[game_edu] Localisation

[CHANDLER Clive]

Hi,

This is an interesting topic and one I feel is usually left as an addendum or an aside in the area of games design.  In our Masters in Games Design curriculum it is covered in one of our core modules i.e. Ludology, here we consider such topics that affect the overall design, usability and game play of a game.

We start at Staffordshire from the premise that there is no strict definition for a Triple "A" game until after the fact i.e. the number of sales, the amount of profit made etc.  We then take our students (small groups of 10 - 16 deliberately) through the aspects of games analysis, usability, interface design etc and then introduce the more fundamental considerations of Ethics, globalisation / localisation, handicapping algorithms, modelling the gameplayer, behavioural design etc.

I don't believe there is another course which attempts to approach the subject from this direction, but I would be interested in the opinions of the list on either other topics or other areas which can be developed to improve the curriculum.

Best Regards

Clive

Dr Clive Chandler
Sen Lecturer Entertainment Technology
Staffordshire University UK 

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              IGDA Education SIG
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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Localisation (Kathleen Harmeyer)
   2. Re: Localisation (Stacey Simmons)
   3. Re: Localisation (m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:38:51 -0400
From: "Kathleen Harmeyer" <kharmeyer at ubalt.edu>
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation
To: "IGDA Game Education Listserv" <game_edu at igda.org>
Message-ID:
	<18ED3220C4923F458B59D80C72614A4C01A9F71B at UBEXCHANGE1.cis.ubalt.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I suspect we have the most fortunate way to work Localization into a project. Anibal Menezes' students at The Image Campus in Buenos Aires and we at University of Baltimore are developing jointly a 3D XBox game using XNA Game Studio. In this project we have split art, audio, and programming tasks to develop the game during the various semesters at the two institutions throughout 2008. We will have Level 1 completed of Ancient Axes December 21 and will do the remaining levels in the spring 2009.
 
Anibal's students are handling the Spanish text and voices, our folks are doing the English. They have learned how to develop and link in XML files to swap, based on the optional selection of language. 
 
It has been an exciting and sometimes difficult co-ordination task, but we are working successfully as a team from both institutions. And this has forced us into studying Localization. A lucky happenstance for all of our students.
 
Kathleen Harmeyer, D.C.D.
Director, Simulation & Digital Entertainment Program
School of Information Arts & Technologies, 
Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts, University of Baltimore
AC113, 1420 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Voice mail: 410 837-5473 email: kharmeyer at ubalt.edu <mailto:kharmeyer at ubalt.edu> 
Website: http://iat.ubalt.edu/harmeyer <http://iat.ubalt.edu/harmeyer> 


________________________________

From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org on behalf of Tom Dowd
Sent: Sat 10/25/2008 11:42 AM
To: 'IGDA Game Education Listserv'
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation



I completely agree with Ian's perspective on this. We cover it as an aspect of our fundamental game development course, primarily as an information point, and then it comes up again a time or two again in other classes. I know that the current Little Big Planet incident was discussed in multiple classes, not only from the perspective of technology, but of music licensing, content vetting, and cultural considerations. The requirement to localize the current senior capstone project into Spanish was part of their project spec this year, but we have four concentrations of students working on the project - design, programming, art/animation, and sound - so I think it is more feasible for them, as per Ian's comments. 

 

That said, and don't tell them this, but given that they are already having to deal with a somewhat overscheduled project I expect it to be dropped as a feature at the last minute... or maybe not. A couple of them are already working on a string management tool for the designers to ease the pipeline. So, we shall see...

 

Tom Dowd

Columbia College Chicago

 

From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org [mailto:game_edu-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Ian Schreiber
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 8:14 PM
To: IGDA Game Education Listserv
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation

 

I actually do mention this in my classes (in the same category as saving/loading functionality and audio pipeline) as things that tend to get forgotten or neglected early on and end up being a serious pain to shoehorn in at the end if the team hasn't been on top of them for the entire time. My students go off to the industry fully aware that these are issues that their first project is likely to get burned on :)

 

In practical use for student projects, all three of these are difficult to fit in the schedule at all, simply because they are a bit of work and take time and focus away from the essential core gameplay. For student projects, just getting a single working game in their native language is challenge enough, and having multiple languages, the ability to save the game and having interactive audio are things that just aren't in the cards most of the time.

