So far, we talked about a lot of stuff about video game localization. Although most of our blogs are kind of in chronological order for a complete beginner (we start with what video game localization is, move on to which languages you might prefer, the ideal team, project management, etc.), you may want all of this information but not have time to go through all of them. So, this blog is for you! We tried to put together everything we talked about in a single article so that you can have all the information in one place.
Let’s start with the very basics of video game localization.
Game localization is adapting your game to a different culture and language in order to create the illusion that your game was intended for that specific audience. It includes texts, audio, and in some cases, in-game graphics.
Game localization is extremely important for game developers and publishers to have a global presence and a bigger community worldwide. It is crucial that the localization is carried out by professional game localization specialists who are familiar with the target audience and culture.
Which Languages Are Best for Game Localization?But how to decide which languages to prioritize during the localization process especially if there is a tight budget? The answer is very simple and very hard at the same time. You should ask yourself if there are markets you want to prioritize. Do you want to focus on Europe? Do you think your game would be more successful in the Far East region? And if you still cannot find the answer, you might want to go for some European languages combined with some Asian languages. The most popular languages for game localization look like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean for the Far East region, and French, German, Spanish, Italian, English, Portuguese, and Turkish for the Europe region. Arabic also seems to be a good option since the number of speakers is quite high.
When you decide to localize your game, who takes part in the game localization process? The core members of an ideal game localization team are a project manager and two linguists (one translator, and one editor). There are different ways to localize your game: you can opt for freelancers or a game localization agency. However, we believe it would probably be easier for you to pick a full-service game localization company.
There is also a concept called “culturalization”. And you might ask how this is different from localization. I think there is a very thin line between them. Culture is obviously more emphasized when it comes to culturalization. If you want your game to be fully adapted to the target culture, culturalization is the way to go!
In order to provide the best gaming experience for your players, it’s wise to test your game both linguistically and functionally. Check if the localized versions fit the frame. Do all of the buttons work the way they are supposed to work? Are there any bugs or errors? Ensuring the game functions the way it should is crucial.
The role of clients is actually huge during the game localization process. After all, you created this game and you get to decide how you want things done. It’s best to create a style guide and a glossary to make sure the game is localized the way you want it. It is natural for game localization specialists to have some questions about the game both before and during the localization process, so we need feedback from the client to have the best result.
I think these are the most important things to have in mind before finalizing your decision about localizing your game. Of course, please do read more and talk to different agencies and people about game localization in order to be completely informed. You can head over to our blog page for detailed information about many aspects of game localization, and our door is always open if you want to chat about your localization plans 🙂
Written by
Ecenaz Batur
Marketing Specialist
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