Localization is an essential part of many AAA games, such as Blizzard’s recently released Diablo 2: Resurrected. Unfortunately, the internet has an abundance of videos and articles listing and dissecting failures in localization, and no developer wants to be responsible for the next “All your base are belong to us.” As such, one might expect competent translators to get proper recognition for their important work.
However, that’s not always the case in AAA gaming, and translators are rarely listed directly in a game’s credits. Blizzard recently faced criticism for continuing this practice with Diablo 2: Resurrected.
The criticism was shared on social media by the Twitter account for Gameloc Gathering, an international group of localizers and translators in the gaming industry. At first, this might sound like an unusual accusation. After all, big-budget games often have sections in their credits dedicated to localization. In this regard, Diablo 2: Resurrected is no exception. However, looking closely reveals an odd phenomenon. While foreign language voice actors often get their names in the credits, the translator credits are usually just a list of companies. Again, this is also true of Diablo 2: Resurrected, which is the source of the criticism.
When localizing Diablo 2: Resurrected, Blizzard contracted out to firms that specialize in translation. These firms then subcontract out to freelance translators to do the actual work. While there’s nothing wrong with these practices, in theory, it leads to the firms getting credit but not the translators. But, again, this is not a problem unique to Blizzard or Diablo 2: Resurrected, as many AAA studios have a similar practice.
However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a problem or that the criticisms of Blizzard are unwarranted. As the Washington Post brought up in May, exclusion from the credits can be detrimental to those pursuing careers in the game industry. Lack of official recognition can make it difficult to prove someone worked on a game, which is of particular concern for freelance contractors. That group includes most translators, as well as several other subcontractors. According to the Washington Post article, omission from the credits often stems from the perception that subcontractors are not important enough to the game’s development. That may be even more true for translators, whose work often goes unappreciated regardless of medium.
In fairness, Blizzard and other AAA developers are not the only ones deserving of blame. Outsourcing companies often don’t provide developers the names of freelance contractors. The bright side is that some studios make a point of crediting translators and other freelance development personnel. Unfortunately, those studios are still the exception, especially in the AAA game industry.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: The Washington Post