 

In a curriculum where students have the time to work on multiple projects and multiple teams (which is rare -- in many cases, students get maybe one or two shots at this), I could see the case for devoting one project slot to a "maintenance" class. The idea would be to take a working project from a previous project that a totally different group worked on, learn the code, refactor it, and add this kind of functionality. The benefit to students would be exposure to real-world tasks, as well as experience working with someone else's code (which it's extremely likely that they'll be doing in their first job).

 

- Ian

--- On Fri, 10/24/08, m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk <m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk> wrote:

	From: m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk <m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk>
	Subject: [game_edu] Localisation
	To: game_edu at igda.org
	Date: Friday, October 24, 2008, 3:15 PM

	Hello everybody,
	 
	I am glad to see that there is an important group here trying to improve
	standards in education by suggesting curriculums, modules, topics and the
	branching and pacing of the content delivered.
	 
	I would like to participate with modules/sessions on game internationalisation
	and localisation. I believe this part of the globalised game industry is often
	neglected in development and production, creating more problems than it should.
	Just recently the issue with SCE "Little Big Planet".
	A bit of planning and team awareness in time would eradicate such issues and
	smooth out localisation, as well as save time and money in testing, etc.
	 
	What do you guys think?
	 
	 
	Miguel ?. Bernal-Merino
	Lecturer in Media Translation
	Roehampton University London
	Roehampton Lane, Putney
	SW15 5SZ
	LONDON
	Tel: (00 44) (0) 208 392 3799
	 
	Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
	need to.
	 
	This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the
	addressee and may also be privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable
	law. If you are not the addressee, or have received this e-mail in error, please
	notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system and do not copy,
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	Internet communications are not guaranteed to be secure or virus-free.
	Roehampton University does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from
	unauthorised access to, or interference with, any Internet communications by any
	third party, or from the transmission of any viruses.
	 
	Any opinion or other information in this e-mail or its attachments that does
	not relate to the business of Roehampton University is personal to the sender
	and is not given or endorsed by Roehampton University.
	 
	Roehampton University is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in England
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:34:27 -0500
From: Stacey Simmons <ssimmons at cct.lsu.edu>
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation
To: IGDA Game Education Listserv <game_edu at igda.org>
Message-ID: <8062F87D-8F65-4170-BECD-F7FAAE7A2DC2 at cct.lsu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed; delsp=yes

Hi Kathleen,

I am very interested to learn more about this shared experience!  We  
teach a joint game course between LSU and UI-C.

Can we chat off list?

Stacey


On Oct 25, 2008, at 8:38 PM, Kathleen Harmeyer wrote:


> I suspect we have the most fortunate way to work Localization into a  

> project. Anibal Menezes' students at The Image Campus in Buenos  

> Aires and we at University of Baltimore are developing jointly a 3D  

> XBox game using XNA Game Studio. In this project we have split art,  

> audio, and programming tasks to develop the game during the various  

> semesters at the two institutions throughout 2008. We will have  

> Level 1 completed of Ancient Axes December 21 and will do the  

> remaining levels in the spring 2009.

>

> Anibal's students are handling the Spanish text and voices, our  

> folks are doing the English. They have learned how to develop and  

> link in XML files to swap, based on the optional selection of  

> language.

>

> It has been an exciting and sometimes difficult co-ordination task,  

> but we are working successfully as a team from both institutions.  

> And this has forced us into studying Localization. A lucky  

> happenstance for all of our students.

>

> Kathleen Harmeyer, D.C.D.

> Director, Simulation & Digital Entertainment Program

> School of Information Arts & Technologies,

> Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts, University of Baltimore

> AC113, 1420 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

> Voice mail: 410 837-5473 email: kharmeyer at ubalt.edu <mailto:kharmeyer at ubalt.edu 

> >

> Website: http://iat.ubalt.edu/harmeyer <http://iat.ubalt.edu/harmeyer>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org on behalf of Tom Dowd

> Sent: Sat 10/25/2008 11:42 AM

> To: 'IGDA Game Education Listserv'

> Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation

>

>

>

> I completely agree with Ian's perspective on this. We cover it as an  

> aspect of our fundamental game development course, primarily as an  

> information point, and then it comes up again a time or two again in  

> other classes. I know that the current Little Big Planet incident  

> was discussed in multiple classes, not only from the perspective of  

> technology, but of music licensing, content vetting, and cultural  

> considerations. The requirement to localize the current senior  

> capstone project into Spanish was part of their project spec this  

> year, but we have four concentrations of students working on the  

> project - design, programming, art/animation, and sound - so I think  

> it is more feasible for them, as per Ian's comments.

