Samuel Allen
@samuelallentl.bsky.social
Freelance Tabletop/Video Game Translator (JP→EN)
フリーランス翻訳者：デジタル・アナログゲーム（日→英）
He/Him | 日本語OK! | FFXIV@Coeurl
フリーランス翻訳者：デジタル・アナログゲーム（日→英）
He/Him | 日本語OK! | FFXIV@Coeurl
Reposted by Samuel Allen
I let them know my thoughts and I highly encourage everyone to as well.
Discord wants to know how you feel about AI.
Go tell them: discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Go tell them: discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:12 PM
I let them know my thoughts and I highly encourage everyone to as well.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
We translate books because reading, writing, creating, sharing with others, bridging cultures and communicating are human activities that give us a reason to live. Take the human element out, and what even is the point? Why do it if humans are not enjoying the process or the product?
January 10, 2026 at 6:45 AM
We translate books because reading, writing, creating, sharing with others, bridging cultures and communicating are human activities that give us a reason to live. Take the human element out, and what even is the point? Why do it if humans are not enjoying the process or the product?
New paints day 🥳
December 29, 2025 at 6:28 AM
New paints day 🥳
Reposted by Samuel Allen
December 21, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by Samuel Allen
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Concept Artists Say Generative AI References Only Make Their Jobs Harder
“The ‘early ideation stages’, when worlds are being fleshed out by writers and artists, are literally crucial to the development of a game’s vision,” said one artist.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.
thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Reposted by Samuel Allen
This includes voice actors and outsourced localizers, btw! #TranslatorsintheCredits
(Looking at you, "Tales of" series, for leaving these people out of the credits despite reporting that 70% of players now come from overseas: bsky.app/profile/lizb...)
(Looking at you, "Tales of" series, for leaving these people out of the credits despite reporting that 70% of players now come from overseas: bsky.app/profile/lizb...)
December 19, 2025 at 7:23 PM
This includes voice actors and outsourced localizers, btw! #TranslatorsintheCredits
(Looking at you, "Tales of" series, for leaving these people out of the credits despite reporting that 70% of players now come from overseas: bsky.app/profile/lizb...)
(Looking at you, "Tales of" series, for leaving these people out of the credits despite reporting that 70% of players now come from overseas: bsky.app/profile/lizb...)
Reposted by Samuel Allen
I wrote a piece about translation earlier in the year, talking about how a good translation isn't, and can't be, just matching words one-for-one:
whatever.scalzi.com/2025/02/03/h...
whatever.scalzi.com/2025/02/03/h...
How Translation Works, Book Title Edition
As any translator will tell you, translating a piece of fiction isn’t about simply transcribing words one-to-one from one language to another. It’s about capturing a vibe — making…
whatever.scalzi.com
December 18, 2025 at 10:15 PM
I wrote a piece about translation earlier in the year, talking about how a good translation isn't, and can't be, just matching words one-for-one:
whatever.scalzi.com/2025/02/03/h...
whatever.scalzi.com/2025/02/03/h...
Reposted by Samuel Allen
We can do even more.
December 17, 2025 at 8:05 AM
We can do even more.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
This is messed up on so many levels. As a writer and reader the thought that bots will scrape your book and make up stuff about it, influencing a reader's enjoyment and understanding of a story is just insulting. More people need to quit Amazon.
December 12, 2025 at 10:52 PM
This is messed up on so many levels. As a writer and reader the thought that bots will scrape your book and make up stuff about it, influencing a reader's enjoyment and understanding of a story is just insulting. More people need to quit Amazon.
Replaying Hades before Hades 2, and boy, this game is fantastic. Better than, even. Snappy writing, challenging yet surmountable combat, charming characters, heartwarming story...the list goes on and on.
November 29, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Replaying Hades before Hades 2, and boy, this game is fantastic. Better than, even. Snappy writing, challenging yet surmountable combat, charming characters, heartwarming story...the list goes on and on.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Good literary translation requires understanding (language, culture, genre--on both sides of the translation) and an ability to write well. "AI" can't do that. There are no shortcuts. Treat your work and foreign language readers with the respect they deserve. You won't fool anyone with this.
Amazon has launched a new AI-driven translation service, Kindle Translate, for Kindle Direct Publishing authors 👇 #BookSky
Amazon launches AI translation service for indie authors
ebx.sh
November 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Good literary translation requires understanding (language, culture, genre--on both sides of the translation) and an ability to write well. "AI" can't do that. There are no shortcuts. Treat your work and foreign language readers with the respect they deserve. You won't fool anyone with this.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
"To translate is not simply to transfer meaning but to attend to differences—of culture, time, thought, expression—that evade perfect alignment." www.theatlantic.com/books/2025/1...
The Costs of Instant Translation
AI might soon rob us of the thrill and challenge of cross-cultural conversation.
www.theatlantic.com
November 15, 2025 at 10:44 AM
"To translate is not simply to transfer meaning but to attend to differences—of culture, time, thought, expression—that evade perfect alignment." www.theatlantic.com/books/2025/1...
