What it takes to be a translator for SQUARE ENIX
Meet Paula Kaye Gerhold, an 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 Visions of Mana, and how she got the chance to sing for FINAL FANTASY XIV.
--
0:00 Intro
0:45 Meet Paula
2:11 Teaching on the JET Programme
9:45 Start in localization industry
14:25 Misconceptions about game localization
22:37 Challenges in localization
25:53 How long does localization take?
27:30 Naming consistency
31:42 Gaming as work vs. hobby
33:15 Context when translating
34:22 Translating FINAL FANTASY Pixel Remasters
42:31 How big is the localization team?
43:41 Fan reaction
45:53 Other big projects at SQAURE ENIX
48:31 Localization process between games
49:52 Changing industry
51:29 Singing/voice acting for FINAL FANTASY
59:56 Voice director for Visions of Mana
1:02:00 How to be a good translator
1:04:44 Upcoming projects
1:06:32 More localization misconceptions
--
SQUARE ENIX:
https://www.square-enix.com/
Follow us:
https://unpacking.jp/
/ unpacking_japan
/ unpackingjapan
/ unpackingjapan
/ @unpackingjapanshorts
https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...
Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!
Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/