Services

Game Familiarization

Where we live and breathe your game!

Hand over the keys to the kingdom!

All games go through a familiarization phase. Our gamer SMEs and translators review the game, play it, and read all of the supporting game collateral. Depending on the size of the game, this process can take anywhere from a few days up to a month.

It’s time to provide the keys to the kingdom! You wouldn’t expect a movie translator to localize a movie without at least watching the movie, would you? The same goes for games. Games require even more review time given the multiple stories and all of the possible variables. The time required for the translation team to know the ins & outs of the game is entirely dependent on the size and complexity of the game. Large MMORPGs generally require more time than mobile games. The familiarization stage presents a great opportunity to cross-check the games glossaries to ensure consistent and all-inclusive terminology. Prepare well at this stage, and the localization process will flow more smoothly. If the game is not yet created, plans, descriptions and all available content should be shared.

Game Localization

Where the real magic happens!

Process Customization

Our project processes are customized to suit the requirement and game, be it a blockbuster, mobile game, or MMO. No single project has the exact same requirements or components. Our flexibility and agile localization processes enable us to seamlessly integrate with our clients’ development and release schedules.

Games come in all shapes and sizes, with and without voiceover, sound FX and music. EQHO’s end-to-end games localization service center, complete with dedicated linguistics department, professional recording studios, engineering and multimedia lab, and testing facilities, enables us to set up the most complex games localization project processes to facilitate virtually any kind of production. As part of our extensive onboarding procedure, we evaluate our client’s processes and align them to our own to ensure that no stone is left unturned, so that we can not only meet the linguistic and cultural expectations of your target markets, but deliver a great product on or ahead of schedule.

Translation or Transcreation?

Games localization calls for something more sophisticated than just a standard translation. Our translators are avid gamers themselves, so they know what your audience wants. They adapt (rather than translate) the content while maintaining the same nuance. Our goal is always to enhance your game in your target languages and make gamers feel as if it was created in their native language from the get-go.

In games, a straight translation often won’t suffice. Transcreation picks up where translation and localization capabilities end, preserving the nuance of the original in a way that feels familiar and natural to the target audience. Experienced translators know that simply translating word-for-word can get in the way of delivering the intended meaning across cultures. Transcreation bridges that gap by having experienced transcreation professionals with backgrounds in linguistics, gaming and creative copywriting re-write parts of copy to feel more native and culturally aligned to the end user. In order to hit the ball out of the park, for every games project, we enlist the service of gamer SMEs.

Cultural Adaptation

We not only review and scrutinize every game we localize to ensure that it will steer clear of cultural sensitivities which could result in the game performing poorly, but also seek ways to push all of the right buttons of your target audience to help your game make the biggest splash humanly (or even super-humanly) possible.

When approaching culturalization, there are four major potential pitfalls to consider: history, beliefs, cultural/ethic friction, and geopolitical perspectives. Run afoul of any of these, and your game might well be banned from the most sensitive markets. Culturalization isn’t just about identifying potential conflicts – it can also be about finding opportunities. One approach to culturalization is simply to make the content understandable; another is to revise the game to avoid any potential conflicts with the target market; but the highest form of culturalization is that which makes the game content even more meaningful for players in the new location, possibly by including geography-specific elements. All game titles are pre-screened by a native culturalization specialist to identify any potential obstacles that should be addressed.

Translation Technology

The cutting-edge translation technology we have at our disposal, including terminology management software, translation memory and semi-automated QA applications enables us to produce high-quality projects, quickly. For large user-based content, Machine Translation and Post-editing technology solutions are available.

A number of key translation assets and tools are used throughout the process in order to maintain the highest quality. Translation Memories used in conjunction with translation tools enable us to build comprehensive databases of your translations, so that future game releases can be leveraged, improving consistency and speed while reducing cost. TermBases containing approved terminology translations are shared with translation teams to ensure consistent translations of key game terminology. Style Guides, created for each language, ensure that writing style and tone of voice are consistent throughout the game. QA tools detect and report inconsistent translations, terminology and spellings.

Languages

Our translators are located in-country all over the world, including throughout the BIG 6. Currently we translate, voice and test games in over 64 languages.

All translators undergo extensive testing using games content and are assessed by established games translators prior to being added to our translation department. For every project, the work of each translator is reviewed and edited by a gamer SME.

How we help

Whether you are looking to translate a blockbuster hit with over 200 voice artists, a rapid release mobile game, game launch assets or something entirely unique, we have all of your bases covered.

Transcription
Glossary development
Style guide development
Translation
Editing
Machine Translation
Machine Translation Post-editing
Transcreation
Familiarization
Culturalization
Localization
Internationalization
Graphics localization
Voiceover
Subtitles
Linguistic testing
Functional testing

Game Voiceover

Where we make sure your game sounds as good as it looks!

Processes

Our recording processes are some of the best you will find in the business. We work directly with the voice actors in our own professional in-house studios following tried and tested recording practices.

Localizing voiceover for games presents a unique set of challenges far removed from the challenges associated with recording basic narrations – from consistently maintaining voice style for characters and accents during long recording sessions to singing and smoothly reading hard to pronounce gaming terminology. To ensure a great final product, the key to success is in preparation and processes. All projects receive a casting director who develops the brief and hand picks and coaches the actors. Each project has pronunciation guides (written and audio), which are created through a collaborative effort between EQHO and the client. During the recording, the casting director and language monitors assess the performance and conformance to style and pronunciation guides, as well as liaise with client reviewers. A final LQA is conducted before signing-off the audio for integration.

