So that's how they localize a game...
If you thought localization was just a developer running everything through an auto-translator and shoving the game out the door, you're pretty far off according to Atlus U.S.A. The team over at the company that produces some of the best game localizations in the business have written a very insightful post into why game localization takes so long.
Atlus doesn't just take a game and throw it through a quick translation process. There's the weeks of the translators playing the original game to get a feel for it, then the weeks of the actual translation, the weeks of re-programming to make the new text, voice-overs, and graphics line up. Then you have the weeks of testing to remove bugs and finally the packaging and shipping process. On a good game release, you're looking at around three and a half months for the localization. For MMOs, you're looking at something much more intensive thanks to the amount of text involved.
Interested in the full process? Check out Atlus's production diary number 12 for the full rundown.
