RuneScape Forum Archive | Japanese pitch

yumburger

Posts: 5 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Greetings.

I just want to pitch my idea and I am pretty confident that this is the most appropriate email, among your list. I want to translate Runescape to Japanese so that the Japanese can play, Runescape as well. They hire translators to translate their games to English, at the request of their fans. So, why can't I translate Runecape to Japanese so Runescape may be made available to them? The other reason why I want to translate this game to Japanese is because I want them to become more fluent in the English language (vice versa). They can become more fluent by hopping to english worlds (whenever they feel ready). A lot of players have learned to communicate in english by playing Runescape. I don't really have any JLPT2 or JLPT1 proficiency, yet (due to the pandemic) but, I've recently became confident with my Japanese and I 'm pretty confident that I can make decent translations. So, I'm just going to shoot my shot... I guess.

Thank you.

IMAGES:

15-Sep-2021 03:57:00 - Last edited on 15-Sep-2021 04:59:33 by yumburger

Oct

2017

Corder

Posts: 27,892 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Nice idea. I believe Jagex hires their own localisation employees though!
I would edit out the email by the way, as it's likely you'll only receive spam by posting it here

Life is like a camera: Just focus on what's important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things don't work out, take another shot !

15-Sep-2021 04:06:57

yumburger

Posts: 5 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Thanks, Corder.

15-Sep-2021 04:26:57

Dec

2011

Archaeox

Posts: 53,399 Emerald Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

As a professional translator myself, I can tell you the following:

- Jagex's translations are all done in-house. They are not farmed out to agencies or freelancers. This ensures consistency and accuracy across all versions of the game.

- It is a fundamental fact, universally acknowledged in the profession, that the best translations are done by native speakers of the target language. If you are not a native Japanese speaker, your grasp of the language is extremely unlikely to yield the quality required by an international company for a project of this kind.

- Translation of a game like this requires not only knowing the words, but also knowing the legislative requirements of the country that is being targeted (for example: in Brazil, games may not promote alcohol use). This is the difference betweem translation and localisation ; the latter is what is required.

- The need for localisation rather than just translation is also one of the reasons why machine translation is not an acceptable route for a professional company to take.

- There is a VAST corpus of material that would need to be translated? It's well beyond the point where any single individual could be expected to provide a full translation in a reasonable timespan, even working full time... and even if there weren't new pieces of content being added all the time.

In short, this is not a good idea for you or for Jagex. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

~~~~ Just another victim of the ambient morality ~~~~

~~ Founder of the Caped Carousers quest cape clan ~~

!! Slava Ukraini - heroyam slava !!

15-Sep-2021 06:36:53

yumburger

Posts: 5 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Fair enough. Still, I won't take this thread down. I will still give it a shot. Also, you're not aware of my speed. I would like to apologize as well. I love this game. It may be large but it doesn't mean that localising the whole game is impossible.

15-Sep-2021 07:42:15

2_Tron

Posts: 22,959 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

yumburger said :

Greetings.

I just want to pitch my idea and I am pretty confident that this is the most appropriate email, among your list. I want to translate Runescape to Japanese so that the Japanese can play, Runescape as well. They hire translators to translate their games to English, at the request of their fans. So, why can't I translate Runecape to Japanese so Runescape may be made available to them? The other reason why I want to translate this game to Japanese is because I want them to become more fluent in the English language (vice versa). They can become more fluent by hopping to english worlds (whenever they feel ready).

A lot of players have learned to communicate in english by playing Runescape.

I don't really have any JLPT2 or JLPT1 proficiency, yet (due to the pandemic) but, I've recently became confident with my Japanese and I 'm pretty confident that I can make decent translations. So, I'm just going to shoot my shot... I guess.

Thank you.

IMAGES:

Really learning fluent english the best thing to do is meeting english people in real life and speak with them about a lot of things.

15-Sep-2021 08:24:59

Dec

2011

Archaeox

Posts: 53,399 Emerald Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

yumburger said :
Also, you're not aware of my speed.
With over 25 years as a translation professional, I think I'm pretty good at estimating what's possible in terms of time. And remember - the faster you go, the more mistakes you make, the less accurate/complete your termbase is, and so on.

yumburger said :
It may be large but it doesn't mean that localising the whole game is impossible.
Of course it's possible. It's been done into several languages already. It's just not possible within a reasonable time frame for a single person working externally, unless you want to make huge sacrifices in quality.

Lastly, please remember:
Knowing two languages does not make you a translator, any more than having two hands makes you a pianist.

~~~~ Just another victim of the ambient morality ~~~~

~~ Founder of the Caped Carousers quest cape clan ~~

!! Slava Ukraini - heroyam slava !!

15-Sep-2021 08:46:30 - Last edited on 15-Sep-2021 08:48:40 by Archaeox

GhostlyBard

Posts: 4,332 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Have to agree with Archaeox a little bit here. I think it’s more likely that companies would hire their own localisation teams, that way if a mistake does get made there’s someone else their to hopefully catch it.

No more “All your base are belong to us” translations.

That said if you feel really strongly about doing this, I don’t see why you couldn’t, maybe do a fan translation of a full quest then try presenting that to someone relevant at Jagex. Check out Thieves guild layout redesign. Happy ‘scaping

15-Sep-2021 09:54:30

yumburger

Posts: 5 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

@silvercloud He may be arrogant, but the points he discussed made a lot of sense. After all, he has 25 years of experience. From the sentences that he has constructed, it shows. Thank you for the encouragement, though.

16-Sep-2021 03:25:23

Dec

2023

Kopaka

Posts: 3,578 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

I don't agree that it is arrogant to take credit for expertise which you possess.

It is definitely arrogant if somebody falsely assumes ability which they don't have.

And it can be arrogant if, even though you do have ability, you feel the need to show off or put others down.

While Archaeox may have taken a bit of an assumption when he said, 'just because you know two languages doesn't make you a translator', you did say in your opening post that you do not have JLPT2 or JLPT1, so by your own admission, you are someone who knows Japanese and English, not a translator.

16-Sep-2021 18:43:18

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Japanese pitch