Welsh
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Microsoft says 'shwmae' to the Welsh language
If you've ever struggled to understand what Cymru am byth means, you'll have found that few web translators are prepared to help you out. That's changed now, thanks to a deal between Microsoft and the Welsh Assembly, which teamed up to bring the language to Office, Bing and the Windows and Windows Phone translator apps. The country's national body passed a law back in 2012 requiring public bodies to treat both English and Welsh equally, but didn't have the tech necessary to ensure all employees had access to translation gear. Both parties are keen to stress that, despite the official involvement, it's just as (un)reliable as translators for other languages, but hey, at least one or two kids might avoid our childhood fate of having gau'r drws barked us by an annoyed Grandmother and not knowing what the hell it meant.
The Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part one)
It just may be the dream of every MMO geek to command the attention of his or her favorite dev team, bombard them with questions, and be shown secrets previously kept behind closed doors. Well, my friends, today that dream came true for this geek, as Turbine graciously sat down with Massively for over two hours to conduct an all-access tour to the fall's hot new LotRO content -- including the details behind the controversial and anticipated F2P switch. Aaron Campbell (Producer), Allan Maki (Senior Designer), Elliot Gilman (Senior Designer), Brian Aloisio (Designer), Joseph Barry (Designer) and Jonathan Rudder (Lore Guru) were on hand to fly me through the new content -- and reveal a few big surprises. To say that I had questions is an understatement; I fear that I sounded a bit like a six-year-old who peppers parents with unending "Why?" queries. Expecting to hear "no comment" a lot (after all, this content is in beta), I was surprised when the Turbine team enthusiastically answered all of my questions and then some. This is a team who know this F2P move is bringing some apprehension and concern, and they're trying to assuage that with as much information as possible. So join me as we go through the first part of this tour, looking at an enhanced new-player experience, instance scaling and the addition of Enedwaith to Turbine's Middle-earth.
Closed beta test for Mabinogi in Europe has begun
Hey Europe! Did you guys feel left out of the fun when we talked about Mabinogi? Well worry no more, as the free-to-play multi-faceted game is coming to your shores finally! (Which is kinda funny when you think about it, as Mabinogi is a Celtic-based game and is just now getting released in Europe.) If you're looking for a beta key to jump into the test with, you can find the complete list of sites that are offering keys over on the Mabinogi EU website. To accompany the game's launch, Nexon EU is hosting the first event of the game, the Mabinogi Fan Club. The most dedicated beta testers will win this event, as those who submit the most bug reports with significance will find themselves rewarded with a three month subscription to Mabinogi's "Fantasy Life" service package. The beta testing ends on December 30th with a huge fireworks blowout, so enjoy the closed beta test while you can!
Welsh speakers wanted for game translation project
Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches is based on The Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh folklore. It would make sense to offer the adventure game in the Welsh language, right? Unfortunately, it doesn't make business sense, according to developer Arberth Studios, who estimates a cost of £16,500 to translate the approximately 30,000 words of text to Welsh."We have to try and translate this game into Welsh," Arberth's Noel Bruton told the BBC, "but there's just not enough Welsh speakers in the gaming market to justify the translation costs." The company is looking for volunteers to help translate the game, with the possibility of some unspecified compensation "if we made something out of the sales." Sure, it might basically be work for free, but it's really important for speakers of minority languages to have access to cultural materials -- plus it would be a pretty cool project for a Welsh school.
Welsh nab their first native-tongued phone and iPhone app in one month's time -- Cymru am byth!
Native speakers of Welsh, take heed! Orange has announced that a Welsh-language version of the Samsung S5600 will be made available in September. This would make it the first cellphone to handle the language, which has some 600,000 native speakers in Wales. The phone will contain 44,000 Welsh words, and was recently unveiled in Bala, Gwynedd. Also unveiled simultaneously was the first Welsh iPhone app, developed with English-speakers learning the language in mind, and will have a companion "Learn Welsh" phrasebook available in the iTunes store. Iechyd Da!
Welsh get incomprehensible anti-GPS signs
Apparently looking to avoid unfortunate incidents like this (or this, or this), the Welsh Assembly recently agreed to put up signs warning drivers not to use their GPS along narrow lanes. Problem is, the drivers may end up spending more time trying to figure out the meaning of the signs than they ever did staring at their GPS. According to Sky News, the signs are aimed specifically at lorry drivers, who seem to have been particularly prone to getting stuck along roadways around St. Hilary in the Vale of Glamorgan -- a problem one local resident described as a "nightmare." Despite those potential issues of comprehension, that region has now gotten four of the signs as part of a one-year trial period, although there doesn't appear have to been any word on their effectiveness (or lack thereof) just yet.[Thanks, Barry T]
