In our increasingly interconnected world, localized content has become a must-have if you hope to expand into global markets. This is no different for the video game industry. You cannot expect to make a game solely targeted at one audience and hope to have that same version be successful across all cultures and languages. This is where video game localization comes into play. By making linguistic and cultural adjustments to the content and format of your game, you can feel confident that you will relate to a much wider audience. Optimizing your game for various languages and cultures will make your player base feel more connected to your game, and make it easier for them to enjoy playing. Below are three of the main reasons why video game localization is so important when considering taking your game into new markets.
Video Game Localization Ensures Content Relevance
One of the most important aspects of video game localization is ensuring that the content of your game will be relevant to your target audience. This process involves making adjustments to your game’s content to ensure it is in line with different cultural and linguistic practices. For example, when playing a game made in the U.S. that references various U.S. historical figures, the significance of these references may be lost upon global audiences. Video game localization can work to fix this by adapting the references to fit with the different cultures the game is localized for. This ensures that players across cultures will have a similar playing experience and will be able to relate to the content and references in a similar manner. Making these seemingly small adjustments can have a huge impact on a player’s experience with the game.
Video Game Localization Accompanies Professional Translation
In order to bring your game into global markets, you must use professional translation services. Not only is it important for comprehension purposes to have all of the dialogue and printed text translated properly, it also reflects well upon you and your brand. Having fully accurate translation in your game demonstrates that you put an equal amount of effort into every version of the game you put out. This, again, can make your player base feel more connected to you and your game, and will encourage a more positive play experience. Video game localization works together with translation by going a step beyond simply translating word-for-word. Localization considers how various cultural and linguistic norms could alter a translation. For example, a game created in the U.S., in English, with a riddle that is solved based on clever word play would not translate well if you simply used direct translation. Localization could be employed here to have a similar riddle that was adapted to the linguistic differences of another language to make the player experience similar across different versions of the game.
Further, you should strive to work with language service companies that have a professional and specialized translation staff with experience across a wide range of industries, like that of Language Connections. Especially for video game localization, you need to ensure that your translators have experience in the industry and possess an in-depth knowledge of the common terminology and formats used in video game translation. By choosing a professional translator, you are ensuring quality work for your game.
Localization Ensures Thoughtful Design
Lastly, you need to ensure that the design of your game is properly adjusted based on the language and culture for which you are localizing your game. If you have subtitling, for example, this could include changing the allotted space for the subtitles depending on the language, or it could look like adjusting graphics to fit around words that may be different lengths depending on the language they are translated into. Additionally, this component of localization deals with making any graphic adjustments to make your game more accessible and relatable to audiences across cultures. This integral part of localization ensures that each player feels a connection to the game and has an enjoyable experience.
When thinking about video game localization, you should consider working with a professional language service company that can handle all required translation and localization services for your game. At Language Connections, with over 30 years of experience, a professional translation and localization staff, and services for over 100 languages, you can be assured we are more than prepared to help you with your next video game localization project.
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, localization services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
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