Source: https://pt.scribd.com/document/265008417/14-ricardoferraz
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 10:42:33+00:00

Document:
Revista Nintendo Blast nº 66.
world such as the film and the music industries in terms of revenue and popularity.
from the perspective of a video game player.
Keywords: Video Games; translation; localization; video game localization in Brazil.
apresentaram como uma tecnologia de grande potencial e com um futuro promissor.
Master’s degree student in Translation Studies at the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil.
utilizada e exibida na tela sob o ponto de vista de um jogador de videogames.
Palavras-chave: Videogames; tradução; localização; localização de jogos no Brasil.
West. This marked the beginning of the era called the Cold War."
which meant that everyone was able to play it without major complications. in addition to demonstrating the potential of the video game technology (BERNAL MERINO 2006). and which allowed players to control the movement of the ball through two control boxes connected to the analog computer (LAMBERT 2008. NOWAK 2008). – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Higinbotham was thinking of alternatives of how to make the visits to Brookhaven more pleasant for the public. Thus. São Paulo. Higinbotham introduced the public to Tennis For Two.usp. Steve Russell and his staff at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology presented Spacewar!. which is considered by many as the first video game in history2 (LAMBERT 2008.uspnet. Actually. The game had a concept which combined simplicity and fun. Four years later. With the help of the engineer Robert Dvorak. Notwithstanding. novembro/2012. Nonetheless. and its commands were easy to learn. or video. Pong soon 2 The question regarding which is the first video game in history is quite controversial. Pong (ATARI 1972) is commonly seen as the first game to be directed to a broader audience. After thoroughly examining the instruction manual for one of the analog computers. Higinbotham managed to project on the oscilloscope an interactive experience which simulated a tennis game with a lateral perspective. NOWAK 2008). Spacewar! was far beyond a mere pastime for visitors to a laboratory. On October 18. 19. although there are claims that other games came before Tennis For Two. it would introduce and establish some of the canons which can still be observed in modern video gaming (BARTON & LOGUIDICE 2009b). a game which simulated a battle between two spaceships while traveling in outer space. NOWAK 2008).292 Souza. with a formula intended to make the player's task as easy as possible. he realized that the very same technology used to calculate and simulate the trajectory of missiles or bullets could also be utilized to create some sort of interactive game. Spacewar! was a revolutionary game inasmuch as. F. capable of entertaining the public during the visit (LAMBERT 2008.vitis. and incorporate what would become the three essentials of a video game: a computer connected to a graphical display and handheld controller" (NOWAK 2008). R. TradTerm. p.br . V. v. it is commonly believed that "Higinbotham's design was the first to feature moving graphics. in 1962. video games would have to wait for a decade to leave the laboratories and reach the masses. 289-326 http://tradterm. Unlike Tennis For Two.
V. but especially to move away from the prevailing paradigm at the time and introduce innovative ideas. which is why the game is usually considered to be that which turned video games from a laboratory experience into a promising industry (DISCOVERY CHANNEL 2007). 289-326 http://tradterm. R. and could now explore the environment by advancing from the left to the right of the screen. The charismatic Mario (from Donkey Kong) was back to save the princess. when Nintendo began to TradTerm. more interesting narrative elements. From then on. Pac-Man (NAMCO 1980). 19. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil became a resounding success. although Pong's formula was exhaustively copied.usp. games like Space Invaders (TAITO 1978). these games planted the seeds that would contribute decisively to shaping video games as we know them today. and Donkey Kong (NINTENDO 1981) were of fundamental importance. In this regard. the player was introduced to an innovative style of game to which he/she was not accustomed to up until then. but this time. This perception was accentuated during the late 1980's and early 1990's. By introducing charismatic characters. with the world being unveiled as he/she progressed (DISCOVERY CHANNEL 2007). providing a more challenging.br . The physiognomy of the characters also improved and seemed more convincing than in previous years. In the following years. The player was no longer confined to a fixed screen. varied and fun game experience. novembro/2012. v. made Super Mario Bros. turning the "simple" task of saving the princess into an epic journey. it was necessary to combine technological evolution with a good story and a more balanced level of difficulty. not only to help to place Japan at the forefront of the video game industry (along with the United States). and more compelling soundtracks and effects. and contributed to make Nintendo into the leading company on the video game market.293 Souza. full of dangers and adventures. a huge success worldwide. it was noticed that the concept of simplicity popularized by Pong no longer sufficed to make a game attractive. São Paulo. in a totally different way.vitis. And the scenery and enemies were more diversified. As a matter of fact. All this. p. (NINTENDO 1985). F. enriched by a striking soundtrack. some developers were working on new ideas which could help them perfect it.uspnet. The result of this process can be better observed in Super Mario Bros.
V. p. F.vitis. approximating them even more to those seen in the movies or in the literature. R. when an "intruder" in the dispute between Sega and Nintendo would take the decisive step to lead the industry to a new level. video games are one of the most powerful and profitable industries in the entertainment world.9 billion by 2013 (UOL JOGOS 2010).usp. After all. it can be said that it was in the Playstation era that video games reached their point of maturity. novembro/2012. Narratives became much richer and denser. By maintaining this pace. On account of the fierce competition. São Paulo. when they were finally able to break away from the label of "children’s toy" to become established as a serious and professional industry. It is also one of the fastest growing worldwide: with the increase in the number of platforms available and with a wide range of games of the most varied kinds.br . causing the bond between the player and the game to be no longer just visual. which caused the quality of their games to rise considerably. Estimates project that the video game industry sales might reach an annual growth rate of 18. However. both companies were obliged to search for alternatives to make their products more interesting. But that would change in 1994. Final Fantasy VII (SQUARE 1997) and Metal Gear Solid (KONAMI 1998) are considered true masterpieces. video games have gained an increasingly larger and more diverse consumer audience. Nowadays. the games became more sophisticated and compelling. 289-326 http://tradterm. genres and levels of complexity. for dealing with the narrative from a much more adult and profound perspective. Games like Resident Evil (CAPCOM 1996). video games have what it takes to become consolidated not only as a TradTerm. with a potential global revenue of US$ 64.7 percent. Thus. v. among other reasons.uspnet. With more storage capacity provided by CDs (in comparison to the traditional cartridges) and the possibility of inserting more realistic graphics. but also emotional.294 Souza. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil have the competition of Sega in an intense dispute for the hegemony of the video game market. video games were still seen as "children's stuff" and many did not take them seriously. 19. the technological and conceptual innovations introduced by Sony Playstation allowed a much more mature approach.