Reposted by Samuel Allen
I wrote more words about how it feels to be a translator watching the games press report on AI and labor, coming from a field that's fought these battles for decades. It may look like I'm beating up on one outlet, but it's not about them; I've been trying to write this for me and my peers all year.
You Can't Report on Hunger While Taking Bread Off the Table
On the proliferation of machine translation in video game outlets covering the effects of AI on labor.
dateemups.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I wrote more words about how it feels to be a translator watching the games press report on AI and labor, coming from a field that's fought these battles for decades. It may look like I'm beating up on one outlet, but it's not about them; I've been trying to write this for me and my peers all year.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Put simply, SE's LQA testers take a proactive role in the final stages of localization and ensure that our final edits are as spotless as possible. While the translators and editors SE hires are quite talented, QA always deserves credit for making sure our vision is, in fact, implemented correctly.
November 6, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Put simply, SE's LQA testers take a proactive role in the final stages of localization and ensure that our final edits are as spotless as possible. While the translators and editors SE hires are quite talented, QA always deserves credit for making sure our vision is, in fact, implemented correctly.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Tell your favorite artists you love their work
September 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Tell your favorite artists you love their work
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Repeat after us: 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.
• Nothing is linear
• You often get the texts in disarray
• Different UIs, menus, dialog styles mean different contexts
• Also no one can translate more than 2-3k words a day without sacrificing quality, proofreading & LQA.
• Nothing is linear
• You often get the texts in disarray
• Different UIs, menus, dialog styles mean different contexts
• Also no one can translate more than 2-3k words a day without sacrificing quality, proofreading & LQA.
Sometimes I wonder why people say Reddit is a cesspool.
Then I read things like this, and I get it.
Then I read things like this, and I get it.
September 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Repeat after us: 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.
• Nothing is linear
• You often get the texts in disarray
• Different UIs, menus, dialog styles mean different contexts
• Also no one can translate more than 2-3k words a day without sacrificing quality, proofreading & LQA.
• Nothing is linear
• You often get the texts in disarray
• Different UIs, menus, dialog styles mean different contexts
• Also no one can translate more than 2-3k words a day without sacrificing quality, proofreading & LQA.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
I never post here, but i found out my book was used to train AI, so now I'm doing my part to try and bankrupt those fucksticks.
Got a book? Let's sue 'em together!
Got a book? Let's sue 'em together!
Just a reminder to check for your name in this list of books that OpenAI trained from. If your name is there, they probably owe you several thousand dollars.
OpenAI cried that if everyone eligible author files, the company will go bankrupt, so I'm alerting every author I have ever spoken to.
OpenAI cried that if everyone eligible author files, the company will go bankrupt, so I'm alerting every author I have ever spoken to.
Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI
Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.
www.theatlantic.com
September 6, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I never post here, but i found out my book was used to train AI, so now I'm doing my part to try and bankrupt those fucksticks.
Got a book? Let's sue 'em together!
Got a book? Let's sue 'em together!
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Unicorn Overlord Cosplay ?? 👀
I see so few of them ! Despite the video game being amazing ? 😱
I don't know if this will interest someone but...
I finished my Virginia cosplay ! ✨
Honestly very happy with the result of it 😁
#unicornoverlord #cosplaymaker #cosplay
I see so few of them ! Despite the video game being amazing ? 😱
I don't know if this will interest someone but...
I finished my Virginia cosplay ! ✨
Honestly very happy with the result of it 😁
#unicornoverlord #cosplaymaker #cosplay
July 24, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Unicorn Overlord Cosplay ?? 👀
I see so few of them ! Despite the video game being amazing ? 😱
I don't know if this will interest someone but...
I finished my Virginia cosplay ! ✨
Honestly very happy with the result of it 😁
#unicornoverlord #cosplaymaker #cosplay
I see so few of them ! Despite the video game being amazing ? 😱
I don't know if this will interest someone but...
I finished my Virginia cosplay ! ✨
Honestly very happy with the result of it 😁
#unicornoverlord #cosplaymaker #cosplay
KPop Demon Hunters was super good! The animation is slick and the music is really catchy 🎶
July 25, 2025 at 2:12 PM
KPop Demon Hunters was super good! The animation is slick and the music is really catchy 🎶
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Finished this piece and I feel i'm not gonna try to go further (I lost so much patience for background detailing, but it's still acceptable"
But behold, my FF14 ttrpg party!
#ffxiv #ttrpg #illustration
But behold, my FF14 ttrpg party!
#ffxiv #ttrpg #illustration
July 17, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Finished this piece and I feel i'm not gonna try to go further (I lost so much patience for background detailing, but it's still acceptable"
But behold, my FF14 ttrpg party!
#ffxiv #ttrpg #illustration
But behold, my FF14 ttrpg party!
#ffxiv #ttrpg #illustration
Reposted by Samuel Allen
We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
July 10, 2025 at 7:47 PM
We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
Reposted by Samuel Allen
Boycott all publishers using GenAi.
July 9, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Boycott all publishers using GenAi.
