Video Games Translation - How to translate game menus

While translating an options menu doesn’t seem too complicated at first glance, there are a few things we have to take into account before we start. First of all, there are some countries that have adapted certain words that aren’t normally translated into their language. These words are usually somewhat technical terms that for some reason or another have found their way into the vernacular.

Let’s use an example. The word “Interlaced” was sometimes included as an option early in video games history. While we don’t want to get too technical here, it’s simply a feature that doubles the perceived framerate of video. When games were localized into Spanish, this option was literally translated to “Entrelazado”, while the rest of the more technical sounding options remained mysteriously untouched.

The reason is that the word was already in use in Spain by the time, originating in a marketing campaign for some long forgotten domestic video gear, so the term was just common enough for people to have some idea of what it was and not sound completely alien. The rest of the countries? They got the original “Interlaced” option.

It’s not an unforgivable mistake to leave the word in the original language though, even if there is a local translation of an odd word. It’s one of those areas in which non-translation is somewhat accepted, but if you do your research and get it right, it’s a nice touch that will be appreciated.

Another thing to take into account before starting is the amount of options and sliders in a 3D game versus a 2D game. While there are exceptions to this rule, generally speaking, 3D games will have far more options. They tend to be more demanding, and have many more tools to tailor performance to a particular computer, a good number of them which have to be translated.

While you’re at it, check the number of customizable keybinds. Some games use only a couple of keys at most, while others make use of virtually the whole keyboard, including Alt and Shift modifiers. All this can significantly alter the time it takes to do the job, and should be taken into account beforehand.

Coming soon

For the final installment, we’re going to touch upon common mistakes and things to avoid when translating video games. Stay tuned!