To me the craziest thing about this is that translating dialogue is the fun part of our job! Most translators love it. Now, if somebody invented a tool that magically knows if a single word with no context is a noun or a verb... THAT would be useful. (it's impossible, but hey, a girl can dream)

Every year I tell my students "use spellcheck before submitting the final project", every year they look like me like I'm stupid for suggesting something this obvious, and inevitably every year roughly half of the group submits their final projects WITHOUT using spellcheck.

I have seen a lot of cursed stuff in my time in academia but this is among the *most* cursed. Grammarly is generating miniature LLMs based on academic work so that users can have their writing ‘reviewed’ by experts like David Abulafia, who died less than two months ago.

“the story of making AI ‘safe’ is fundamentally a story about class, about which humans absorb the costs so that other humans never have to think about them.” siliconcanals.com/sc-d-i-spent...

Me trying to translate incomplete dialogue with no context whatsoever:

I finally got to read The Clock House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji (wonderfully translated by @tanteikid.bsky.social). My favorite thing about this book series is how at this point there's been multiple murders in those mansions yet people still go there and are surprised when they get murdered.

Proud that Thimbleweed Park is part of this sale! ⤵️ #indiegames #steam

✅ Puzzle ✅ Time & space ✅ Cute as hell ✅ And the demo is out now! Nomori is a mind-bending adventure game where you control time and space to journey through a whimsical spirit world. LocQuest paired up with @enchantedworks.nl to localize the demo into 10 languages. Get it now! ✨

If I ever needed a good reason to start posting on a social network again, there won’t be a better one! It was an immense privilege to be part of this and translate Mewgenics into Brazilian Portuguese! For real, I don’t think I can find the words to describe how cool this is.

In case you missed it this ⬇️ It is still going on. Weirdly in a era where people are asking if a machine can be a person whilst simultaneously treating people like machines. Having to ask questions about both. It's weird times guys. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

"I'll just use AI to translate my game, what could go wrong"? Well, you might end up with a Steam page that uses 3 different translations for your very simple game title, 2 of which are complete gibberish. If you think the game itself will look any better, I have a bridge to sell you.

German gaming site PC Gamers praising the German translation of Mewgenics, made by Simon Dehne for @thewarlocs www.pcgames.de/Mewgenics-Sp...

In Spain, The Witcher books are no longer edited since years ago because Sapkowski's agents wanted new translations made by AI Let this be known. This is an insult to translators and Sapkowski novels Spanish readers need some support. Please make noise. #QueremosTheWitcher

Please note our French team looming over the rest of us in their cute matching outfits.

Today we're running an experiment: how long can a translator work with a broken laptop fan making industrial drill noises before she goes INSANE. Early results suggest the answer is 30 minutes.

🚀🐀 It’s a rat race! This one sure had us cheesin’. 😊 LocQuest worked with solo dev Gagonfe to localize Rocket Rats into 6 languages. We’ve been smelling some rats in gaming recently. Luckily, there are still devs out there that care about fair, ethical localization. 🛡️

So, if you're going to do business with localization agencies, please enforce crediting clauses in your contracts. Often, the freelancers working for these companies hold 0 bargaining power, and risk everything just by asking to be credited.

Work's been a little dry this month, so if anyone is in the need of an experienced J>E translator/reviewer with 6.5 years in game localization, send a message my way! ✨ (boosts greatly appreciated! 🙏)

My sincere apologies for putting this orange dick on your timeline, but this is such a great example of an interpreter being a true artist and master of their craft. It's not just the voice, the choice of words is top-notch as well. #1nt

⭐️ Our 2025 Collaborators of the Year ⭐️ THANK YOU to the talented professionals we get to work with on a day-to-day basis, who live and breathe these games and believe in the human aspect of localization just as much as we do. Here’s to many more exciting projects in 2026 🥂

I've spent the last few years surrounded by absolutely wonderful people, both in my personal and in my professional life. Today was the first day in a very long time when a man was talking down to me and let me tell you: I forgot how annoying that is.

i know it's 90% off but a warning to potential customers not to buy the steam version of heavy rain. it is not safe. it installs heavy rain on your computer

🏆 LOCQUEST 2025 GAMES OF THE YEAR 🏆 We’re looking back on 2025 and the amazing games that we helped release this year. Our small agency localized over 18 games last year. Each one with its own unique needs, and done ethically – by humans, for humans. Tons more releases expected for 2026!