In-house Studios

All games localization recordings are recorded right here in downtown Bangkok at our in-house recording studios, enabling us to maintain project control and quality. All studios are equipped with the latest high-end sound equipment.

One of our biggest assets are our company facilities. In addition to our engineering and multimedia labs; situated on the 20^th floor of Chartered Square are EQHO’s professional in-house recording studios. In-house studios enable us to maintain project ownership from end-to-end, even for the most sophisticated media-rich projects. Each studio is professionally soundproofed and has an adjoining control room equipped with high-end mixers, mics, the latest Macs and monitor speakers.

Casting Directors

Projects with voice parts are assigned to a casting director. The role of the casting director is not only to line up the best talents, but to coach them to get the ultimate performance.

Arguably, the most important person in this phase of the project, perhaps even more so than the actors themselves, is the casting director, who not only works closely with the client to find the most suitable voice actors for the project, but also works closely with the actors and engineers during the recordings to get the absolute best performance and sound possible. Additional responsibilities include ensuring that ambiguous and hard to pronounce terminology is clarified well in advance of the recording and added to the audio pronunciation guides.

Real Actors

We only work with professional voice actors who can meet the quality expectations of our clients. Only 5% of voice talents who apply to EQHO are accepted into our voiceover roster.

You wouldn’t willingly cast C-grade actors in your most beloved movie and then expect to take home an Academy Award – would you? The same goes for games. To ensure your game sounds as good as it looks, we provide A-grade native language voice actors, often with impressive commercial film portfolios. EQHO Games Localization provides professional game voiceover recordings in all major languages, specializing in Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Malay, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Of course, nobody understands the requirements of a game more than the game producer. To help cast the best suited actors, we provide a range of custom demos for clients to choose from.

Post-production & QA

Our in-house sound engineers and multimedia specialists edit and synch the audio so that it sounds amazing and matches the integrity of the original game.

As well as producing clean audio files devoid of all background noise, pops, and whistles, EQHO also offers a comprehensive range of post-production services, including voice and sound effects and music. Additionally, we are skilled at synchronizing audio timing to animations to ensure everything matches perfectly. A native language QA inspection of the final files completes the process.

Game Testing

Where we ensure perfect gaming experiences regardless of location or device!

Raising the bar

We recognize the importance for games producers to release flawless games with gameplay that matches that of the original conception and which works on all of the devices of your target markets. That’s why for every games localization project that we undertake at EQHO Games Localization we include an intensive testing process which includes testing by certified games testers.

Maintaining the reputation of your game and your company which you have spent years of your life building is a pretty big deal. The bar is forever being raised, and now more than ever, the game playing community expects an even greater user experience, not only in terms of the game-play itself but also in terms of a fully functional and complete end product in their native language. This is why game testing plays such a vital part in game development and publishing. What may only appear to be a minor issue in a game can quickly escalate into something major, particularly when it effects the operation of the game or takes away from the overall gaming experience; consequently issues or bugs found in games often go viral through the gaming community and inevitably hit games producers hard!

Asian Testing Network

Our combined network of local Asian language specialists and certified Asian testing partners means that we are able to set up testing for games of almost any scale.

EQHO Games Localization takes full advantage of its location in the heart of Southeast Asia, in a low-cost metropolitan city full of young, skilled multinationals. With three offices in Southeast Asian cities, we are able to assemble native in-house linguistic and functional testing teams in all Asian languages at short notice for projects of virtually any scale. Ideal for testing websites, software, multimedia and of course, games, EQHO’s Games Localization division, conveniently located in the heart of an inexpensive cosmopolitan city, enables us to provide effective native QA and testing solutions at competitive prices.

Linguistic Testing

We test localized games for a multitude of linguistic related and cultural issues to ensure that the language quality is perfect – text and audio, and the content hits the sweet spot of the gamers you are targeting.

There’s nothing more important in localization than testing a fully integrated product in its final output. Of course, testing and QA steps are in place as standard throughout all phases of the project, including translation and voiceover, but testing in the final output of the game, complete with screen animations, text and audio often yields a treasure trove of issues which are impossible to detect in isolation. Mismatches of on-screen text and audio transcripts, mistranslations, audio that doesn’t correlate to the on-screen graphics or animations and terminology inconsistencies, are just a few of the most common issues that can arise. As testing is performed by native speakers of the target market who are themselves GAMERS, linguistic testing also acts as a final safety net to prevent anything that is potentially culturally or politically sensitive going to market. As the last person to see and hear the text in the game before it is released, you can imagine, the tester plays a very important role in the game localization process.

Functional Testing

We test games for user experience (UX) related issues to ensure that the functionality and gameplay matches that of the original.

Functional testing is carried out by GAMERS to gauge the user-experience. With the bar being constantly raised, and new games companies arriving to compete in the market daily, delivering a final product devoid of bugs is crucial. Introduce tight deadlines, complex game software, multi-device launches, combined with the need to launch a fun product, thorough functional testing for all games types, big or small, is essential. Some of the most common functional issues associated with games include crashes and hangs, game play issues, that may prevent the user from advancing in the game; graphics issues such as resolution, size or clipping; text and audio issues, such as formatting, line breaking and font corruptions through to incorrect text or synchronization problems.

Security

Games testing is conducted in secure testing labs located in Southeast Asia. Private testing labs, secure keycard entry systems, CCTV, and encryption technology ensure that client asset security is maintained.

IAP Testing

As part of our thorough testing procedure, local IAP testing can be provided in iOS, Android and Windows.