Languages with Highest Potential for Game Translation
Gaming is on a roll! With a surge due to online gaming, streaming services, and affordable options, people are loving the experiences, excitement, and global connections that gaming offers. The industry already raked in a cool $152 billion in 2019, and is aiming to reach $196 billion by 2022.
Now, game companies are trying to squeeze even more profits from their games, and one sweet approach is to localize and translate them into various languages. While English might work fine for many, a localized game customized for a culture offers that next level of user experience. So, let's dive into the essential aspects before you decide to translate a game, the best languages, and the cost of localization.
What to think about before localizing your game
When mulling over localizing your game, consider the following:
- Competitor analysis: Get a grasp on what your competitors are doing in the localization space. Which languages are they translating games into? Check out how extensive their translations are.
- Cultural resonance: Look at the market data to see if your game concept will work on a global scale. Pay attention to if the game's content will be easy for other cultures to relate to, especially with local jargon and imagery. Your localization agency can help with this.
- Localization scope: A full game localization involves touching all elements, like the game description, download information, user interface, audio, subtitles, online support, code, and marketing content. At minimum, translating the game download information and keywords is a good start, as over 50% of mobile users download an app based on its first impression on the app product page.
- Download data: For online games, observe your downloads and analyze the data to find patterns. Use this information to make your localization decisions, as you might stumble upon a language you weren't considering initially.
- English proficiency index: Check out the English skills of various regions around the world. For example, the Netherlands is ranked #1 in English proficiency, while Thailand is #89.
- Internationalization: Is your code ready for localization? This process involves making modifications to handle things that may differ in various languages, such as date and time formats, addresses and phone numbers, measurement units, and more. Going through this process before localization saves time, reduces costs, and speeds up time-to-market.
- Time: Translating and localizing a game requires multiple disciplines, such as project managers, linguists, reviewers, engineers, and QA testers. Coordinating these efforts takes time, so keep an eye on deadlines and schedule accordingly. Your localization agency can assist you with scheduling.
The best languages to translate your game into
To decide on the best languages for localization, take several approaches. Here are some potential options:
- Revenue-based: The top markets by game revenue and population are leading revenue generators, although they can be tough to crack as they're highly saturated. Do extensive market research to determine whether these languages will be worth the effort.
- Emerging markets: Asia is currently the fastest-growing gaming region, with Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam on top. Latin America is also experiencing a digital boom in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.
- Competition: Compare your competition's localization strategies and find gaps in the market.
The cost of localized games
The cost of translating and localizing a game depends on several factors, including size, complexity, and scope. Factors contributing to the localization cost include:
- Scope of game translation work: You don't have to localize the entire game. Choose to do a partial translation if you prefer, focusing on the game description, keywords, and screenshots for the app stores, or move forward with a full translation that includes not only the visual elements but also the audio files for a superior user experience.
- Number of words: Translation cost varies based on the number of words and language, as some languages like Danish and Norwegian generally have higher rates compared to Vietnamese and Slovak. Utilizing translation memory and glossaries can help reduce costs over time.
- Other services: Additional charges may appear depending on the type of localization service you select, such as project management, graphics work, voiceover actors, and other costs.
Conclusion
Translating a video game is more than mere translation; it involves adapting elements such as text, audio, visuals, humor, and even advertisements for the target culture. To ensure localization is commercially successful, developers should conduct thorough analysis of the target market, competition, and market potential.
At our website, our experienced gaming teams in five global offices, with a linguist base of over 6,000 people, offer unparalleled gaming localization services. Get in touch for any queries related to gaming localization. We're here and happy to help!
- In order to maintain a competitive edge in the gaming industry, companies are exploring various strategies to maximize profits, such as localizing and translating their games into different languages.
- A game that is adapted to a culture, taking into account local nuances and jargon, often offers a better user experience than a generic translation.
- When deciding which languages to localize a game into, factors to consider include market potential, competition, and the cost-benefit analysis of targeting revenue-rich markets versus emerging ones.
