This workshop aims to gain concrete insights into video game translation in a structural, asset-oriented and comparative approach (i.e. in relation to established localisation and AVT strategies). Before translation proper, the first aim is to frame the main linguistic/structural features of the main video game assets, in order to familiarise the participants with the sui generis textual forms that a game translator tackles in his/her everyday professional experience.

The first step is to show practical examples of the following assets and identify cooperatively the most relevant features and textual functions:

• game manual
• artwork
• onscreen text
• cinematics/in-game dialogues

In fact, each type of asset shows sui generis features and needs to be examined separately, since the resulting translation constraints and strategies will emerge consistently, in line with the functional approach to translation.

The second step is to shift the attention towards translation constraints, with the aid of semiotization devices. The participants will be required to translate the proposed English examples of the onscreen text (reviewed versions are available in French, Italian, German and Spanish).  In the discussion of emerging translation problems and strategies, some will be explained with reference to the utility software localisation framework (space constraints, variables, terminology compliance), while the typical problems due to decontextualisation and ambiguity will be tackled analysing paratextual hints and resorting to audiovisual references developed for training purposes.

A similar procedure will be implemented in the translation and discussion of the dialogue examples. Some of the most common AVT constraints in dubbing and subtitling (time, sync, concision, suppression) come down to space constraints in game translation (the number of characters for each cell) both for dubbing and subtitling, since the same list of lines is used for post-synchronisation and subtitles - these therefore turn out to be full scripted renditions of dialogues. After checking the proof-read versions of the script (available in the FIGS locales) the participants will also be provided with the final dialogues in context, in their final multimodal versions, and will thus be able to compare the major changes operated during the subsequent phases of synchronisation and testing.

The resort to screenshots and clips of the final versions of games for training purposes is a new aid and is aimed at overcoming one of the major hinders in the training of game translators: the gap between decontextualised linguistic scripts and the multimodal/interactive nature of the medium. The rationale of the practical tasks is the concept of constrained translation, and the typical constraints imposed by the video game medium are investigated by comparison with the major constraints of film translation and utility software localisation.

This workshop is the result of a three-year empirical study on video game translation, based on the comparative analysis of about 12 video game scripts (mainly source/pivot English into French and Italian), aimed at identifying recurrent translation issues and strategies. It also stems from a four-year hands-on experience of the author as a game tester and translator.