295 Souza. for developers. Some translations were so “unique” that they ended up becoming hilarious. the games often presented very simple mechanics and somewhat rustic graphics.usp. the name whereby this "process of localization" is known today. V. effort and money in improving the technology. But not all was a bed of roses: this time it was the localization process which proved too primitive. The History of Video Game Localization In the first decade of the existence of video games. the technology. and which immortalized sentences like "Congraturation. was still in its infancy. a good number of the games to be released thereafter would be available in a Japanese version. Thank you" (Ghosts 'n TradTerm. F.br . The scarcity of in-game linguistic content also caused video game localization to be put on the backburner. and the positive impact that it had on the sales of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). 289-326 http://tradterm. 2. 19. Yet this scenario began to change from the mid-1980's. novembro/2012. p. aimed at the local audience.uspnet.vitis. This is probably due to the technological limitations of the time. whose knowledge both of English and of translation techniques and theory was quite limited. destined for the North American and international audience. which frustrated any attempt to develop something more complex. São Paulo. This was the birth of Engrish. v. This story is happy end. With an increasing amount of in-game linguistic content. R. Many companies used non-native translators. their primary concern was to invest their time. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil global and multibillion industry but also as one of the leading forms of entertainment in the twenty-first century. For this reason. the role played by video game localization was practically null. especially that of North America. many Japanese companies saw in the video game localization a chance to expand their business into other markets. and a localized English version. During these years. although promising. Encouraged by the success of Super Mario Bros.
if developers and publishers wanted to make their games global. NINTENDO 1986). This notion can be better understood by examining the images below: TradTerm.uspnet. v. V. which consequently improved the quality of the translations (ACTIVE GAMING MEDIA 2010). they would have to provide an impeccable localization service. 19. Nonetheless. This kind of practice gradually ended. German or Spanish. p. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Goblins. with a very strict process of quality control. That was the case of the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version of Fifa International Soccer (ELECTRONIC ARTS 1993). which offered the option of playing the game in English. video game localization has become a very professional service.vitis. but also linguistic ones. Nowadays. in short.br . F. the turning point for video game localization would only come in the mid-1990's (BERNAL MERINO 2006): as the games became more complex and presented new features (such as oral dialogues). novembro/2012. French. The concept of "localization" goes far beyond a mere linguistic transfer. obliging companies to offer not only technological improvements. Thus. began to receive versions in other languages (ACTIVE GAMING MEDIA 2010). 289-326 http://tradterm. CAPCOM 1986) or "A winner is you" (Pro Wrestling. all the local specificities that make a determined geographical region unique in relation to others. in particular those with a bigger popular appeal and/or sales potential. The industry began to have a wider perception of the importance of video game localization. linguistic and numerical conventions (SCHOLAND 2002). especially during the transition from the 8bit to the 16-bit era in the early 1990's.usp. culture. São Paulo. the players became far more demanding. R. it involves a series of other variables like history. customs. This period also marked the end of "bilingualism" in the consoles: many games.296 Souza.
one aspect already stands out: date conventions. V. F. The brief of the localiser is to produce a version that will allow the players to experience the game as if it were originally developed in their own language and to provide enjoyment equivalent to that felt by the players of the original version (MANGIRON & O’HAGAN 2006). Departamento de Justiça. p. São Paulo. the date needed to be adapted from the convention used in American English (mm/dd/yy) to that utilized in Brazilian Portuguese (dd/mm/yy). Titles and Qualification). keeping the ‘look and feel’ of the original. 4 TradTerm.br .vitis. 289-326 http://tradterm. A poor translation might simply ruin gameplay experience by diverting the player's main focus from the game to the translation. which causes his/her job to be of fundamental importance for the success of the localized version. Image 2: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty TV commercial (Brazil). the translator’s main goal is to grant gameplay experience.uspnet. Finally. v. R. Rating. Another key point for a successful localization resides in what Mangiron and O’Hagan call "gameplay experience": The main priority of game localisation is to preserve the gameplay experience for the target players. At first glance. A good example of this can be seen in Call of Duty: Modern 3 Entertainment Software Rating Board.usp. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Image 1: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty TV commercial (United States).297 Souza. 19. Classificação. These are images from the TV commercials of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (BLIZZARD 2010) in both the American and Brazilian versions. with the excerpt All Rights Reserved being translated by its equivalent in Portuguese Todos os direitos reservados. As seen above. the linguistic content was also localized. In this case. Títulos e Qualificação (Department of Justice. Another element of localization found in the images is the presence of the respective regulatory bodies: the symbol of the American body ESRB3 was replaced by the Brazilian body DJCTQ4. along with their respective age ratings for both North American and Brazilian audiences. novembro/2012.
must serve as a faithful reproduction of the speech. and consequently. A different approach is also required when translating the various kinds of linguistic contents present in a game. as each has its own characteristics. V.usp. the sentence was mistranslated as Kill them. wherein the leader of a terrorist group orders his subordinates not to speak Russian. v. As there is a strict limit on the number of characters to be used. translators must know about the different types of video game genres. It is also important to be familiar with each game’s genre terminology and conventions. Japanese players were very unhappy about it. they are translating experience (O’HAGAN 2007).vitis.298 Souza. different kinds of textual genres must be applied in the translation: while the dubbing. They are Russian (UOL JOGOS 2009). First. In this regard. During the Japanese localization. not exceed the permitted number of characters. the User Interface requires a clear and concise language. Essential Facts About The Computer and Video Game TradTerm. novembro/2012.uspnet. and. An RPG cannot be translated the same way as an action game. idiosyncrasies. insofar as each one of them requires a different approach. translators must be fully aware of their target audience. But most of all. for example. translators must choose words very carefully. at the same time. 19. One final aspect refers to a very common characteristic of video game localization: space constraints. 289-326 http://tradterm. Therefore. p. with many claiming they would rather buy the original English version or not buy it at all. Due to the extensive material to be translated and their distinct purposes (BERNAL MERINO 2007). R. not only to respect space constraints but also to convey and preserve the idea of the original.br . One of the missions in the game is called No Russian. translators must be extremely careful. there are also a number of aspects to consider when localizing a video game. Obviously. F. São Paulo. As for the linguistic content. because they are not just translating a language. translators must be very creative in order to successfully capture the same message from the original. which may range from literary language to more technical and specific terms (DIETZ 2007). its own kind of language. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Warfare 2 (ACTIVISION/INFINITY WARD 2009) and its respective localization into Japanese. In this regard.
19. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Industry shows some interesting facts about the gamers' profile. Because linguistic content was practically non-existent. V. whereas a significant 29 percent belongs to the 50+ years. This popularity was only possible thanks to the strategy Tec Toy adopted: besides distributing the games officially in Brazil. manuals and. With reference to their average age. novembro/2012. the "children’s age group". Video Game Localization in Brazil Although the first games to offer localized content date from the 1980's6. 289-326 http://tradterm. v. translators must always bear in mind that video game localization is an adult service aimed at an adult audience. that under 18 years old. both seeking to expand their business around the world. Sega Master System was officially released in Brazil in 1989 and was an instant success.299 Souza. namely. Therefore. let us examine some of the localized games that were officially distributed at that time: 5 Entertainment Software Association. Sega signed a partnership with Brazilian company Tec Toy so as to have its products commercialized in Brazil. in certain cases. it shows a very different result from what many people usually think: 53 percent of the players are in the 18-49 age group. the localization process basically consisted of translating the titles. F. In search for markets unexplored by the rival Nintendo (SUZUKI 2009). When Odyssey 2 was released in Brazil. accounts for only 18 percent of gamers (ESA5 2011: 2).usp. São Paulo. p. and mistakes like those seen during the Engrish era are no longer accepted or tolerated. Thus. 6 TradTerm. R. boxes. there was fierce competition between Sega and Nintendo. Phillips decided to commercialize the games with their respective titles in Portuguese.vitis. some games came into Brazilian Portuguese in fully localized versions. Because it is an extremely fruitful period for video game localization in Brazil.uspnet. the golden age for video game localization in Brazil is undoubtedly the early 1990’s. 3.br . the characters. As seen previously.
