Why are localisation workers regularly left out of game credits?

eurogamer.net:

This month's launch of the widely-celebrated Baldur's Gate 3 highlighted the often-overlooked topic of video game credits, and the fact that many people who work for hundreds of hours on a project sometimes still do not get their name recognised. But why does this happen? And what is being done — across developers, publishers, localisation companies and industry bodies — to ensure the situation improves?

I've spoken to staff past and present at Altagram, the company which was publicly highlighted for failing to list its freelance localisation staff in Baldur's Gate 3 credits, as well as localisation freelancers and the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), to find out.

Below, Altagram's CEO also offers an explanation for what went wrong specifically with Baldur's Gate 3 — something they claim was simply an innocent mistake, after Larian previously asked for freelancer names to be provided.

It should be simple, right? If you work on a game you should see your name in its credits — especially if your contributions amount to years of work, translating thousands of words. But in reality, it's anything but simple — with contracts and decisions made between video game developers, publishers and companies hired for localisation services typically drawing a line somewhere, and often leaving out staff who are not management, not permanent, or those who are a subcontractor of a subcontractor, or an intern.

«I didn't get credited for 50 games before getting a Special Thanks note because I knew a director,» one localisation specialist told me. (Eurogamer has agreed to keep the names of those we spoke to for this piece anonymous if requested, due to fears that speaking out will harm their career.) «That finally got me