Often there are a lot of discussion on why games are not localized. Often the time and cost of translation are said to be the restricting parameters. 

As I was looking on the Yooka-Laylee Kickstarter site ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/playtonic/yooka-laylee-a-3d-platformer-rare-vival ) I noticed that these experienced ex-Rare developers estimated an EU translation/localization (I assume this is is including voice-acting) to cost £50 000 (~$75,000).

Let's say that the developers get $20 - $30 for each copy sold: This means that Playtonics estimates that a EU translation/localization (4+1 languages) is profitable if the game sells more than approximately 2500 - 4000 extra copies. (the maths: $75000/$30 and $75000/$20). In this particular case the developers probably get less than $20 as the price for the game probably is not full price ($60).

Conclusion: Experienced developers estimates that translation/localization is profitable with less than 5000 extra copies sold.

Thoughts?

The costs of localization are mostly on the translations, specially on text-heavy games and if voice acting is included. Most of the time, a game in english could be located everywhere and sell well enough to make a profit.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there are more factors to a translation that decide it's cost.
Yooka-Laylee for example will likely use gibberish voices, like Banjo-Kazooie did, so there will be no additional cost for local voice actors.
Also in the grand scheme of things there's probably not that much text to translate to begin with in a 3D platformer. I would expect an epic JRPG/RPG or visual novel with multiple coversation paths, possibly diffrent endings and full voice acting and a lot of additional lore/flavor texts to be much more expensive to localize.
So I guess it really depends on the type of game you're talking about when it comes to te localization cost.

I think they're underestimating the cost. Translating is one thing, actually releasing it in a bunch of other countries is another.

Also, this game should be especially light on translation and voice acting. I expect the cost to increase at least tenfold on a AAA title.

translating an english game in the EU is no problem, a japanese game, well that costs alot more and takes longer.

>It would probably only take a small team of translators a few weeks to translate a game
Clannad has almost twice more text as the Lord of the Ring trilogy. It depends on the game.

>and small team a programmers a few days to put the translated text/audio files into the game.
Not if it's Bamco coding. Of course if the devs do a good job to begin with, everything that comes will cost less, from patching to localization.

It is not written anywhere but on their stretchgoals they go from £665 000 to £715 000 (= £50 000) for the traslation goal. "Professional French, German Spanish & Italian translations. Plus extra languages voted for by ...".

I have read about this in a few articles. One problem is to fit Latin letters into the space that was reserved for the japanese logographs (?). Another problem is to fit the translated text into the programming. It is not as easy as translating a book. Also there has to be a lot of play testing to be sure the text makes sense "in game".

The original goal does not include any translation and neither does any of the other stretchgoals.

That would not be a well done budget.