300 Souza.br .jpg) The advertisement above shows that Tec Toy’s strategy to popularize the game was exactly to explore the language and the genre issues. which is why many players say that it was the first game they ever had. 19.com. is of special importance to video game localization in Brazil as it was one of the first console games to be localized into Brazilian Portuguese. v. as one of the first games to be localized into Brazilian Portuguese. in addition to being a decisive factor for many players to buy the game. also helped boost and consolidate RPGs as a genre that should be taken seriously and which. V. (Source:http://gazetadealgol. p. just like the other genres. and the extensive marketing campaign adopted by Tec Toy helped popularize the game. F. São Paulo. translation played a key role in the game’s success. Moreover. the translation. released in Brazil in 1991. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil  Phantasy Star (SEGA 1987) Sega’s RPG Phantasy Star.usp. R. 289-326 http://tradterm. novembro/2012. Finally. The message in the black box on the right makes it clear: TradTerm.vitis. could very well provide fun. because RPGs were still not widely known to the Brazilian audience.uspnet. Phantasy Star gained attention from the media. Image 3: Tec Toy's Advertisement for Phantasy Star.br/_media/diversos/scans/scanps1_propaganda. As can be inferred.
the message appeals to something even stronger: the game has subtitles in Portuguese. F. In effect. The TradTerm. it emphasizes the duration of the game: RPGs are commonly longer than games from other genres. Now. São Paulo. but it also represented a great challenge for the people involved in the localization process. R. Due to technical limitations. p. One of the antagonists' names has a quite curious particularity: Dāku Farusu (ダークファルス) is apparently an allusion to the English term Dark Force. has subtitles in Portuguese and a villain who thinks you are nothing. Odin and Noah respectively. Games are no longer "outsiders". the challenges had already begun when localizing the game from Japanese into English. v.uspnet. for this reason.vitis. which had certain implications for the names of some characters.br . he/she will be entertained for at least three months. The message tries to emphasize that the player is before something completely different to everything he/she has ever seen.usp. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil This game lasts for three months. The only one to keep its original name intact was Myau (ミャウ). he/she has the opportunity to fully understand and enjoy a game. V. the names of the protagonists could not exceed four characters ("Gagá" ROB 2009: 19). The process of localization for the western market had to go through certain adaptations. now. the game and the player "speak the same language". novembro/2012. Consequently. since the reality of the game has been brought within his/her reach. Tairon (タイロン) and Rutsu (ルツ) became Alis. First. 19. This is enough to arouse the player’s interest in buying the game for a simple reason: most games released in Brazil at the time came in other languages (especially English).301 Souza. the player will not come across something that he/she may play for a week and then simply put it away. requiring a good deal of effort and creativity by the translators ("Gagá" ROB 2009: 27). Arisa (アリサ). The localization of Phantasy Star was indeed a great achievement. Then. 289-326 http://tradterm.
Hence. The commands Start and Continue were translated as Inicia and Continua respectively. p. the verbs should be in their infinitive forms Iniciar and Continuar. for most people. 19. the names of the protagonists. weapons. Image 4: Phantasy Star’s start menu (English version). other enemies and locations were unchanged7. the items. Probably due to 7 One exception is the planet Dezoris. which. TradTerm. antagonists.302 Souza. These are Phantasy Star’s start menus from both English and Portuguese versions. V.usp. the name Dark Phallus exceeded the eight character-limit for antagonists' names.vitis. Luckily. which was of great help for the complete understanding of the plot. and was renamed as Dark Falz ("GAGÁ" ROB 2009: 19). But what most drew the attention of the Brazilian audience was the translation of the menus and especially the dialogues. The localization of the Portuguese version was probably based on the English version. The first traces of the difficulties faced by the translators can already be seen here. Image 5: Phantasy Star’s start menu (Portuguese version).uspnet. On the other hand. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil problem is that one of the possible translations of the word Farusu (ファルス) is Phallus. R. São Paulo. v. and magic spells were translated and/or adapted to the appropriate context. F. novembro/2012. which was changed by the shortened form Dezóri. 289-326 http://tradterm. Let us now go over some of the strategies used during Phantasy Star’s localization process. is not an appropriate name. If analyzed by modern standards and by the way menus are usually translated into Portuguese.br .
But this was not feasible for two reasons: the first is the absence of certain accented letters from the Portuguese language (as will be seen in the next paragraph). Translation is not the problem here. novembro/2012. given that the original idea was successfully preserved. Image 6: Fragment from Phantasy Star’s Intro (English version).vitis. V. this was not an option. the translators must have been limited to use only the TradTerm. v.uspnet.usp. For this reason.303 Souza. since the presence or absence of the acute accent above the I would change the meaning and the pronunciation of the word: Início [i'nisju] is a noun whose equivalents in English are Start/Beginning. São Paulo. 289-326 http://tradterm. Image 7: Fragment from Phantasy Star’s Intro (Portuguese version). F. R. 19.br . As the game was probably localized based in the English version. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil space constraints. whereas Inicio [ini'siw] is the first person singular in the present tense which means I start/I begin. which would cause the word to have three extra characters. This could cause some confusion. What the images show us is another common challenge faced by Phantasy Star’s translators and by translators in general during those years: the absence of accented letters from the Portuguese language. on the contrary. the decision to translate Start and Continue as Inicia and Continua (both in their imperative forms) seemed fortunate. p. the sentence is clear and the original idea was accurately reproduced. such as Í. and the second is that the conversion of Start into the noun Início would imply in the conversion of Continue into the noun Continuação ("Continuation" in English). Another possibility could be to translate Start as Início.
