Why is Localization Important For Your Game’s Global Success?

The gaming industry is an ever-revolutionary industry where technological advances are a daily thing. Here, gaming technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, cloud gaming, AI, etc all have contributed to making games not just a pleasurable activity but a full-fledged career opportunity. And then there arrives gaming localization which further revolutionizes the gaming industry and makes it easy for foreign audiences to access different games. Here, the role of  game localization services is extremely important as they localize games for different platforms as well as make them accessible for diverse linguistic and culturally different audiences.

In this specific read, we are going to talk about the role of game localization in giving your game a makeover so that it is understandable and comprehensible for global gaming audiences. So let’s delve in and talk about it in detail.

More Than Just Translation

Localizing a game is much more different and bigger than translating it. Cultural adaptability is one of the most differentiating features of localization. In order to localize your game, seeking help from the best game localization services is the perfect solution. Today, there are an uncountable number of games being played by millions of gamers. Linguistic and cultural barriers often pose difficulties where gamers can’t enjoy games up to their full potential. Here localization enters and saves the day. It adapts games to the demands and requirements of a specific market individually.

The reason why localization is more than translation is because it is about crafting compelling content for a new region. Preserving the tone, style, and user experience of a game is the main goal. There are multiple examples where mere translation changed the whole meaning of the gaming text which led to the downfall of the game. For instance, “Zero Wing” is a Japanese video game, launched in 1989. It is an arcade shooting game that became very popular based on its graphics and other gaming features. The game was translated into English for its English fans being great in number.

The opening cutscene of the game, when translated into English, sounded so strange and hilarious that it instantly turned into a meme. The phrase in English became, “All your base are belong to us”. However, the original translation from Japanese was “With the help of Federation government forces, CATS has taken all of your bases”. This mistake in literal translation turned out to be a meme and is famous even today in the gaming circle. There are a few more mistranslation examples from Zero Wing which clearly depict how badly games need localization to make sense in the multilingual and multicultural gaming world.

Basic Japanese Translation	Original Script	Game’s English Version
Incoming visual on the main screen	通信士：メインスクリーンにビジョンが来きます。	Main screen turn on
Treasure what little time you have left to live	せいぜい残のこり少すくない命いのちを、大切たいせつにしたまえ・・・・。	You have no chance to survive make your time

Esports Tournaments and Game Localization

One of the major effects of game localization can be seen in esports tournaments. Games like Minecraft, Super Mario, etc are played internationally because of their successful localization. With the influx of esports tournaments, the demand for localization has further enhanced. Gamers from all over the world take part in these tournaments and it is only and only because of localization that international players are able to play these games. International players get to understand the language, gameplay, and other cultural and functional features of the games which leads to their excellent performance in the competitions.

Factor of Cultural Adaptation

The cultural adaptability factor is the main item that is enough to level up the benefits of localization from that of translation. Video games are based on certain cultural and historical elements. These elements might not relate to every regional audience and this is where with localization, these games are adapted for the audiences. For example, in the United States and Europe, video games are mostly based on Norse mythology (belonging to a Scandinavian tribe that liked to spend the long, dark winter evenings telling stories about monsters, gods, and heroes). These mythological games are not that relatable for Asian gamers. So with localization, these role-playing games such as “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Ragnarök Edition”, “Jotun” and “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” are localized.

Compatibility With Other Platforms

Thanks to game localization services, now players have access to games irrespective of the cultural and linguistic barriers. Not only do they localize textual and graphic elements of the games but also make them platform adaptable. It means that games that were being played on PCs and consoles are now accessible on mobiles and tablets. Hence, now games are present on just one touch of your phone and individuals can play them anywhere. In order to make sure that your gaming apps resonate with the target audience, you need to hire a professional app localization company.

Final Words!

To sum up, localization brings forward a new version of your game for international audiences, making sure that they can indulge in your game. The success of esports tournaments is all because of game localization which is worth mentioning here. The more international audiences can enjoy your game, the more revenue will your game generate in the gaming market. And hence, you can easily enter the global gaming market and have a competitive advantage over your rivals. Thus, in order to enjoy global success, you need to hire  professional translators with years of experience. Get help from a professional translation company, revamp your game, and boost your gaming business in international markets.