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The Game Localization Handbook, Second Edition

Author(s): Heather Maxwell Chandler, Founder and Executive Producer, Media Sunshine, Inc.
Stephanie O'Malley Deming
Details:
  • ISBN-13: 9780763795931
  • Paperback    376 pages      © 2012
Price: International Sales $51.95 US List
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Overview

Part of the New Foundations of Game Development Series!

As games become more popular in international markets, developers and publishers are looking for ways to quickly localize their games in order to capitalize on these markets. Authored by two internationally known experts in game localization, The Game Localization Handbook, Second Edition provides information on how to localize software for games, whether they are developed for the PC, console, or other platforms. It includes advice, interviews, and case studies from industry professionals, as well as practical information on pre-production, production, translation, and testing of localized SKUs.

Written for producers, translators, development personnel, studio management, publishers, students, and anyone involved directly or indirectly with the production of localized games, this single-reference handbook provides insightful guidelines to all the tasks involved for planning and executing successful localizations.

Preview sample chapters now!  Look under the Samples tab below to preview chapter 1 and chapter 4.

An Image Bank and PowerPoint® lecture slides are now available for download for qualifying instructors under the Resources tab below.

ShowKey Features

  • Authored by two internationally recognized experts in the field of game localization
  • Concentrates on software localization specifically for all major platforms in the game industry
  • Provides a detailed plan for developing and executing localized game SKUs
  • Emphasizes localizations for European and Asian languages
  • Offers advice from industry professionals on how to achieve localization-friendly development and uses real-world case studies to illustrate

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ShowTable of Contents

Section  1  Defining Localizations
  Chapter  1  General Overview of Localization
  Chapter  2  Culturalization of Game Content
  Chapter  3  Software Ratings
Section  2  Planning Localizations
  Chapter  4  Determining What to Localize
  Chapter  5  Budgeting, Scheduling, and Staffing
  Chapter  6  Working with Localization Vendors
  Chapter  7  Working with Translators
Section  3  Producing Localizations
  Chapter  8  Creating Localization-Friendly Code
  Chapter  9  Organizing Assets for Translation
  Chapter  10  Tools Overview
  Chapter  11  Integrating Translated Assets
  Chapter  12  Testing and Releasing Localized Builds
Section  4  Concluding Localizations
  Chapter  13  Marketing
  Chapter  14  Localization Kits
Section  5  Localization Lessons
  Chapter  15  Localization Pitfalls
  Chapter  16  Fable 2 Case Study
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ShowAbout the Author(s)

Heather Maxwell Chandler-Founder and Executive Producer, Media Sunshine, Inc.

Heather Maxwell Chandler is a veteran game producer with experience at Activision, EA, and Ubisoft. She's also the founder of Media Sunshine, Inc., (www.mediasunshine.com) a company that provides game production contract services to developers, publishers, and vendors. She has contributed to the production of Apocalypse, Civilization: Call to Power, Heavy Gear 2, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, and eight games in the Ghost Recon series. She's the author of The Game Production Handbook, Second Edition and Fundamentals of Game Development, also part of the Foundations of Game Development Series.

Additional Titles by this Author

Stephanie O'Malley Deming

Stephanie O’Malley Deming is a software development producer, consultant and operations executive with more than 15 years of experience in worldwide, award-winning, educational and entertainment products for companies including Activision, EA, LucasArts, Capcom, and 2K Games. She specializes in localizations and has successfully sim-shipped hundreds of language versions of high profile titles including the Guitar Hero™ series, the Call of Duty® series, League of Legends among many others. Stephanie founded XLOC (www.xloc.com), a company that offers web-based applications for easy localization management, and works as a production consultant for interactive game companies.

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ShowReviews

  • The Game Localization Handbook has been and remains a valuable reference for anyone involved in the video game localization industry and to those who wish to come on board. In offering a comprehensive, well-organized and in-depth guide to video game localization, this book has managed to bring together the key ingredients of international teams and people, tools and technologies, along with methods and processes in order to help professionals confront change, complexity and fragmentation. Since advancements in technology and ways of doing things are recognized to be growth triggers in highly innovative sectors, The Game Localization Handbook is a must-have collection of guidelines and best practices.

    -Gianna Tarquini
    Freelance translator and a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Bologna.
    MultiLingual, vol. 22, issue 6, September 2011

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ShowSamples & Additional Resources

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ShowResources

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