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LOCALIZATION > Game

Game localization is the process of translating entertainment software products (i.e. video games) from one language/culture to another. English tends to be the pivot language, (independently of what the development language was). Many games nowadays are simultaneously released in English and at least four other languages: French, Italian, German, Spanish (generally abbreviated as FIGS).

As the international demand for video games rises, successful titles depend on their adaptation to various cultures and languages in a slightly different way from other audiovisual creations such as films. Semiotics play a great part on this adaptation since the function of signs and symbols in natural languages can be significantly different from one culture to another, differences that extend from the syntactic layer of communication, to the semantic and the pragmatic one. Additionally, it may entail the change of dialogue and plot elements to better suit the country's audience. A naive joke in one language can be an offence in the other if simply translated. Therefore close cooperation between the localizers and game developers is desired.