In today’s episode, we’ll discuss the present and future of video game accessibility as well as some best practices for addressing challenges and making digital content accessible to users with disabilities.
In this episode, our hosts discuss the most recent initiatives to foster inclusion in video games. But what does inclusion actually mean in this environment? Is it just about adding non-binary characters, or do companies need to take a stance?
Speaking strange languages and living in foreign lands was the dream for Hugo Miranda, after living in his small home country of Costa Rica. After living abroad in both the US and Taiwan, Hugo’s passion for linguistics and bilingualism grew, leading him to work in the video game localization industry, giving him opportunities to share his passion for language with future generations.
Working on a game with tons of content like Disco Elysium requires solid reference materials and systems in place to ensure consistency throughout the localization process. For Ivan Lopes, having passionate fans and methods to get direct player feedback is also vital in a big video game localization project. In this episode of Open World, our guest shares his experience working on the localization of Disco Elysium in Brazilian Portuguese and how his background prepared him for this challenge.
Creating the world inside a video game requires thoughtful and intentional considerations of cultural elements– from character design and outfits to symbols and architecture. Culturalization expert and geopolitical strategist, Kate Edwards joins Open World this week to share insight and guidance for effectively navigating video game culturalization. She highlights the importance of allegories for bridging real-world culture and video game fantasies and the need for greater active cultural awareness.
Ever thought about how you’d go about making virtual reality accessible? Where would you put the subtitles? What about audiovisual components? Belén Agulló García, this week’s guest, shares her experience working on the Immersive Accessibility Project (ImAc) in Europe as part of her PhD, aimed at bringing accessibility to virtual environments and multimedia. As VP of the new eLearning platform launched by Nimdzi Insights, she also gives us an inside look at this new avenue for localization and translation industry knowledge and information.
Maintaining a bird’s eye view of the localization industry is critical in being a strong translator and understanding the full localization process and global strategy of your company. Guest Marina Ilari gives her advice on being new to video game localization, with tips for joining professional associations and continuing your specialization in Episode 2 of Open World. Our hosts also share a ‘LocFact’ on the 2020 game, ‘Genshin Impact’ and memes about building PCs and what it’s like being a gamer during the pandemic.
There is an inherent privilege that comes with being a native English speaker, and it’s clear that there is a need for greater inclusivity in the gaming industry. In Episode 1 of Open World on MultiLingual TV, hosts Florencia Fole, Loretta Mulberry and Alexis Biro open with a ‘LocFact’ about transcreation, and how this comes into play with the humorous content in ‘The Curse of Monkey Island’. For the interview portion of this episode, they welcome guest Rami Ismail, an independent indie game developer. To close out the episode, the Open World team shares some gamer memes with Rami.