It did not harm the full comprehension of the sentence as the context helped to elucidate any possible ambiguities. the character À represents an orthographic difference in relation to A. As a result. Thus. C and Ç also represent two different phonemes: /k/ (preceding a. this could have caused problems.304 Souza. if not contextualized. R. by the way it is written above. as is the case of Ç (c-cedilla) or accented vowels. the word destruição [destruj'sɐ w10]. São Paulo. as twelve accented letters are missing: Á/ À/ Ã/ Â/ É/ Ê/ Í/ Ó/ Ô/ Õ/ Ú/ Ç. whose equivalent in English is the. the presence or not of the accent is determinant. realization not found in any variant of Portuguese. the correct would be Está [es'ta8]. 19. Without the acute accent. 289-326 http://tradterm. as for the 8 Other possible realizations of the word "Está" were not considered. while Ã indicates a nasalized sound. becomes destruicao [destruj'kaw]. But in a different context. which is an ungrammatical construction. 9 TradTerm. the difference is that of sound. The expression a destruicao also highlights the absence of three other important characters: À. With reference to the latter two. A refers to the feminine definite article. 10 Other possible realizations of the word "Destruição" were not considered.uspnet. o and u) and /s/ (preceding the same previous vowels) respectively. as they are both pronounced /a/ (although sometimes À might be pronounced as a long vowel and A as a short one). This happens because the character A may refer both to an article and a preposition. they may change the meaning of the word. Other possible realizations of the word "Esta" were not considered. In the sentence above. represented by the phoneme /ɐ/. In the former case. the word becomes Esta ['εsta9]. the excerpt Lassic está conduzindo ("Lassic is leading") would turn into Lassic esta conduzindo ("Lassic this leading"). Therefore. novembro/2012. V. v. whose translation would be this. The character Ã represents a variant sound of the letter A. On the other hand. And they do not merely alter pronunciation. in some cases.usp. whereas A denotes an oral realization which leads to the phoneme /a/ (except preceding nasalized consonants like m or n). Take the word Esta as an example: as well as Início and Inicio.vitis. Ã and Ç. characters which are non-existent in English. which is the equivalent of is in Portuguese. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil existing characters in the English language. p. F. could not be used.br .
305 Souza. Although aspects like graphics and gameplay were kept intact. the correct form would be à destruição. having in the preposition to its main equivalent in English. Released in 1991. if intended to reproduce the idea to (the) destruction. When both article and preposition need to be used in the same sentence. a very popular and charismatic Brazilian comic character. but also to be coherent with the comics. Thus. R. Phantasy Star was a pioneer in Brazil. Mônica has an inseparable friend: TradTerm. As anyone who reads her stories probably knows. 1998-2007). in order to avoid repetition. the term a destruição can only be used if it merely refers to the destruction.vitis. novembro/2012. p. the protagonist was changed: a neutral Wonder Boy was replaced by Mônica. São Paulo. 19. the game was adapted from Wonder Boy in Monster Land (SEGA 1988).  Mônica no Castelo do Dragão (TEC TOY 1991) While Phantasy Star was basically a "translation". they were able to convey the necessary game experience to offer the player a high degree of entertainment. v. 289-326 http://tradterm.usp. This way. given that a cultural element that everyone was familiar with was added to the plot.br . as it opened a whole new range of opportunities for video game localization in the country.uspnet. much of the game was changed. The protagonist’s main weapon was also modified not only to adapt to the Brazilian audience. V. they merge into À. Mônica no Castelo do Dragão ("Monica in the Dragon’s Castle") contained more elements of localization. escute! Lassic está conduzindo nosso mundo à destruição! Although these hurdles may have made the translators’ job more difficult. This decision was responsible for creating a higher level of identification between the player and the game. F. Actually. A denotes a preposition which indicates "direction in space" (MICHAELIS. Initially. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil latter. the correct form of the sentence would be (including the missing characters): Alis.
289-326 http://tradterm. V. 19. Capitão Feio ("Captain Ugly"). These are the status screens. the character’s health (represented by the word Life) and the amount of money earned (represented by the word Gold). Image 9: Mônica no Castelo do Dragão’s Status Screen. used in its plural form Moedas. he is no longer the main villain. which show some of the collectible items the player can obtain throughout the game.uspnet. a very well-known character in Mônica’s comic stories. Consequently. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Sansão ("Sansom"). The latter two were not translated and were kept as it is in the original. p.vitis. v. São Paulo. which she uses not only as a toy. while in Mônica no Castelo do Dragão. Another interesting fact concerns the antagonist. However. but also as a way to punish some of her friends.br . being just mentioned as the evil mind behind the plot. Image 8: Wonder Boy in Monster Land’s Status Screen. In Wonder Boy in Monster Land. the main antagonist is a dragon named Meka. All of Mônica’s enemies (even Cospe-Fogo) act on Capitão Feio’s behalf. he does not appear in the game. the same dragon is renamed to Cospe-Fogo ("Spitfire"). Even though Capitão Feio is presented as the main antagonist. F. R. the decision to replace Wonder Boy’s swords (his main weapons) by Sansão was natural. who often torment her. The most used and appropriate word for the case in question would be Moeda ("Coin"). novembro/2012. given that its respective translation Ouro has the same number of characters. But it would TradTerm.usp. but a powerful ally of the new antagonist. her blue stuffed bunny.306 Souza. The decision not to translate the word Gold was possibly based on usage.
her main weapon is a stuffed bunny (Sansão). F.br . even when she defeats the bosses and "gains" Wonder Boy’s swords. which will follow her during the entire journey. the chances of failing are considerable. p. its equivalent in Portuguese. it might have caused some misunderstandings. some items were translated literally. respectively) to the bunny every time Mônica defeats a boss and receives a sword. the player can visit the various shops spread around the game to buy items.uspnet. there are certain aspects that should be mentioned. TradTerm. v. was not possible. Each one contributes to strengthen the character and increase his/her "firepower". a slight change was also necessary on the status screen to make it consistent with the changes made. As discussed previously. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil probably stumble on space constraints: Moedas would exceed Gold by two characters. São Paulo. Throughout the game.307 Souza. allowing Mônica to inflict greater damage on her enemies. This also grants him the opportunity to upgrade his equipment and get stronger weapons. When this takes place. As for Mônica. Although Vida. The solution for this problem was to apply a level of strength (Fraco/ Médio/ Forte/ Super/ Híper . since Vida admits two different interpretations: it may refer to the character’s health (as is the case) or to the number of lives the character is entitled. 19. In regard to the remaining items. the bunny’s level of strength increases. As a result. the word Life was not translated either.usp. if not well equipped. As the weapon changes. which. As for the other items. 289-326 http://tradterm. novembro/2012. as seen above. And because Gold was not translated. As for the translation. he/she will face stronger enemies. has the same number of characters. as the character advances in the game. To solve this problem. R. but most were changed to fit Mônica's stories.vitis. including the bosses (the dragon’s henchmen) in order to advance to the next stage. boots and magic spells. Wonder Boy has to defeat numerous enemies. the weapons were altered to suit the Brazilian audience. which are basically four: armor. and. it is displayed on the status screen. V. shields.Weak/ Average/ Strong/ Super/ Hyper.