>

>

>

> That said, and don't tell them this, but given that they are already  

> having to deal with a somewhat overscheduled project I expect it to  

> be dropped as a feature at the last minute... or maybe not. A couple  

> of them are already working on a string management tool for the  

> designers to ease the pipeline. So, we shall see...

>

>

>

> Tom Dowd

>

> Columbia College Chicago

>

>

>

> From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org [mailto:game_edu-bounces at igda.org]  

> On Behalf Of Ian Schreiber

> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 8:14 PM

> To: IGDA Game Education Listserv

> Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation

>

>

>

> I actually do mention this in my classes (in the same category as  

> saving/loading functionality and audio pipeline) as things that tend  

> to get forgotten or neglected early on and end up being a serious  

> pain to shoehorn in at the end if the team hasn't been on top of  

> them for the entire time. My students go off to the industry fully  

> aware that these are issues that their first project is likely to  

> get burned on :)

>

>

>

> In practical use for student projects, all three of these are  

> difficult to fit in the schedule at all, simply because they are a  

> bit of work and take time and focus away from the essential core  

> gameplay. For student projects, just getting a single working game  

> in their native language is challenge enough, and having multiple  

> languages, the ability to save the game and having interactive audio  

> are things that just aren't in the cards most of the time.

>

>

>

> In a curriculum where students have the time to work on multiple  

> projects and multiple teams (which is rare -- in many cases,  

> students get maybe one or two shots at this), I could see the case  

> for devoting one project slot to a "maintenance" class. The idea  

> would be to take a working project from a previous project that a  

> totally different group worked on, learn the code, refactor it, and  

> add this kind of functionality. The benefit to students would be  

> exposure to real-world tasks, as well as experience working with  

> someone else's code (which it's extremely likely that they'll be  

> doing in their first job).

>

>

>

> - Ian

>

> --- On Fri, 10/24/08, m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk <m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk 

> > wrote:

>

> 	From: m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk <m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk>

> 	Subject: [game_edu] Localisation

> 	To: game_edu at igda.org

> 	Date: Friday, October 24, 2008, 3:15 PM

>

> 	Hello everybody,

> 	

> 	I am glad to see that there is an important group here trying to  

> improve

> 	standards in education by suggesting curriculums, modules, topics  

> and the

> 	branching and pacing of the content delivered.

> 	

> 	I would like to participate with modules/sessions on game  

> internationalisation

> 	and localisation. I believe this part of the globalised game  

> industry is often

> 	neglected in development and production, creating more problems  

> than it should.

> 	Just recently the issue with SCE "Little Big Planet".

> 	A bit of planning and team awareness in time would eradicate such  

> issues and

> 	smooth out localisation, as well as save time and money in testing,  

> etc.

> 	

> 	What do you guys think?

> 	

> 	

> 	Miguel ?. Bernal-Merino

> 	Lecturer in Media Translation

> 	Roehampton University London

> 	Roehampton Lane, Putney

> 	SW15 5SZ

> 	LONDON

> 	Tel: (00 44) (0) 208 392 3799

> 	

> 	Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you  

> really

> 	need to.

> 	

> 	This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely  

> for the

> 	addressee and may also be privileged or exempt from disclosure  

> under applicable

> 	law. If you are not the addressee, or have received this e-mail in  

> error, please

> 	notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system and do  

> not copy,

> 	disclose or otherwise act upon any part of this email or its  

> attachments.

> 	

> 	Internet communications are not guaranteed to be secure or virus- 

> free.

> 	Roehampton University does not accept responsibility for any loss  

> arising from

> 	unauthorised access to, or interference with, any Internet  

> communications by any

> 	third party, or from the transmission of any viruses.

> 	

> 	Any opinion or other information in this e-mail or its attachments  

> that does

> 	not relate to the business of Roehampton University is personal to  

> the sender

> 	and is not given or endorsed by Roehampton University.

> 	

> 	Roehampton University is a company limited by guarantee  

> incorporated in England

> 	under number 5161359. Registered Office: Grove House, Roehampton  

> Lane, London

> 	SW15 5PJ. An exempt charity.

> 	_______________________________________________

> 	game_edu mailing list

> 	game_edu at igda.org

> 	http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_edu

>

>

>

> <winmail.dat>_______________________________________________

> game_edu mailing list

> game_edu at igda.org

> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_edu




------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:38:14 +0000
From: <m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation
To: <game_edu at igda.org>
Message-ID:
	<D92C11BD665FAE42B287AC14ADBBF88BFFB4582CF1 at RUS-EXMBX-01.rus.roehampton.ac.uk>
	
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I agree with you, there's rarely enough time to cover everything, and that the main thing is that the game actually works. It's great that you guys do manage to talk about it even if it is briefly.

