this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2026
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Hello, just wanted to share my story as a reminder with all the lay offs in the gaming industry, it has been terrible outside of it too. I've been working as an automation QA for a pretty decent software company and I was about to hit like 11 years on the job. Also on the side I've been trying to get my own indie game dev studio off the ground with releasing 3 small games in the past 3 years.

After saving for like 10 years and living in small rented apartments, last summer I finally managed to secure enough money so I can get a loan to buy my first apartment. After a year of dealing with contractors (yes, they are that slow!!!) I finally moved and was hoping to be able to focus my free time on my game again. However literally first Monday we have a meeting with a head of our department and they said we are practically being replaced with A.I. So around 60% of the company is gone across all offices in 3 different continents...

I guess my dream has always been to go full time game dev, it's just I was hoping to be able to do it on my own terms and not kinda being forced into it. But with no real money coming in from my previous games I might not be able to make payments for the place I bought and spent most of my adult life saving for.

So now I guess I don't have a choice but to go all in on my current game. If you want to check it out and leave feedback on how it looks or even wishlist, you can so here STEAM

Wish me luck guys and gals!

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[–] BigPotato@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Like, part of me is curious what your rate is now but I'm not actually planning a commission so is that, like, rude to ask?

I was trying to find a translation for a PSP game and couldn't find any online but I had no idea how much one might cost to commission but I guess a single game would be cheaper than a whole series...

[–] rursta@retrolemmy.com 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It depends on the type of work you're asking.
If you only want a transcription, with no notes, alternative interpretations, directions, dictions, etc., it can be really cheap on the quality you're seeking. The requester had asked several additional things than just a transcription: typesetting, font work, editing, translation notes, sfx, 擬態語, 擬容語, hosting, etc.. Scanlation was more than he could afford for a singular chapter, even at a salaried rate.

For a PSP, it is correct that a single game is cheaper than a whole series, but not many people buy a transcription to a game linearly. Games have options, branches, game lingo, settings, impact, etc.. It's not just asking “does character A do this action Y” but “goal YZK is achieved by the exact complicated arrangements of GOHEDOTN, in order to progress branch Σ of mode O.” Often too, we are requested to reverse engineer parts of the game to make an appropriate working non-hazardous patch file, so the game emulates the origin language narratives as close as the target language can yield. Meaning, game design elements need to be considered as well as testing and quality assurance. Making game localization one of the most expensive media to localize, while also one of the most cut-throat professions that budgetaries eliminate first.

So depending how large and convoluted the game is, you're asking in the tens thousands and up. Maybe up to a million and some change. It reads like a lot, but recall, every part of game localization needs to be tested, retested, and attested. It's not as simple as transcribing a visual novel, even if some VNs break conventions and standards.

And unlike most cut-throat localizers, I am politically, financial, and media literate, meaning, I shan’t be asking for Iranian Rial when I know I can ask for Kuwaiti dinar. I want to be compensated fairly, and anyone I hire to work I know I will need to iron out work that I am not strong in.
Say e.g. the game is a rhythm-music game, I already know I will need to hire a sound editor to assure the localized songs emulate more than just voice synthesized melodies, no? I know my strengths and weaknesses. I also know the importance of having another person than a client and I review our work, and mediate conflicts. Last thing I want is to get sued for not owning rights to the work that was commissioned. NDAs cost plenty more than doing open commissions.