The Nature of Multimedia Localization

What is multimedia software? For the purposes of this article, let us define it as a program that contains text, artwork (static backgrounds, animations and/or movies), recorded dialogue, sound effects, music and interactive content. At least that is my definition for it today. It is a constantly changing field, with new complexities being added on a seemingly daily basis, as fast as programmers can provide the code to bring to life the visions of the creative development team.

Why is the localization effort for this type of software so complex? Apps-based software has been on the localization scene for years, and why should multimedia be any more difficult? They share some of the same challenges, certainly. Both have to run on a variety of platforms in a plethora of languages. Both have to make sure that the way the product is presented is pleasing to and easily understood by a variety of cultures speaking an array of languages. I believe that the complexity of multimedia localization stems from the number and variety of assets that are contained in the product, coupled with the fact that many of the products are geared towards children and young adults.

While the basis of localization is text translation, that step has become the simplest and easiest of the tasks involved. To translate "school bus" is relatively easy. Now, envision a school bus. Does it have a horn? What does it sound like? What color is the bus? Time's up! You could have answered that last one with a variety of colors, depending on your country of origin.

Now, assume that your crack development team has produced a ten-second animation of a yellow school bus picking up children on their way to school, complete with a merrily tooting horn, at a cost of several thousand dollars for animation, music, sound effects and coding. That animation will work in the US, but the children in Sweden might be confused because they would expect to be picked up by a bus of another color, or maybe the horn sounds different, or maybe there is no horn. Maybe the very idea of a school bus is wrong.

If your localization department is on its toes it will have questioned that creative choice before it ever went into production. It would then have found an even more creative way around the problem that did not call for re-animating the bus to make sure that the color was accurate for the target country and/or re-recording sound effects. To look at it from a different viewpoint, envision an end user seeing an animation of children at a birthday party, and hearing the song "Happy Birthday" in the background. In the US, no problem (other than paying the royalty for the song - it's NOT in the public domain). However, will children from other countries recognize that as a song commonly sung while celebrating a birthday? Probably not, so it should probably not be used.

The list goes on... and on... and on. Every piece of music or art, every sound effect - in short, every asset in the project - has to be scrutinized to make sure either that it is in the lexicon of the global village or that it can be easily and cheaply changed to make it culturally correct. Furthermore, the rights to use that music, art, effect, installation method, etc. have to be ascertained before their use in an international market. And all of this happens (or should happen) before the first line of code is written.

However, I'm getting ahead of myself. How do you decide whether or not a product is going to be localized?

Deciding on Localization

At Disney Interactive, the decision whether or not to localize a product starts with the Regional Managers identifying the product as one that will have appeal to their market. Many times that decision is made solely on the basis of a product concept document. Assuming that the answer is affirmative, the next step rests with the International Production Manager. He/she decides if a product is localizable by ascertaining which parts of it will need to be changed for each target country, and then developing a budget and timetable for submission to Senior Management, Finance, International Marketing and Regional Management. At this juncture, the final decision is made as to whether the product will be localized, and what specific languages will be targeted. Is ROI (return on investment) the only criterion used in making this decision? For Disney Interactive, the answer is "not necessarily". Other factors such as early market penetration and brand name awareness also play a significant role.

Planning Localization

So, you have decided to localize a product. When do you begin planning the localization for your software product? All too often the planning does not even begin until the domestic product ships. It should begin, however, when the product is in the initial concept phase, and continue throughout the domestic production phase. The earlier the localization manager is made a member of the domestic creative and production teams, the better the end product. The manager needs sufficient time to confer with all the various artists, engineers, regional marketing and legal staffs to make sure that the product can be quickly, inexpensively and legally produced for the foreign marketplace.

Some of the questions that will have to be asked and answered before you embark on the project include: Who is involved in the project and how will you interface with them? Who has the decision-making authority? What is the budget? Does it include marketing and legal costs? What is the production timeline? When does the product have to be on the shelves in order to maximize the marketing window? Will you utilize in-country review? (If so, at what stages will this review take place: after translation, after recording, or at Alpha testing?) Who will test product functionality, translation accuracy and the correctness of cultural content? On which platforms will it be tested? What machine configurations are envisaged (especially if the product is marked for use in an OEM contract)? Will the OEM machine targeted be available for testing before the product ships, and if so when? What will you do if it is not available? Finally, will this product show an ROI, or is market penetration the key decision making factor?