I suppose the best way (if there's no time) is to mention the issue just as an acknowledgement of where it should ideally be and what kind of adaptations/modifications a game might require, and the type of problems that may originate.

Localisation would be better placed in a final year or advanced project (when you can safely assume they know the basics), specially if your cohort of students is multilingual.

I am working on a little article for TIGA and ELSPA, with basic principles of good practice in game localisation, because they don't really have anything at all on it, which seems surprising since they often get 30-50% of their return from localised versions. But I think things will change as non-English markets keep on growing.

Anyway, if you want some info on game localisation, I'll be happy to help.

Kind regards

Miguel ?. Bernal-Merino
Lecturer in Media Translation
Roehampton University London
Roehampton Lane, Putney
SW15 5SZ
LONDON
Tel: (00 44) (0) 208 392 3799


From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org [game_edu-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Ian Schreiber [ai864 at yahoo.com]
Sent: 25 October 2008 02:13
To: IGDA Game Education Listserv
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Localisation


I actually do mention this in my classes (in the same category as saving/loading functionality and audio pipeline) as things that tend to get forgotten or neglected early on and end up being a serious pain to shoehorn in at the end if the team hasn't been on top of them for the entire time. My students go off to the industry fully aware that these are issues that their first project is likely to get burned on :)

In practical use for student projects, all three of these are difficult to fit in the schedule at all, simply because they are a bit of work and take time and focus away from the essential core gameplay. For student projects, just getting a single working game in their native language is challenge enough, and having multiple languages, the ability to save the game and having interactive audio are things that just aren't in the cards most of the time.

In a curriculum where students have the time to work on multiple projects and multiple teams (which is rare -- in many cases, students get maybe one or two shots at this), I could see the case for devoting one project slot to a "maintenance" class. The idea would be to take a working project from a previous project that a totally different group worked on, learn the code, refactor it, and add this kind of functionality. The benefit to students would be exposure to real-world tasks, as well as experience working with someone else's code (which it's extremely likely that they'll be doing in their first job).

- Ian

--- On Fri, 10/24/08, m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk <m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk> wrote:

From: m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk <m.bernal at roehampton.ac.uk>
Subject: [game_edu] Localisation
To: game_edu at igda.org
Date: Friday, October 24, 2008, 3:15 PM


Hello everybody,

I am glad to see that there is an important group here trying to improve
standards in education by suggesting curriculums, modules, topics and the
branching and pacing of the content delivered.

I would like to participate with modules/sessions on game internationalisation
and localisation. I believe this part of the globalised game industry is often
neglected in development and production, creating more problems than it should.
Just recently the issue with SCE "Little Big Planet".
A bit of planning and team awareness in time would eradicate such issues and
smooth out localisation, as well as save time and money in testing, etc.

What do you guys think?



Miguel ?. Bernal-Merino
Lecturer in Media Translation
Roehampton University London
Roehampton Lane, Putney
SW15 5SZ
LONDON
Tel: (00 44) (0) 208 392 3799

Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
need to.

This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the
addressee and may also be privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable
law. If you are not the addressee, or have received this e-mail in error, please
notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system and do not copy,
disclose or otherwise act upon any part of this email or its attachments.

Internet communications are not guaranteed to be secure or virus-free.
Roehampton University does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from
unauthorised access to, or interference with, any Internet communications by any
third party, or from the transmission of any viruses.

Any opinion or other information in this e-mail or its attachments that does
not relate to the business of Roehampton University is personal to the sender
and is not given or endorsed by Roehampton University.

Roehampton University is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in England
under number 5161359. Registered Office: Grove House, Roehampton Lane, London
SW15 5PJ. An exempt charity.
_______________________________________________
game_edu mailing list
game_edu at igda.org
http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_edu

Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.

This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the addressee and may also be privileged or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee, or have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete it from your system and do not copy, disclose or otherwise act upon any part of this email or its attachments.

Internet communications are not guaranteed to be secure or virus-free. Roehampton University does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from unauthorised access to, or interference with, any Internet communications by any third party, or from the transmission of any viruses.

Any opinion or other information in this e-mail or its attachments that does not relate to the business of Roehampton University is personal to the sender and is not given or endorsed by Roehampton University.

Roehampton University is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in England under number 5161359. Registered Office: Grove House, Roehampton Lane, London SW15 5PJ. An exempt charity.


------------------------------

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