V. In the Portuguese version. For example. 289-326 http://tradterm.vitis. São Paulo. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Table 1 Armor/Armadura Boots/Botas Wonder Boy Mônica Wonder Boy Mônica Light Armor Armadura Simples Cloth Boots Botas de Pano Heavy Armor Armadura de Bronze Leather Boots Botas de Couro Knight Armor Armadura Especial Ceramic Boots Botas Especiais Hard Armor Armadura de Aço Legend Boots Botas Mágicas Legend Armor Armadura Diamante Wing Boots Botas Voadoras Shields/Escudos Weapons & Magic Spells/Armas & Magias Wonder Boy Mônica Wonder Boy Mônica Light Shield Escudo Simples Bombs Bombas de Limpeza Knight Shield Escudo de Ferro Tornado Rodamoinho Mágico Hard Shield Escudo de Aço Fire Ball Detergente Legend Shield Escudo Diamante Thunder Flash Raio Limpo It is possible to observe that the English version privileges the use of military terms.308 Souza. the terms are related to a more imaginary world. The same applies to Heavy Armor and Knight Armor. these terms were "neutralized". v.br . F. Escudo de Ferro ("Iron Shield") and Escudo TradTerm. In the Portuguese version. which approximates Wonder Boy to the Ancient and Middle Ages. 19. giving preference to the kind of material with which the equipment was made. It becomes evident when we compare some of the terms. the term Light Armor became Armadura Simples ("Simple Armor") in the Portuguese version. p. novembro/2012. Light Armor is a very specific term. R.usp. especially for armor and shields. Armadura de Aço ("Steel Armor"). which refers to the equipment utilized by soldiers belonging to the heavy infantry and cavalry respectively. which is justifiable given that Mônica’s stories are directed to children. as is the case of Armadura de Bronze ("Bronze Armor"). used to identify the kind of armor worn by a light infantryman.uspnet. insofar as the name of many items derive from those used by the armies of those times.
uspnet. Although the word Legend may refer to something imaginary. commonly seen in fantasy literature. Thus. 289-326 http://tradterm. v. As an example. V. 19. which was translated as Rodamoinho Mágico ("Magic Whirlwind"). which were renamed so as to make them verisimilar to Mônica and Capitão Feio’s stories. which can also be linked to the world of fantasy. a character who is marked by his relation to dirt and filth. The only term that did not follow the pattern above is Tornado. It is important to recall that Mônica’s main antagonist in the game is Capitão Feio. In contrast. Bombs became Bombas de Limpeza ("Cleanliness Bombs"). there are various terms in the Portuguese version that suggest a world of magic and dreams. it was chosen not to translate it literally. For this reason.usp. and Thunder Flash was changed into Raio Limpo ("Clean Thunderbolt").309 Souza. Mônica must have tools which are capable of countering his "dirty powers". The substitution of the English word Ceramic by the Portuguese word Especial gave a more abstract sense to the boots. São Paulo. Therefore. changing Botas de Cerâmica into Botas Especiais ("Special Boots"). – Video game localization: the case of Brazil de Aço ("Steel Shield"). which suppressed any element of "reality". we can take the terms Ceramic Boots and Legend Boots. one can say that Pelé is a soccer legend. In the former case. p. Fire Ball turned into Detergente ("Detergent"). This led to some sort of adaptation of the names of her weapons and magic spells.vitis. let us focus on the weapons and magic spells. we are not talking about an imaginary person but a real one. F. giving the term a more imaginary sense. R. Finally. it was decided to replace Botas Lendárias (the equivalent in Portuguese of Legend Boots) by Botas Mágicas ("Magic Boots").br . it may also refer to something or someone real. For example. One last aspect about Mônica no Castelo do Dragão can be seen in the images below: TradTerm. novembro/2012. The same occurs with regard to Legend Boots.
R. The problem resides in the translation of the excerpt Come Again: the literal translation would be Venha Novamente. What occurs is that Vote is the imperative form of the verb Votar ("To Vote"). the sentence Come Again With Some Money was translated as Vote Quando Tiver Algum Ouro. Although the game was very well translated. The solution for this problem was to use the verb Voltar ("To Come Back") in its imperative form Volte. F. turning Volte ['vɔwtʃi11] into Vote ['vɔtʃi12]. which was obviously rejected due to the excessive number of characters. TradTerm. São Paulo.vitis. it is extremely important to be attentive to all the details that touch on the translation process. instead of Volte Quando Tiver Algum Ouro ("Come Back When You Have Some Gold") the sentence became Vote Quando Tiver Algum Ouro ("Vote When You Have Some Gold"). novembro/2012. 11 12 Other possible realizations of the word "Volte" were not considered. v. p. Therefore. 19. And.310 Souza. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Image 10: One of the item shops in Wonder Boy in Monster Land. But the letter L was not inserted in the word. Other possible realizations of the word "Vote" were not considered. since Vote Quando Tiver Algum Ouro could indicate some kind of obscure political relationship or something of that sort. As seen above. an important detail cannot go unnoticed: the absence of one letter can change the entire meaning of a sentence. V.br . Hence. this could have caused problems. 289-326 http://tradterm.uspnet.usp. in order to prevent something like this from happening. even though the context prevents any kind of misinterpretation (this sentence only appears when the player has no money to buy the items). Image 11: One of the item shops in Mônica no Castelo do Dragão.
whose total could inflate the final price of a game by up to 80 percent. There was great expectation and all the predictions were the most optimistic possible. whoever wanted to buy the original console and/or games had to import them. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Even with all the problems and limitations. V. especially in the consoles. although the latter had to compete with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).311 Souza. causing a boost in piracy and discouraging many companies from investing in Brazil. the early 1990’s was the most productive period for video game localization in Brazil. However. the tax burden was somewhat lower than in the consoles. And the next generation of consoles was on the verge of being released. though. However. for a game or console to be legally imported in Brazil. as we all know.vitis.usp. It can be said that PC games were the responsible for the "survival" of video game localization in Brazil.uspnet. which allowed more competitive prices and reasonable sales numbers. R. It even caused a curious situation: despite having never released Playstation officially in the country. It obviously caused a serious damage to the Brazilian market. novembro/2012. the importer had to pay an array of taxes. v. F. Due to the lack of the official products in the country. the cost of manufacturing and large-scale production of pirated games fell dramatically. but from the mid-1990’s it grew enormously. or. Sony became the absolute leader in the Brazilian market. TradTerm. Sega Master System and its successor Sega Genesis/Mega Drive were extremely successful in Brazil. Even though piracy also affected them. Not all was lost. things change. 19. With the transition from cartridges to CDs. After Sony Playstation's release. For this reason. the consequences for video game localization were inevitable: the number of games localized into Brazilian Portuguese declined considerably. São Paulo. and finding them was not an easy task. 289-326 http://tradterm. in the case of the consoles. by more than 100 percent (EDGE 2010). and. exposing two problems that have plagued the local market and which contributed decisively to its marginalization: piracy and the tax burden. some multiplatform games had their PC versions localized into Portuguese and were officially marketed in Brazil. the video game sector in Brazil went through an intense downturn.br . p. Piracy has always been a problem in Brazil.
