Gaming Industry Whitepaper

Localization: The Starting Point for Global Success in the Gaming Industry

The gaming industry is going through its best moment in history. Playing video games is one of the most widespread forms of entertainment on a global scale. It’s no longer a niche activity. And it’s not only children who are playing video games. Video game enthusiasts are of all nationalities and ages. And gamer culture has become a hobby that also gives employment opportunities.

From game development itself, to e-sports, to specialized media companies. The gaming industry is diverse and growing. And, if your company wants to expand to new locales, it’s essential that you acknowledge and bridge linguistic and cultural differences between you and your target audience.

If you’re a game developer looking to expand internationally, you’ll need to conduct market research and recognize expansion opportunities. The dynamism that characterizes this industry creates business possibilities at every step. But you can’t expand everywhere at once. A targeted approach will make it possible for you to pay particular attention to your new target audience, and learn from the process. Any lessons from previous expansion efforts will make your new international ventures more strategically precise and effective. But what steps should you take to start expanding internationally? Should you translate your game?

A simple translation is not enough to guarantee a quality gaming experience. Localizing your game (adapting it to cultural, linguistic, technical, and regulatory standards) is essential for your expansion efforts. Localization is about bridging the cultural and linguistic gap between the game and the player, so regardless of where they are, they can experience your game to the fullest.

Localization is an essential process. If possible, you should presuppose it and set the stage for it in your product development process.

In this free ebook, we will tell you everything you know about the international gaming landscape, the role of localization, as well as how and where to expand. Besides, we will explore the challenges of game localization and share best practices to achieve up-to-par results.