The coronavirus pandemic has led to huge losses in many economic and industrial sectors. Those who have suffered the most are the gastronomic and tourism sectors. Restaurant owners and travel agencies have been driven to a critical situation. However, there is one sector that has not only evaded loss due to its specificity, but has greatly benefited from the global epidemiological situation. This sector is the gaming market. The entertainment provided by games has proved to be one of the safest ways to spend a lockdown.
A society locked in their own homes and deprived of all entertainment connected with the outside world began looking for different ways to kill time and forget about the prevailing difficult situation. One of the most popular solutions turned out to be computer games, which many became interested in or returned to after years of absence. I remember vividly the beginning of lockdown, which I myself decided to spend on computer entertainment. Servers were pretty much flooded with players wanting to make their days locked at home more pleasant. The growing importance of the gaming market also means an increased demand for the services of translation and localization agencies. Thanks to their work, the works of game studios have the opportunity to reach the largest possible audience in different parts of the world.
The gaming market was worth about $160 billion at the end of 2020 and forecasts show that this value could even exceed $200 billion in 2023. In a global scale these are huge numbers, nevertheless we have to be aware that our domestic studios also have their fair share. The largest and most popular Polish game studio is CD Projekt, responsible for the series of games about Geralt of Rivia, known as the Witcher, based on the works of Andrzej Sapkowski. Translation agencies all over the world have been engaged to translate this game, thanks to which it has become available in 15 different language versions, including 7 versions with full dubbing. It also won over 200 awards and redefined the RPG (Role Playing Game) genre with its excellent storyline, graphics and fan-favourite characters.
Computer games enthusiasts have many career opportunities related to their interests. A person who wants to monetize their hobby can become, among others, a developer, a game journalist, but also a game translator. To be able to start your career in this sector you obviously need a perfect knowledge of the language into which you will be translating, the ability to use CAT tools, but most of all an in-depth knowledge of the game environment and the context necessary for professional translation and localization services for a product that is ultimately intended to reach the widest possible audience. Being an active player is therefore even a requirement in order to maintain your professional competence.
(translation M. L. K.)
