Impact of Game Localization on Player Experience

Localization is an important part when introducing a new concept or product in the society. It works on the principle of adaptation where the foreign concept is made local with the target audience. Game localization is a type of localization where a specific industry, the game industry, enters the global market by making its content local. It means that games that originally belong to another language and culture are adapted with the language and culture of the target audience to enhance reach and status.

There are several organizations that offer gaming translation services to specifically translate the language of the game. Other than translation, localization services are also important.

Significance of Game Localization

Game localization is the process where a game is localized according to the language, culture, and other aspects of a target audience. The purpose of creating video games is to provide a platform for fun. Recently games have even bestowed their players with careers. Gaming industry is a whole new world for designers, audio engineers, animators and many other people. Games are not made for a specific community. Rather the more a game is played, the more fame and appreciation it gains. When a game comes under the banner of game localization, only then it shoots for betterment.

Different people and a whole new system is in need to set a game for an audience whose language, culture and norms differ from the source one. Localization is the umbrella that covers this aspect of a game where it turns it to a localized game. This localized game is according to the culture and language of the target language. It is necessary for a game to be local so that it reaches a bigger audience. You can reach out to a professional translation agency which can help to localize the game for a global community.

How Game Localization Impacts Player Experience

Game localization has a direct impact on the player experience. Players are the most exposed to games. Any issue is first noticed by them. So if a game lacks something the player experience will drastically drop, hence you will get a bad review for the game. For a better gaming experience, the game should be in full adaptation to the language, culture, graphics and preferences of a certain group of audience. For example, Far Cry is a leading first-person shooting game, actually made in the German language. It was localized into 15 languages. Far Cry’s developer, Ubisoft Montreal, is currently in the making of the Far Cry 7 franchise. Hence, it depicts that localization has a direct and a drastic effect on player experience.

2.1. Know the Type of Audience

Before localizing your game, it is important to know the type of audience. It is better to know whether the target audience has an interest in the game or not. Knowing the needs of the target audience helps in better communication with the developers. Knowing the type of audience helps developers develop or update certain features.

2.2. Globalization

In this era of globalization, every business makes sure to attract more and more customers to enhance their worth in the foreign market. It also causes the original meaning and intent of the game to capture more audience. In addition to attracting more potential gamers, game localization makes an industry appear in the foreign market.

2.3. Boosts the Number of Players

 A localized game sends a signal to the audience that their needs and preferences were important to the developers. It also enhances the number of players and reserves a spot for the game in the global market.

2.4. Censorship – An Important Factor

Games contain such scenes that need to be censored for the target audience. The difference of culture is one of the main reasons for censorship. software translation services are necessary to insert this factor in the game. Developers utilize the algorithm of the game in such a way that it improves the user experience. Game localization can only be seamless when all the factors of player experience depict localization. Therefore, it is important for businesses to pay special attention to player experience if their end goal is generation of greater revenue.

2.5. Increased Revenue

Game localization generates great revenue for the game industry. Reaching to a greater number of audience enhances good reviews and these reviews are directly proportional to revenue. In other words, this revenue increases the quality of the game and developers produce more franchises or sequels of the game.

Takeaways

Game localization has directly affected the game industry. Localization offers a new ground where game manufacturers can enhance their player experience by inculcating several options from the player’s point of view. A perfect example of game localization is a game’s adaptation according to the target audiences’ culture and language. Also, a great player experience makes sure that the game appears on top of the games in terms of the user experience. Above all, game localization is one of the most important factors that impacts player experience.