Welcome back to our Developer Update series!
This week, we’re breaking down how one feature alone can help to ensure that our next playtest is more accessible than ever before.
We sat down with Mike, Narrative Designer at Cathedral Studios, to learn more:
What is Localization?
In simple terms, localization is the act of translating our game to support our international gamers' local languages. There is more to it than that, of course; not everything can be perfectly translated! But that is the top-level concept: to ensure that players in regions where English is not their first language are just as able to play and enjoy The Bornless as anyone else.
Why is Localization so important?
Inclusion and accessibility are incredibly important to us at Cathedral Studios. Localization goes beyond simply translating words 1:1, as that can lead to some seriously janky translations! What we try to do is adapt the phrasing and sentences to suit the language we're translating into—that way, we're able to communicate the same concepts and ideas without key information getting lost in translation (pun absolutely intended).
How are we implementing Localization in The Bornless?
As a small studio, we must recognize our strengths and our talents. We have a number of team members who speak various languages (French, Spanish, Danish, Serbian, to name but a few) whom we can lean on to sense-check and QA test some of our localization. For other languages, we'll need to rely on consultants who can plug the gaps in our knowledge.
How do we decide which languages to prioritize?
Until we have the resources to localize The Bornless into every language possible, we do have to be somewhat selective, unfortunately. How we decide really comes down to data: Which global regions have the most native speakers? Which countries have high populations of gamers? By strategically targeting those communities, at least initially, we should be able to reach the highest number of players and ensure that playing our game is as frictionless as possible!
#StayUnholy
- The Bornless Team 🖤
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