Choosing a Partner

OK - so far, so good. You have decided to localize a product, you have answered all the questions, and you might even see a nice ROI. Are you going to do it alone? What do you know about the color of school buses in Sweden? The sound of a siren in Italy? The challenges of Japanese NEC computers? Unless you have a fair amount of experience, or knowledgeable in-country partners, you should run, not walk, to your nearest localization vendor. These come in a variety of packages, so how do you pick the one that's right for you and your multimedia project?

I do not have a single answer for that. There is no one solution that resolves all of the issues neatly. The multimedia localization field is too new for any company to have all of the answers down pat… yet. However, I can give an overview of what I would look for as a basic minimum.

First of all, find a company who will act as a localization partner. This means that:

1. they are thoroughly conversant with software localization. Just because a company has translated manuals or packaging successfully does not mean that it understands the ramifications of localizing software. And that it is ready, willing, and able to listen to your special needs. In other words, is it flexible in the face of changing specifications? It is almost guaranteed that - no matter how well prepared you are - if you are creating a localized version of the product in anywhere near the same time frame as the domestic version, the scope of the project will change after the localization project has been started. The domestic version will change.
2. the firm is solvent, and is not about to undergo restructuring or a merger. The worst scenario would be one that had the company you chose going bankrupt mid-project, or the management team totally changing. Don't laugh - it happens, especially in today's marketplace.
3. they have proven project management skills. A recent article in this Newsletter stated that the number one reason why projects fail is poor project management, and I could not agree more.
4. they have proven in-house localization engineering skills, if required. Ask to be walked through a recent project, and have them point out any re-engineering that was necessary.. and why!
5. they have a proven technical glossary which ensures that their technical translations use terms which are currently in vogue. Yes, the UK spells the word 'programme' with "mme" at the end, but not when talking about a computer program.
6. they have a good Quality Assurance program. Such programs have a multitude of faces, but make sure, at base level, that translations are being performed by "mother-tongue" translators who regularly spend time in their home country and culture. Also ensure that the translation is edited by a separate individual from the one actually translating. Finally, find out if their testing facilities include machines and operating systems common to the targeted country.
7. they are able to follow directions and communicate effectively. Ask to see correspondence from a recent project, and check with that client (if appropriate), whether the communication level was satisfactory.
8. they have low and consistent prices. Many companies will win bids by giving you an initial low quote, and then ratchet the price up on successive projects. The quote can even increase on the same project by the vendor adding extra, "unforeseen" costs because the project went "out of the original scope". Of course, that does not mean that there are not legitimate reasons why a cost overrun can occur - there are. However, make sure that they are legitimate reasons.
9. they have a post-mortem process in place so that they (or you)can correct any problems that arise during the project. You will not want to stumble over the same problems in the next one.
10. they have a point person available to you at all times. Yes, day and night! If they are based in a different time zone, this is doubly important. In many instances, projects change scope rapidly. What happens if they are recording tomorrow in Germany, and the script has been totally rewritten by the creative team, but you only find out about it at 5 p.m. California time?

Does that cover everything? No! It would take a book (or several), to fully discuss all of the ramifications of the multimedia software localization industry. But I hope that I have at least given you a broad overview. However, as the saying goes, "God is in the details". How well you foresee those details and how well you manage the fallout from those you do not foresee will portend your future in this ever-changing industry.

Looking Ahead

That takes care of the present day, but what about the future? As the domestic marketplace reaches saturation level, it is only natural that companies will look to the overseas market in order to expand. As computers become commonplace in the global village, more languages will be added to the our current common 10. Poland looks as if it will soon be a potential customer, along with several other emerging European and Asian markets. With the advent of DVD technology, the sheer amount of data needed to be localized will be exponentially increased.

Concurrently (and forever), new technologies will emerge that will enable the development team to do it "faster, better, prettier", which means that our industry has to stay ahead of the pack in order to prosper. As the ROI for localized product increases, more companies will join the "early adopters" and compete for the same limited software dollar, driving prices down and the demand for faster, easier, cheaper localization up.

Finally, the era of the "Mom and Pop software shop" looks to be giving way to acquisitions by larger, more economically stable companies. Generally, it's a fascinating time for the localization industry. It's not for the faint of heart, but those willing to learn and grow will stand a good chance of being the next industry leader. Maybe it'll be you!