Localization SIG

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Last Update: 30 May, 2009

Welcome to the Game Localization SIG of the IGDA!

SIG Member Count = 302 (across email, Facebook, LinkedIn and Yahoo groups)

This SIG was launched in June 2007 in order to serve the need of the game localization community, i.e., those involved in the process of proactively planning for content adaptability in target international markets, performing the requisite translation and adaptation, and the act of reactively managing expectations when problematic content elements are identified by local customers. The announcement about the formation of this SIG was delivered in the September 2007 email bulletin of the IGDA.

Contents

[edit] Announcements

Game Localization Round Table '09

The next Game Localization Round Table will take place in Berlin, on Monday 8th of June [1]

The Game Loc. RT is an intimate and specialised forum for game loc. professionals from the development, the publishing or the vendor side of the industry. Remaining true to our Raison d'être, we want to make sure that we cover the topics and issues that matter the most for you, so we would really appreciate if you could take 2 minutes to do this quick survey. We will be happy to organise some of the sessions around the most popular topics. Although we suggest a few topics but other themes can also be added, so it is a great chance to engage in real pressing issues for today's game loc. environment.

Here is the link to make your voice heard for the next LW events: [2]

GDC 2009: THANK YOU SIG MEMBERS!! The SIG Steering Committee would like to thank our SIG members for their awesome support of the various localization initiatives at GDC 2009! The Game Localization Summit was a solid success and will return in 2010. We've received a lot of great verbal feedback, but are looking forward to receive the speaker ratings from GDC. The Annual SIG Meeting on 26 March was also very productive and will result in the formation of working groups and other SIG activities (the notes from the SIG Meeting will be available here once compiled). So thanks to everyone who was able to attend GDC, but for those who could not, we are looking forward to your participation as well!

SIG Guidelines and a Call for Working Group Proposals: The SIG leadership has created a set of guidelines that will help govern the SIG as well as provide guidance on establishing Working Groups. We'd like to encourage all SIG members to read the guidelines and please think of how you'd like to contribute to the SIG efforts. A Working Group is an excellent way for members to accomplish tasks that might otherwise not be possible from within their own domain of control and a great way to spread the responsibilities of the SIG among interested and passionate members (not just the Steering Committee). The SIG guideline document is available here: Localization SIG Guidelines.

[edit] Game Localization News

Relevant news items from the worlds of games and localization (feel free to submit items to tomedw at englobe dot com).

[edit] Events

IGDA Loc SIG @ E3 2009: 3 June, 2009
Are you attending E3 in Los Angeles? The IGDA Loc SIG is attempting an informal gathering on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at 12:00-2:00pm. SIG Chair Tom Edwards will be in attendance to provide a brief update on SIG activities and facilitate any discussion the group may wish to have (depending on the number of attendees). If you can attend, please plan to meet just inside the South Hall entrance of the LA Convention Center at about 12:00pm.

Game Localization Round Table @ Localization World: 8 June, 2009
The Game Localization Round Table is an intimate and specialised forum for game localization professionals from the development, the publishing or the vendor side of the industry.

Note: all information about Past Events can be found here: Localization SIG Past Events
Do you know of an event involving or of interest to game localization? Are you speaking at such an event? Please let us know and we'll post the news here!

[edit] SIG Overview

Reason/need for a Localization SIG: The number of game industry and localization industry professionals who are engaged specifically and exclusively in games has been increasing in proportion to the industry’s growth. This group of specialized professionals is currently split between either being more “game industry-oriented” or more “localization services-oriented”, without an appropriate “home” in which the hybrid field of game localization can exist. The game localization practice contains its own unique challenges and solutions that would benefit from a community space in which its professionals can interact and grow in association with the games industry. At the same time, the utility software localization industry has been developing tools and workflows that the game industry could utilize to save time and money which would benefit everybody involved in the localization process, as well as the game industry and the gaming community.

[edit] SIG Objectives

Goals/Mission: To provide a focal point and nexus for the growing number of game localization professionals in order to build community, draw together best practices and processes, and emphasize the requisite international dimension of game content development towards the goal of improving global game development processes and local end user experiences.

Potential projects/Initiatives: Beyond the goal of drawing together and building community among those involved in game localization, the SIG would also seek to fulfill collaborative projects. Some possible examples include:

  • Game Localization Summit: Organize at least one annual, one-day game localization tutorial/seminar, preferably in conjunction and in association with one of the GDC events. This is happening at GDC 2009!
  • Activities at Industry Events: Ensure that the SIG has a clear presence at events like GDC, Localization World, etc.
  • Critical Localization Issues Guide: Compile the contributions of members from various locales to produce a guide for top localization issues in each major games market. This wouldn’t be a comprehensive encyclopedia, but would at least include the top 5 overlooked issues in each market.
  • Best Practices White Paper: Generate a game localization best practices white paper that contains the more generic practices and procedures that have proven useful across the industry, while remaining company-agnostic and obviously not proprietary.

[edit] SIG Leadership

The following individuals are the current leadership and steering committee for the Localization SIG:

[edit] SIG Guidelines

The SIG guidelines document is available here: Localization SIG Guidelines

[edit] How to Join and Get Involved

First and foremost, we encourage everyone who's interested in the SIG to first join the IGDA as a paying member - more information is available here: http://www.igda.org/join/. Your paid membership and affiliation with the Localization SIG will help support the SIG's activities.

At the moment, there is no formal process for joining the Localization SIG but there will be once the IGDA website revisions are complete. In lieu of that, you can join the SIG and start getting involved by doing any (or all) of the following:

Feel free to introduce yourself, send ideas, and/or express your thoughts on game localization! Also, we have a Loc SIG Survey in place to gather your opinions on the SIG's goals, etc.: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6ibhvNIKtilcOdyPwzwWnA_3d_3d.

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