Sarah Deville

From the Void - Otherworldly Game Localization — The Fundamental Question of AI in Game Development: Why? - From the Void "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should"

When someone aks what we think about the use of AI, the first question that comes to mind is always:

But why? Why would we, or anyone really, want to use it?

Here's @mittovac.bsky.social's piece about this very topic. Please share to anyone who needs to read this ⬇️
fromthevoid.net/blog/ai-in-g...

AI Killed My Job: Translators Few industries have been hit by AI as hard as translation. Rates are plummeting. Work is drying up. Translators are considering abandoning the field, or bankruptcy. These are their stories.

Since 2023, translators and interpreters have seen work dry up, rates plummet and their jobs reduced to editing AI-generated output. Some are leaving the field, others are considering bankruptcy. All despite any major upgrade in translation quality.

This is how AI is killing translation work:

I'm preparing to publish the next installment of AI Killed My Job. This time, the focus will be on translators.

If you or someone you know has had a translation job (including translator, interpreter, game localizer, etc) impacted by AI, and you'd like to share, please do: AIkilledmyjob@pm.me

Gameloc Agency Directory There are multiple ways of entering the game localization industry, and one of the most common ones is by working with agencies who are specialized in this particular niche. I have compiled a list of ...

The Gameloc Directory 2025 update is live! It now features a marker (★) highlighting entities with strict no MT/AI policies. locdandloaded.net/2020/10/22/g...

Localization: Thomas Faust, Sarah Deville, Lucie Teulieres, Leticia Araujo, Iara Passos, Luke Araujo, Concha Fernandez Alvarez

Let's Freeze Some Penguins is localized into a number of different languages, and that work is done by real humans who know what they're doing!
Of course it was suggested to me that an AI could do the job, and to that I say: No. It clearly can't.
#indiegame #gamedev

Screnshoot from the credits section of Cast and Chill crediting everyone involved but the translators. The background is a pixelated image of a lake with some mountains full of trees. It reads: Credits Artist and animator Lara Durham Thee song music composer Ryan Ike Background game music Licensed from Space Banjo Lead sound designer Tobias Trstenjak Localization Localize Direct Fonts Lanapixel font, copyright 2020-2023 eishiya Zpix font by Jason Feng Silkscreen font by Jason Kottke.

In #CastandChill, by @wombatbrawler.com, translators are NOT in the credits, only the agency, Localize Direct, is.

The game is available in 12 languages.
#TranslatorsinTheCredits.

Pinknoise hasn't been paying its freelancers since November in some cases (data from Linkedin), and they collaborate with
@riotgames.com, @warnerbrosgames.com, @rockstargames.com and Electronic Arts (data from its web).

The Human Cost of AI A couple of years ago, a good friend* achieved their lifelong dream: After a decade of grueling agency work, they had finally secured an in-house localization job on a game they loved. This was a high...

Here are my two cents on GenAI in #gameloc. Because we can't let the BS peddlers destroy our industry from within, and silence is complicity. locdandloaded.net/2025/05/13/h...

Trying to fit the character limit on mobile games be like

"I didn’t understand why audiovisual translators & literary translators had their names on everything, but video game translators couldn’t say anything at all."

One of our most important articles to date: why #TranslatorsintheCredits matter by @tamslator.bsky.social✊
fromthevoid.net/blog/2025/4/...

Save 10% on Once Upon A Puppet on Steam Control the strings of fate and embark on a grand adventure with Drev and Nieve. A magical, story-driven 2.5D puzzle-platformer where puppeteering mechanics and a whimsical, theater-inspired world int...

Sure Clair Obscur & Oblivion look great, but PLEASE don't miss out on the gem releasing today: Once Upon a Puppet 🎭

A magical & story driven puzzle platformer available in Korean, Spanish & French thanks to our puppeteers from the Void 🤍

@daedalic.bsky.social
store.steampowered.com/app/1904880/...