São Paulo. The alphabet was also completely adapted to the reality of the language.usp. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil  Max Payne (REMEDY ENTERTAINMENT /3DREALMS/GATHERING OF DEVELOPERS 2001) Distributed and marketed in Brazil by Greenleaf. novembro/2012. instead of the non-existent Opcoes [op'koes]. 19. This "flexibility" made possible the employment of 13 Other possible realizations of the word "Opções" were not considered. It already becomes evident when examining the installation menu: Table 2 Installation Menu Menu de Instalação Play Jogar Uninstall Desinstalar Re-install Max Payne Re-instalar Max Payne View Readme Ver o Leia-me Max-Fx Tools Ferramentas Max-Fx About Sobre Browse CD Contents Pesquisar o Conteúdo do CD Exit Sair Here. when compared to past generations. even those which were absent in Phantasy Star. Max Payne was released in Brazil in December.br . R.312 Souza. F. 289-326 http://tradterm. 2001.uspnet. This is what allowed the term Options to be translated into its equivalent Opções [op'sõjs13]. V. the menu is much more adjusted to the linguistic conventions of the Portuguese language. enabling the use of all of its characters. Another important aspect is that. insofar as the prevalence of infinitive verbs denotes a much more natural way of reproducing a menu in Portuguese. v. Due to the technological advances. Max Payne's process of localization may be considered a bit less "thorny" than Phantasy Star's. in a version fully adapted to the Brazilian audience. space constraints became a bit more "generous". p.vitis. TradTerm.
In these situations. For its part. V. the use of the enclisis is required. with a special emphasis on the performance of the protagonist (carried out by Brazilian actor Mauro Castro). whereas Pega ele/Pegue ele (literally "Get he") would be considered ungrammatical. particularly in imperative affirmative sentences. R.vitis. The term ênclise pronominal is defined as: The placement of the personal object pronoun after the verb (MICHAELIS 1998-2007). 289-326 http://tradterm. For this reason. The main example in this regard is the sentence Browse CD Contents. F. serving as a faithful reproduction of what was being said. whereas the cutscenes (presented as parts of a graphic novel) were both dubbed and subtitled. With reference to the audiovisual content. ensuring a greater fidelity to the original text. p. Normative grammar says that it is incorrect to start a sentence with an object pronoun. the dubbing of the in-game dialogues fulfills its role. construction which used twenty-six characters (with spaces). But grammar is not the only element that constitutes a language.313 Souza. The subtitling did not show changes in respect to the dubbing. constructions like Tell me are supposed to be translated as Diz(e)-me/Diga-me instead of Me diz/Me diga. Before analyzing the linguistic issues in the game. both dubbing and subtitling were present in the game: in-game dialogues were dubbed. inasmuch as the sentences must always obey the sequence "Verb + Object Pronoun". Normative grammar also establishes that a verb in its imperative form must never be followed by a subject pronoun. v. novembro/2012. translated as Pesquisar o Conteúdo do CD.br . usage (particularly in speech) is another important factor that TradTerm. But one detail attracts attention: the constant use of the ênclise pronominal ("pronominal enclisis"). Thus. constructions like Pega-o/Pegue-o ("Get him") would be considered perfect examples of the application of this rule. it is important to examine this aspect of the Portuguese language. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil more refined sentences. something unthinkable in previous generations and considered high even by modern standards.usp. São Paulo.uspnet. 19.
While the constructions Me diz/Me diga and Pega ele/Pegue ele might sound odd and incorrect in Portugal. some "proclitic islands" can be observed amid the vast "enclitic sea". even among educated speakers. privileging the use of the enclisis and the use of object pronouns after imperative verbs. more informal. and Derrube-o ("Knock him down"). regardless of the large use of the enclisis throughout the game.uspnet. V. let us now go over the linguistic issues observed in the game. flexible and dynamic than the written standard.vitis. it can be said that there are two distinct educated standards in Brazilian Portuguese: an educated written standard. they are common in Brazil. the use of the above rules is different in the European and Brazilian variants of Portuguese: the former tends to follow these rules. However. whereas the latter prefers the proclisis (object pronouns placed before the verbs) and the use of subject pronouns after imperative verbs.314 Souza. As they were used in the dubbing. they utter sentences like Mate-o ("Kill him"). Max Payne tries to find out everything he can about a new drug called Valkyr. F. Throughout the game. but they sounded too formal for the spoken language. he runs into a large number of enemies. R. That said. During his investigations. wherein Max Payne gets beaten and injected with an overdose of Valkyr by a group of enemies under the orders of Nicole Horne. 19. Pegue-o ("Get him"). being rarely seen in spoken language. it is quite rare to observe it in the everyday speech in Brazilian Portuguese. the use of the enclisis is more common in written language. São Paulo. These sentences are totally in accordance with normative grammar. 289-326 http://tradterm. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil cannot be disregarded. president of Aesir (the company responsible for TradTerm. It can be seen more clearly in the prologue of Chapter III: A Bit Closer To Heaven. In speech.usp. Consequently. v. p. which must strictly follow the normative grammar. since it is the audiovisual resource which usually follows the educated written standard. its use would be more appropriate in subtitling. And although normative grammar is usually respected in formal writing. novembro/2012. Thus. Another interesting point is that.br . the above sentences were perfectly comprehensible. Acerte-o ("Hit him"). When they notice Max Payne's presence. and an educated spoken standard. who will do what they can to stop him.
) to include a subject pronoun in the beginning of the sentence. They did a fade on me. the second illustration shows exactly the opposite: They did a fade on me was translated as Me apagaram (literally "Blacked me out"). V. Eles me apagaram would sound a little strange. Eles se transformaram em vapor. Portuguese: Cavalheiros. for the subject pronoun Eles might give an idea that a group of people (and not the agents of the drug) were the TradTerm. countering everything that had been done thus far.vitis. Levem-me para Cold Steel. On the other hand. The sentences below belong to the first and second illustrations: Table 3 First Illustration: Nicole Horne. Me apagaram. Take me to Cold Steel. which indicates two options to solve the "problem": a. novembro/2012. v. I had never had a English: chance.usp. F. 289-326 http://tradterm. Em nenhum Portuguese: momento tive chance In the first illustration. in which Eles is the equivalent in Portuguese of They. placed in chronological order from the left to the right. R. In this case. changing Me apagaram into Eles me apagaram. we are done here. the expression Take me was translated as Levem-me. the use of the proclisis is "forbidden" by normative grammar. Table 4 Second Illustration: Max Payne describing the effects that Valkyr was having on him They turned to steam. 19. p. b. in total conformity with normative grammar.br . Although the proclisis is more used in spoken language. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil the production of the drug). right after her henchman applied the overdose on Max Payne English: Gentleman. terminamos aqui.315 Souza. São Paulo.) to use the enclitic construction Apagaram-me.uspnet. the use of the enclisis follows the pattern adopted during the entire game. The cutscene is divided in three illustrations.