Are you a gamedev who's not using any GenAI in your pipeline? I'm currently compiling a list of such statements, either in the press, social media, or directly through your credit roll. Feel free to add more examples below.

birbfest days 1-6!! 🦜🐤🪺 #art #birbfest2026 #watercolor

This is a fun thread, let me add something small to it: a few years back I commissioned an avatar and this is what I sent to the artist (@pixelmima.bsky.social) and what I got. Artists know what they're doing! Just let them do their job and have some faith.

always feel so insane when an article/comments describe Ai as taking "jobs nobody wants to do" and then goes on to describe the exact job I have and love lol

Ok, cool, Slack, I know it and you know it... then why did you have it turned on by default?!

I just saw a paid online course on how to get jobs as a freelance translator. I was half tempted to buy it just to see if it contains any actual, actionable advice or if it's just a cynical attempt to wring money out of desperate people hoping to make a living... but I think I know the answer.

Roboto Global isn't paying its translators. AAA studios working with them need to realize what's going on - Blizzard, CD Projekt Red, Riot... This needs to stop: translators should be treated as precious & skilled professionals, not random disposable assets. www.linkedin.com/posts/adrian...

One of the many reasons AI can't produce good writing is it can't hate its own writing. It can't think to itself "Maybe I'm illiterate" during the writing process. And that's essential

[NEW VIDEO] AI dubbing and translation are bad on their own, but it's so much worse when they're forced down our throats. Have a short, angry essay about how "language accessibility" isn't as great as it sounds. youtu.be/w7Cwt77B5ZM

If anyone is looking, I am on the hunt for freelance or permanent part-time or full-time work in localization! I mainly work and have been trained in print and film media.

Ever wanted to command your own vampire army? 🧛🏻 Yeah, us too. ⚔️ Command an undead army in Decks of the Damned from Thorian Games and @goblinzstudio.com, now available in 9 languages thanks to LocQuest. With ethical localization, you’re laying all your cards on the table. 🂠 Get it on Steam. ⚙️

I have made this helpful flowchart to help people understand if the indie game they've heard of is a small indie game or not. If you are not in the indie world, and you have heard of a game, it is enormous. It is an absolute massive smash success that 99% of indie game devs could only dream of.

A very cute, sweet and chill #SaturdayVoidRec💫 to you all! Here comes Make Room by @kenney.nl, a relaxing building/decorating game with lots of customization options that we fell in love with. Perfect for a warm & cozy wintertime ❄️🏠 Curated by our @alkapibara.bsky.social 🤍

I was recently interviewed by Eleanor Warnock regarding the exploitation of passion, the devastating impact of machine translation/AI on the localization industry, and how collective action can bring about positive change. www.eleanot.es/p/the-human-...

¡Objeción! ☝️ Last week, @capcomusa.com released the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy in LatAm Spanish. The culprit? LocQuest ⛓️ That's Wright! It may please the court to know that this project was over 780,000 words! 😱 Grab it now on Nintendo Switch, PS4. Xbox One, and Steam ⚖️

I wanted to be a translator ever since I became aware translators existed. I started picking up translation gigs when I was an university student and later I became a full time translator once I realized that having some sort of 9-5 corporate job is not something I ever want to do.

Me when an aspiring game developer talks about how mean it is to judge indie devs for using AI generated assets:

"A well-localized game title is marketing fuel, legal armor, and cultural bridge—all in a handful of characters." @georgeou.bsky.social signs a title localization goldmine with deeply documented cases: a 10/10 read 📑

Translators of Bluesky, this is a cry for help: I'm a J-E translator who's considering setting up as a freelancer. Where do I even begin? What should my rates be? Are there any good resources for people in my position? Any input at all would be helpful. Thank you!

Also: people who clearly just don't like the book (the plot, the characters), but choose to write "maybe it's the translator's fault". The translator did not come up with the story! 😭

Me after confirming a bunch of 101%/100% matches in memoQ: #L10n #xl8

LUCASARTS PRESENTS Columbo in: SCUMM of the Earth #pixelart

Just some friends enjoying a relaxing afternoon at the meadow 🌼 #art #cozyart #gouache

Question for #booksky that's been on my mind a lot recently: where do you get your book recs from? Bookstagram/Booktok accounts seem to focus mostly on fantasy and YA fiction, and neither of those is my thing.

Forever a Stonehead, in a story full of Stones! 🗿 Honored to announce my debut for @thewarlocs.bsky.social to localize Stone Story RPG into Bahasa Indonesia. A quirky RPG with full of stories and its unique ASCII-Art that I truly love. Game Link: store.steampowered.com/app/603390/S... Cheers! 🍻