 'em. Provider has confirmed an outage. So it's not my problem.
Except when guests come to the desk to complain that phones are down. They don't care that it's out of our hands and there's no ETA for repair.
My one free day this week not taken up with social or work obligations, I was looking forward to relaxing....Queue three hours of struggling with the boiler in a fruitless effort to get hot water back. I WANTED A SHOWER DAMMIT. This boiler's been nothing but trouble over the years, I friggin' hate the thing with a fiery passion. No defaults, no errors, no nothing but it just won't heat anything. Airflow's ok, there's gas, there's electricity, there's water. Can't (safely) test but I'm assuming it's either the automatic lighter or the gas starter thingamajig not doing their job properly....Agh.
It's 15 years old and been repaired half a dozen times
GasBandit
Staff member
But where are you gonna find that many thousands of persians?
Too many clicks?Another finger on my bad hand has dislocated. @HCGLNS put it back in and it's starting to swell.
--Patrick
B
BErt
No...oh no. Stop it, brain. That says "clicks" and you know it. Don't you dare...
Dammit!
It was my pinky. I don't click with it. And it came out at the knuckle. It's the hand with all the nerve damage so it could have been anything.
Sigh... now I gotta watch this again and have the song stuck in my head. Dammit, I had work I needed to do today.
Slept like shit last night.
Up at 6am for work.
Want to die.
Up at 6am for work.
Want to die.
GasBandit
Staff member
Was listening to the radio today (surprise surprise, I know), and heard some meathead on Finebaum talking about how he "knew it was time to leave the NFL when it wasn't fun any more."
Ok, I don't begrudge anybody their right to make decisions about their lives, but way to reaffirm the fact that you're completely out of touch with 99% of humanity. You know who wants to go to work because it's fun? Practically nobody. That's right, we all drag our asses out of bed to work jobs we, as often as not, absolutely loathe, so that we won't starve or freeze on the street. Boo hoo, football player, it isn't fun to play football for millions of dollars any more? Cry me a god damn river to the strains of the world's most microscopic violin. This kind of shit makes me think maybe we should care less about concussion statistics, because it's time these polly prissypantses EARN their fucking millions and put some carnage on the television. No pads, no helmets, roid em up and let them tear each other to shreds. THAT sounds like fucking FUN TIME AT WORK.
Ok, I don't begrudge anybody their right to make decisions about their lives, but way to reaffirm the fact that you're completely out of touch with 99% of humanity. You know who wants to go to work because it's fun? Practically nobody. That's right, we all drag our asses out of bed to work jobs we, as often as not, absolutely loathe, so that we won't starve or freeze on the street. Boo hoo, football player, it isn't fun to play football for millions of dollars any more? Cry me a god damn river to the strains of the world's most microscopic violin. This kind of shit makes me think maybe we should care less about concussion statistics, because it's time these polly prissypantses EARN their fucking millions and put some carnage on the television. No pads, no helmets, roid em up and let them tear each other to shreds. THAT sounds like fucking FUN TIME AT WORK.
GasBandit
Staff member
Also, on an unrelated note, The Davis Group, Zenith Media, Katz Media Group, and DX Media Direct of Dallas can all gargle my ballsweat and floss with the hair they pick off the back of their tongue afterwards. Mandatory death sentences for all advertising agencies when I grind the nations of earth beneath my heel. First order of business. First day.
fade
Staff member
I have been re-watching DBZ Abridged lately, and I gotta tell ya: read this in TFS Vegeta's voice.
GasBandit
Staff member
BananaHands
Staff member
I have this bitter, 'meninist' co-worker who is constantly going on tirades about how awful women are, to a point where it becomes uncomfortable. Before it was a lot more tolerable because one of the night AEs was a woman so he'd keep it down around her, but she moved up to days and that's only made him more bitter.
fade
Staff member
Cranky is cleaning out his closet.
He has vintage Milton Bradley games (Dark Tower, etc) which are all in almost new condition.
...well, they were until he crammed 'em all into the garbage can.
"You know those things are going for $200-400 on ebay, right?"
"Oh, I don't want to be bothered with all that hassle."
--Patrick
He has vintage Milton Bradley games (Dark Tower, etc) which are all in almost new condition.
...well, they were until he crammed 'em all into the garbage can.
"You know those things are going for $200-400 on ebay, right?"
"Oh, I don't want to be bothered with all that hassle."
--Patrick
GasBandit
Staff member
Cranky is cleaning out his closet.
He has vintage Milton Bradley games (Dark Tower, etc) which are all in almost new condition.
...well, they were until he crammed 'em all into the garbage can.
"You know those things are going for $200-400 on ebay, right?"
"Oh, I don't want to be bothered with all that hassle."
--Patrick