but other elements like the incessant snow and the harsh winter give a quite different sense of reality from that of living in Brazil.usp. resulting in its use in this case to be more coherent to the whole. given that. its use would be more comprehensible. More attentive players will probably notice the existence of a poster near the fence. After some time without finding any solution. V. which supposedly provides the necessary instructions to go on. he/she feels stuck and does not know what to do. though. That is when the problem comes up. it was decided not to translate (except during the cutscenes) the linguistic elements present in in-game signs. the enclisis was used during the entire game. Apparently blocked on all sides. since all the environment of the city was preserved: not only is the city cited during the entire game. the verb Apagar (particularly if preceded by a subject pronoun) may also mean "To Kill" in colloquial Brazilian Portuguese. drawings. São Paulo. When looking for an alternative route. In Max Payne’s localization process. this was a correct decision. Max Payne is in search of the cargo ship Charon. Considering that the game takes place in New York City.uspnet. 289-326 http://tradterm. which had been lifted by the enemies to block his way through. aside from the idea of "To Lose Consciousness". As for the enclisis. etc. Chapter II: An Offer You Can’t Refuse. the meaning of the sentence would also change. 19. During the mission.vitis.316 Souza. R. in ninety-nine percent of the game it did not. And if the context points to a group of people as the perpetrators of the action. In Part II: A Cold Day in Hell.br . the translator must always be attentive to one question: can the lack of translation affect gameplay? In Max Payne’s case. Even so. In one section of the game. F. the player starts going back and forth in search for alternatives on how to overcome this hurdle. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil responsible for him to lose consciousness. but as a matter of textual coherence: even though the use of the proclisis makes the sentence more natural. p. novembro/2012. it might cause some problems. where most people live in a warm climate. v. he finds a fence (also blocking his way) and a truck parked on the other side. One last aspect to consider regards the presence of in-game graphic arts. The poster displays the sentence Caution! Use wheel TradTerm. posters. not as it is the best option. he comes across a drawbridge.
Another important point is that TradTerm. novembro/2012.br .vitis.uspnet. the translation of this poster could have avoided the annoyance many players eventually had. Ubisoft. in this specific case. 289-326 http://tradterm. the local market was reinvigorated by the official arrival of many video game giants like Microsoft. It is true that keeping the sentences in English was a correct decision to recreate the environment of New York City. As a result. on the contrary. F. with the gradual growth in the number of games localized into Brazilian Portuguese. Notwithstanding. p. São Paulo. Sony. R. Nonetheless. Blizzard among others. v. which is to find a way through. the game is regarded by many as the best localized game ever to be sold in Brazil. and as they cannot. But. With the economic growth and the consequent increase in the purchasing power of Brazilians. However. which aroused the interest of many foreign companies that viewed Brazil as a potential market with great prospects for expansion. 19. V. new winds would blow and start changing once again the course of video games in Brazil. they get really frustrated.usp. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil blocks when parking in this area. The video game market was no different: despite all the problems described in the previous paragraph. The aforementioned issues did not take the shine away from the Portuguese version of Max Payne. Right below it. all of which officially released their consoles and/or games in Brazil. insofar as the drawing solves all the problems. The 2000's (in particular the second half of the decade) saw great changes in Brazil. there is a drawing of a wheel block protecting the truck from moving. the impact on video game localization was considerable. the non-translation of the message does not make much difference. the game was just a sporadic attempt amid the unfortunate reality experienced by the Brazilian market during those years. Here. the interference that the nontranslation causes in gameplay is evident. by showing the player that he/she has to shoot the wheel block in order to cause the truck to move and unblock the passage near the drawbridge. the simple fact that the message in the poster is in a foreign language makes most players ignore it and turn their attention to solving their most urgent problem. At first glance.317 Souza. the country began to position itself on the international scene as an emerging superpower.
For some unknown reason. novembro/2012. But. perhaps due to the fact that it was being used for the first time. an increasing number of MMO14 games have been appearing in Brazil in completely localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese and directed to the needs of the local audience. This demonstrates that. the video game sector is slowly getting back on track. French and Spanish versions. along with English. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (commonly abbreviated as PES 2009) is of fundamental importance as it is the first edition of the game to offer Portuguese (European) as one of the languages available. 289-326 http://tradterm. p. French or Spanish. In this regard. the Portuguese version had some important differences in relation to the other three languages. V. The partial localization also affected the names of the countries. 19. the Portuguese version only featured the translation of the former. they were not translated.usp. Any player wanting to play the game in Portuguese would have to be contented with just the in-game texts. Pro Evolution Soccer is one of the best loved series with Brazilian gamers. but neither into Spanish or French.br .uspnet. revealing all its potential and capability of returning to its days of glory and becoming consolidated as one of the key markets in the video game industry. This 14 Massive Multiplayer Online. not only into Portuguese. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil since Level Up released a localized version of Ragnarök Online (GRAVITY 2002) in 2004. São Paulo. R. the audio would have obligatorily to be in English. for example. regardless of the language that the player has selected.318 Souza.  Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (KONAMI 2008) As it is a simulator of the most popular sport in Brazil. where both in-game texts and audio were localized. the screen will always display the English terms Germany and Switzerland. TradTerm. which has certainly contributed to make it one of the top selling games in the country. Unlike the English. In an exhibition game between Germany and Switzerland. v. even with all the difficulties. A first point to be observed is that the Portuguese version received just a partial localization.vitis. F. French and Spanish.
vitis. On the other hand. R.usp.Copa Network Liga . v. 19. The impossibility of doing so will possibly decrease the level of identification the player can create with the game. Although the European variant was taken as a reference. the translation as a whole was very clear and objective. in a way. whose equivalent in Brazil is Tela -. V. p. As a result.Coupe Liga .Taça Réseau Red Legend Network Légendes Leyendas Messages Estrelas Messages Mensajes Training Mensagens Entrainement Entrenamiento Edit Treinos Modifier Editar Gallery Editar Mode Galerie Galería System Settings Galeria Réglages Systéme Ajuste de Sistema Uefa Champions League Uefa Champions Definições de Sistema TradTerm. causing a sensation of "incompleteness". regardless of the variant.319 Souza. for not entirely conveying in the localized version the same experience as the original. this becomes evident: Table 5 Main Menu English Portuguese French Spanish Uefa Champions Uefa Champions League League League Exhibition Exhibition Exhibition Exhibición Become a Legend Rumo ao Vers une Légende Ser uma Leyenda Master League Estrelato Ligue des Masters Liga Master League . Even though some lexical choices may sound somewhat strange to Brazilians . he/she expects to enjoy everything the game has to offer in that language. seeing that when the player chooses to play the game in one language. the fact that it was basically an orthographic translation made.uspnet. F. By looking at the main menu. São Paulo. novembro/2012. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil ends up being frustrating. 289-326 http://tradterm.as is the case of the word Ecrã ("Screen"). gameplay experience will be fatally compromised.Cup Liga Master Ligue . the absence of the audio made the translation process much simpler.br . the version very accessible for both Brazilian and Portuguese audiences.
the reason for which they were not translated is unknown. the second option was chosen: the word League was replaced by its equivalent in Portuguese Liga. In the former case. whereas the three remaining options (Uefa Champions League. and players all around the world are already very familiar with it. F.usp. With respect to the partial translation. two possible options emerged as solution for the problem: either maintain the already established term Master League or perform a partial translation. would mischaracterize it. and. V. since it is a term widely known and used in both Brazil and Portugal. The probable reason for the non-translation is that Uefa Champions League is the official name of the competition. are not the most suitable options. R. while the term Master. the term Master League has been in use in the series for many years. 289-326 http://tradterm. although the term is already quite widespread throughout the world. Exhibition and Network. Exhibition and Network) were not changed.br . The only "differences" reside in the words Taça and Definições. remained untouched. it could perfectly be translated as Liga dos Campeões da Uefa. As for Network and Exhibition.vitis. one was partially translated (Master League became Liga Master). as such. In general. For this reason. São Paulo. Hence. whose equivalent and TradTerm. 19. especially when considering that these terms received their respective translations into French and Spanish. v. while the menus in the French and Spanish were fully translated (except for Uefa Champions League as mentioned). the translation is competent. since many of the terms utilized are common to both variants of the language. eight were fully translated into Portuguese. which could retain some kind of affective bond with the original term. with recognizable terms for both Brazilian and Portuguese players. Rede and Exibição. Next. A full translation.uspnet. novembro/2012. p. In this case. by replacing a term long known by any fan of the game by another which has no affective appeal. something like Liga Mestre or Liga Mestra. we have three non-translated terms: Uefa Champions League. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil From the twelve terms from the Main Menu. even though their equivalents in Portuguese. should not be translated. it can be said that the Portuguese version received a "bilingual translation".320 Souza.
