What is Game Localisation?

Game localisation is the process of adapting a game or its marketing content to different cultures and language audiences. It involves translating, localising, and adapting content so that gamers around the world can enjoy their favourite games in their native language or with culturally appropriate content. By localising a game for different cultures, developers can expand their reach and create an even larger fan base for their games.

Depending on the needs of the particular project, gaming localisation can involve a range of services including software and website localisation, translating audio files and voice-overs, creating culturally appropriate artwork and graphics, designing localised user interfaces, providing multilingual customer support, and more. At a minimum, marketing materials such as websites, social media accounts, and press releases should be localised to ensure a consistent message across all channels.

Is Game Localisation Worth the Investment?

In short, yes. Game localisation is a type of internationalisation that allows game developers and publishers to reach new audiences, increase their user base, and generate more revenue. By 2027, the video game industry’s market volume is projected to reach around US$285 billion. On a per-country basis, the American market dominates, but regionally, Asia is expected to contribute US$156.40 billion to that figure. This means that for gaming brands that want to maximise their potential and reach the highest possible number of users, localised gaming is essential.

Taking the time to localise a game is an investment that pays off in the long run, as it helps to cultivate loyal players and expand your global presence beyond English-speaking countries. Consider, for example, that China is one of the world’s largest gaming markets and home to around 685 million gamers. However, when it comes to the number of people in China who speak English, estimates range from only around 1% to 6%. If developers want to reach this massive audience, localisation is essential.

Localisation for Game Brands That Want to Reach a Global Audience

How Can Localisation Help My Gaming Business?

There are countless benefits to game localisation for companies looking to reach global audiences. It’s an excellent way to make your game more accessible and appealing to players in different markets, increasing its potential for success. Here are some of the benefits that game localisation can deliver.

Increase Player Engagement and Retention

Localising your game for different cultures and regions makes it more engaging and enjoyable for players, which increases the likelihood of them continuing to play. Players are more likely to commit to a game they can understand and relate to, so taking the time to localise your game can lead to increased player engagement and retention.

Increase the Lifetime Value of Your Players

Following on from the above point, a well-localised game can also help to boost your players’ lifetime value (LTV). Utilising a localisation services provider to localise your game encourages players to form a connection with your brand, and in turn, become more loyal customers. The more satisfied and engaged they are, the more likely they are to spend money within your game.

Increase Your Revenue Potential

By properly localising your game and its marketing material, you can increase its potential revenue by reaching a much wider audience. Imagine how many untapped revenue streams you could be leaving behind if you only release your game in English. Translation and localisation services help you to open up new revenue streams and maximise the return on your investment.

Expand your Player Base Internationally

Localising your game opens the door to players in far-reaching corners of the world. You can expand your player base and tap into markets that would otherwise be inaccessible, giving you the chance to reach a much larger audience. From a little-known brand to an international sensation, gaming localisation helps you to increase your reach and stand out from the competition.

Improve Your Brand’s Reputation

Trust and credibility require more than just a name and logo. By investing in gaming localisation, you demonstrate to existing and potential players that your brand is reliable, reputable, and serious about its work. You’re also showing them that you value them as players, which fosters a sense of loyalty and helps to build a strong, positive association with your brand.

How Can I Deliver Seamless Localisation Solutions for my Game Brand?

There’s no denying that gaming localisation is a significant undertaking. It requires expertise in multiple disciplines, such as linguistics, cultural studies, voice acting, graphic design, and more. This is why most gaming companies choose to partner with a localisation service provider. A professional localisation agency helps to ensure that your game is properly localised for international players and markets and that nothing gets lost in translation.

It’s easy to go wrong with gaming localisation, so it’s important to partner with a provider that understands the complexities of the process and can provide you with the support and guidance you need. The best way to make sure of this is to work with a localisation company that is familiar with the gaming industry and understands the unique challenges that come with localising a game.

You can approach localisation as a joint venture between your team and the localisation service providers. By working together, you’re better positioned to create a strategy that takes all the nuances of game localisation into account. This extends from the design elements to the linguistic details and more. By doing this, you can guarantee that your international players will get an experience that’s tailored to their culture and language.

What Technologies Can Help with Game Localisation?

We are lucky to live in an era where technology has become so advanced that it can help us with almost any task. When it comes to game localisation, technology can be used to streamline the process and ensure a seamless transition from one language to another. Here are some of the most popular technologies used to help with translation and localisation projects.

Translation Management Systems (TMS)

Translation Management Systems are designed to simplify the localisation process and make it easier for teams to collaborate on large-scale projects. TMS tools provide a centralized platform where project managers can manage resources, track progress, and collaborate with localisation company translators.

Content Management Systems

If you’ve ever had to manage large amounts of online content, you’ll know how tedious and time-consuming it can be. Content Management Systems allow teams to easily manage their gaming localisation content in one central location, which saves time and ensures that all content is up to date.

Machine Translation Engines

Machine translation technologies are designed to quickly and accurately translate large amounts of text in multiple languages. These tools use advanced algorithms to automate the process, which greatly reduces the time and cost associated with translation and localisation. However, it’s important to remember that machine translations should be used in conjunction with human translators to ensure there are no errors.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Natural Language Processing is a type of artificial intelligence that can be used to analyze and process large amounts of text data. It allows teams to quickly identify patterns and trends in their data, which can be used to improve the accuracy of translations.

Reporting Tools

Reporting tools are designed to help teams track the progress of their localisation projects and identify any potential issues. By using reporting tools, you can make sure that everyone on your team is always up to date on the progress of the project and can quickly make adjustments as needed.

Project Management Software

Project management software is designed to help teams collaborate on complex tasks and ensure that they are achieved in a timely manner. With project management software, you can assign tasks, track progress, and monitor the status of your translation and localisation projects.

Content & Design Integration Tools

Text is just one part of localisation; visuals and design elements need to be localised as well. Content & design integration tools help teams quickly and efficiently integrate text with visuals and design elements in multiple languages. This ensures that the localised version of your game looks and plays just as well as the original.