Happy birthday to us 🥳

✨ Cheers to our partners for creating awesome games & going for ethical, human localization to make them shine 🥂

✨ Cheers to the players who noticed our work 🤍

✨ And of course, cheers to our linguists for their outstanding professionalism & talent 💫

To many more!

A screenshot taken from Atomfall's credits. Below the title "Game localisation", only Lionbridge Games is listed.

For our first official post on Bluesky, we would like to talk about the recent release of Atomfall by @rebellion.com.

Despite being available in 11 languages, the game doesn't feature any #TranslatorsInTheCredits and only includes Lionbridge Games.

Source: GamersPrey

And just like that, my return to work after my recovery was not joyful. This game dev and producer is now looking for a job:

- looking for fully remote EU/EMEA positions.
- Led teams in publishing, production and esports. Done non-gaming.
- Successfully shipped over 60 indie, AA and AAA games.

There's a once-great localization agency currently struggling to assemble a loc team for a huge high-profile project offering rates to the tune of €0.056 translation, €0.026 review and €25 hourly for FRENCH.

If they contact you, DO NOT TAKE IT.
They CANNOT get away with it.

French header for the game "Ta mère" with an anime woman making the heart fingers.

New short answer to agencies pushing for low rates:

GG25 – Linguistes solidaires – STJV Le STJV relaie cette tribune de nos camarades qui travaillent en localisation. Aujourd’hui, et en réponse à l’appel du Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travail

✊ GG25 : nos camarades linguistes font partie intégrante de nos luttes ! Nous relayons cette tribune et apportons notre soutien aux personnes qui travaillent en localisation, élément tout aussi essentiel des jeux que le reste.

www.stjv.fr/2025/02/...

On sera à la mezzanine aussi haha. Trop cool !

On sera au Grand Rex, @luciet.bsky.social et moi 👀

I'm so sad right now... I can't believe it 😭

Why Do Video Game Subtitles Suck? - J-En Translations A look at why some video game subtitles suck and what game devs can do to improve the standard of subtitles in all languages.

One of my pet peeves when playing games is bad subtitles. Tiny text, illegible fonts, no speaker names, poor line breaking, the list goes on! Movies and TV have standardized style guides, so why don't games?!

Anyway, so I decided to rant about it.
j-entranslations.com/why-do-video...

Reminder: Astro Bot didn't credit their translators, who made their game available in 28 languages.

In the credits, they're given a "thank you". That's all.

Would you do that for your dev team? Your graphics team? Your marketing or sales team?

Shame on you, Sony. #TranslatorsInTheCredits

Finished 1000xRESIST by @sunsetvisitor.bsky.social yesterday. An impactful experience that will remain and remain!
If Slay the Princess was my favorite narrative-psychological horror game last year, RESIST takes the crown for 2024.
Sphere to square.

Lucie Teulières | Narrative video game localization

I'll be a bit quiet while I update my social links and get used to bluer skies, but if you'd like to know more about my work as a French narrative game localizer, check out www.lucieteulieres.com 🦉

It has fabulous owl art by the equally fabulous @anneballaranart.bsky.social

Awesome idea! You can include me, @luciet.bsky.social and @indieduet.bsky.social, we're a French game localization duo 🎵

We missed yet another #portfolioday, but as the end of the year is (already?!) fast approaching, we wanted to present our work on five new releases from the last months. A quite unique and tuneful blend of translated games, if you will 🥁

#TranslatorsInTheCredits

The Indie Duet is finally here 🎵 We'll be announcing exciting new stuff soon, so give us a follow!

Hey Jake! Thanks for the kind words ☺️ I only translated a small portion of the game into French, but it was a lovely project!

At From the Void, we hold a pretty firm stance on not using AI & machine translation in our workflows.

We have a lot to say about that topic, so here we go 🧵👇

How to break into the game industry (without losing your soul) as a translator, a thread.

Since the Lionbridge debacle, we’ve received a bunch of questions from new translators hoping to finally make a decent living with their craft.

Tips on how to navigate this jungle 🧵👇