R. this conceptual approach can be made by offering the local teams among the options to be selected. Grêmio FBPA. it is more of a matter of habit and usage. v. SC Corinthians P. the three most popular teams in the country (SL Benfica. Botafogo FR. many of the Portuguese players were able to play the game with their favorite teams. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil more used terms in Brazil are Copa and Configurações. CR Flamengo. the presence of the Portuguese language in a series the caliber of Pro Evolution Soccer is laudable.vitis. since every Brazilian knows the meanings of Taça and Definições. In the case of soccer simulators. F. 289-326 http://tradterm. The same cannot be said of the Brazilian audience: only SC Internacional was available in the game. FC Porto and Sporting CP) were available.br . but very clearly demonstrates the concept of "to make local". All in all. Fluminense FC. Problems like the aforementioned may cause some nuisance for some players. most Brazilian players were not able to play the game with their favorite teams. For the Portuguese audience. SE Palmeiras. Santos FC. both in-game texts and comments were fully localized into Portuguese (European). Thus. novembro/2012. having to resort to the Edit Mode to create them. it delivers a quite tiring one.321 Souza. São Paulo FC and CR Vasco da Gama. PES 2011 features comments in both European and Brazilian Portuguese (made by Pedro Sousa and Luis Freitas Lobo in the former and by Silvio Luiz and Mauro Beting in the latter). And in spite of the fact that SC Internacional is an important team. essential for a successful localization. And that is what happened: in PES 2010.uspnet. Cruzeiro EC. whereas TradTerm. V.usp. But this is not a difference that can interfere in the comprehension of the term. this approach was partially realized: although the Portuguese League was not licensed. it is not uncommon to hear from players that they spent more time editing the teams than actually playing the game. This turned out to be somewhat annoying due to the excessive time spent to create the teams. but the presence of the language is important to give the opportunity for these problems to be corrected. 19. São Paulo. p. Brazil has eleven other giants: C Atlético Mineiro. One final aspect does not involve any linguistic issue. Thus. This definitely compromises gameplay: instead of creating a fun experience.
PES 2012 (on the verge of being released in Brazil at the time of writing) will bring back the six Brazilian teams in the 2011 Copa Santander Libertadores (SC Corinthians P. opening a new range of opportunities not only for the development of the local market but also for video game localization. novembro/2012. the remaining teams will appear with fictitious names. F. Cruzeiro EC. SC Internacional and Santos FC) and. for the first time in the franchise. Killzone 3 and Infamous 2 were both dubbed and subtitled.usp. CR Flamengo. FC Porto and Sporting CP will be fully licensed. Mortal Kombat (WARNER BROS/NETHERREALM 2011). Cruzeiro EC. Infamous 2 (SONY/SUCKER PUNCH 2011) and Gears of War (Microsoft/Epic Games. Mortal Kombat and Gears of War 3 were only subtitled. Also. World of Warcraft (BLIZZARD) and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Sony/Naughty Dog) are also set to offer Portuguese as one of the languages available17. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil four teams from Portugal (SL Benfica. there is the project 15 Only SL Benfica. Batman: Arkham City (WARNER BROS/ROCKSTEADY). Finally. Killzone 3 (SONY/GUERRILLA 2011). R. SC Internacional and São Paulo FC) were present in the game. V.322 Souza. Perspectives Perspectives for the future of video games in Brazil could not be brighter. São Paulo.vitis. more and more companies start their business operations in the country. p. 16 Halo: Reach. Each day. 17 World of Warcraft and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will be both dubbed and subtitled.uspnet. Fluminense FC. at the time of writing. in addition to once again featuring comments in both variants of the language. although partially licensed15.br . SC Braga. the upcoming games Assassins Creed Revelations (UBISOFT). Assassins Creed Revelations and Batman: Arkham City will be only subtitled. Grêmio FBPA. the Portuguese League will appear in the game. 4. 2011) were recently released in versions localized into Brazilian Portuguese16. 289-326 http://tradterm. FC Porto and Sporting CP) and the five Brazilian teams present in the 2010 Copa Santander Libertadores (SC Corinthians P. 19. v. TradTerm. Moreover. Games like Halo: Reach (MICROSOFT/BUNGIE 2010).
289-326 http://tradterm. http://www.activegamingmedia. Finally. September 27th. stated that the other two giants. not only in the international scene. The History Of Pong: Avoid Missing Game to Start Industry. V. F.vitis. BARTON. but also in the magical world of video games. M & LOGUIDICE. which aims at showing the government all the benefits that a tax reduction on video games can bring to the Brazilian economy. however. Sony and Nintendo. B (2009). thereby allowing a significant reduction in its prices and. TradTerm. p. In: UOL Jogos. are both negotiating with the Government in order to also manufacture their consoles in Brazil (UOL JOGOS 2011).gamasutra.com. (2011). not only for increased tax revenues or job creation.php <Last accessed on March 11th. In view of all this. at the same time. on September 27th. – Video game localization: the case of Brazil Jogo Justo (FAIR GAME). Microsoft oficializa produção do Xbox 360 no Brasil. http://jogos. AZEVEDO. History of Game Localization http://www. 2011. Technology and Innovation. 5. São Paulo.br . 2011>.br/ultimas-noticias/2011/09/27/microsoft-oficializafabricacao-do-xbox-360-no-brasil. two more good pieces of news: Microsoft officially announced the manufacturing of its Xbox 360 in Brazil (AZEVEDO 2011). offering potential consumers the perspective of greater access to the console in the country. R. Luis Antonio Rodrigues Elias.323 Souza. References ACTIVE GAMING MEDIA (2010).uol.usp. it can be said that Brazil has what it takes to become a superpower. 2011.uspnet. console chega em 5 de outubro por R$ 800.com/view/feature/3900/the_history_of_pong_avoid_ missing_.htm <Last accessed on September 27th>. there has still been no official confirmation by both companies on the subject. 19. v. T. 2011>. novembro/2012. the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Science. but also as a strategy to combat piracy.com/news/history-of-game-localization <Last accessed on April 15th. at the time of writing. on the same day.
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