Generations and Game Localization: An Interview with Alexander O. Smith, Steven Anderson and Matthew Alt

This interview with localizers Alexander O. Smith, Steven Anderson, and Matthew Alt, conducted for the 2009 Eludamos journal, examines the workflow, challenges, and creative judgment involved in translating video games from Japanese into English. Its central argument is that game localization is a demanding, non-linear discipline in which translators must work closely with developers, quality assurance teams, and corporate publishers. The panelists draw on concrete professional experience, including Smith's Al Bhed cipher in Final Fantasy X and his work on Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII, to illustrate how branching scripts and procedural solutions shape the translation process.

The discussion identifies insufficient or poorly organized source material, non-standard file formats, and tight character limits as the principal obstacles to quality localization, while well-structured source text makes translation considerably easier. Voice scripts emerge as especially labor-intensive: in Final Fantasy XII, roughly 7 percent of the text consumed nine months of work, compared with six months for the remaining 93 percent. The translators describe scripts being converted into spreadsheets for side-by-side translation and voice recording, and they note that ideal conditions, including a playable build, glossaries, and familiarization time, are often absent in practice.

Beyond logistics, the interview addresses the creative and ethical dimensions of localization. Cultural and humor adaptation is typically achieved by reimagining characters and rewriting dialogue rather than altering visuals, and translators must balance faithfulness to the source against audience sensitivity, particularly regarding adult content, where publishers ultimately make rating and marketing decisions. The panelists anticipate that improving organization of Japanese development pipelines and growing convergence between Asian and Western development practices will ease these challenges over time.