What it takes to be a translator for Square Enix

About this episode

In this episode, Paula, the English localization lead at Square Enix, discusses her journey in the localization industry and shares insights on game translation and her experiences with iconic titles.

Meet Paula, English localization lead at Square Enix in Japan. She sits down to talk to us about how she broke into the localization industry, misconceptions about game translation, what it was like to work on titles like Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana, and how she got the chance to sing for Final Fantasy XIV.--0:00 Intro0:45 Meet Paula2:11 Teaching on the JET Programme9:45 Start in localization industry14:25 Misconceptions about game localization22:37 Challenges in localization25:53 How long does localization take?27:30 Naming consistency31:42 Gaming as work vs. hobby33:15 Context when translating34:22 Translating Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters42:31 How big is the localization team?43:41 Fan reaction45:53 Other big projects at Square Enix48:31 Localization process between games49:52 Changing industry51:29 Singing/voice acting for Final Fantasy59:56 Voice director for Visions of Mana1:02:00 How to be a good translator1:04:44 Upcoming projects1:06:32 More localization misconceptions--Square Enix:https://www.square-enix.com/Follow…

People in this episode

Guest: Paula

Topics covered

• localization industry
• game translation
• Final Fantasy
• Secret of Mana
• challenges in localization
• misconceptions about localization
• voice acting

Keywords

• localization
• game translation
• Final Fantasy
• Square Enix
• voice acting
• JET Programme
• misconceptions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Square Enix, ZenStudio, ZenGroup

Books & works: Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters

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