Game localization is one of these disciplines that generally get noticed by media and gamers only when things go wrong. A quick online search will return tons of examples of bad game translations, sometimes hilarious. However, you will have trouble…
The Potential Benefits of a Standard File Format for Video Game Localization
For translators, game localization comes in all flavors. All developers seem to have their own way to present strings they need us to translate. While Excel files are common, their organization can greatly vary from a client to another. Some…
I have no problem with MT, but PEMT still doesn’t work for me
My previous post on Post-Editing Machine Translation (PEMT), generated more reactions that I would have thought. Some were positive, some less. More specifically, some perceived my text as a rejection of Machine Translation (MT) and its recent progress as a…
Another Example of SDL’s Terrible Support (Trados Studio 2015 Thread on Proz)
I already mentioned what I thought of SDL’s support in my short review of Trados Studio 2014. Whenever you ask for a bug fix or a feature that seems slightly beyond the reach of the developers, the conversation soon turns…
Free eBook recommendation: The Bright Side of Freelance Translation
I just found out about quite a nice eBook for freelance translators: The Bright Side of Freelance Translation. Freelancers’ fora are typically full of complaints and laments: low rates, clients late with payment, unreliable tools, communication issues and the lot.…
What’s a Good Game Translation Anyway
If you are interested in game localization in general, you have probably read one of the numerous articles about poor/farcical translations. As in many industries, you only seem to hear about translators when they screw up. As frustrating as it…
Why Some Professional Translators Occasionally Work At Low Rates, And Why I Don’t
I used to be very surprised to see very capable and apparently successful translators occasionally accept working at rates most of us would consider very low, if not ridiculous. After talking to such professionals, I came to realize that it…
I Don’t Offer Machine Translation Post-Editing Services, Here Is Why
Update: I believe this post was misunderstood by some as a pamphlet against MT and post-editing altogether. Here, I am only referring to projects meant for publication (=commercial purpose) and for which customers ask a discount for simply using MT.…
SDL Trados Studio 2014 Review
Here is my short review of SDL Trados 2014. It is aimed at translators who already have a good understanding of what CAT tools are and how they work. Going over each and every feature of SDL Trados Studio 2014…
Translators: 7 Ways to Boost your Productivity with AutoHotkey
Productivity is a hot topic in the translation industry. As many of us are paid per word, it is in our interest to produce translations faster, with no compromise on the final quality. While there is not much we can…