Global gaming – the importance of gaming localization and translation today
Games have grown from an Atari of dots and pixels in the ‘80s, based around the simplest of concepts, to the huge, sprawling worlds – some the size of a small country – that are now commonplace on consoles and PCs today. In the USA alone, the gaming industry is now worth around $250bn and is set to grow. With the presence of the Xbox Game Store and its rivals, such as Steam and the PlayStation Store, there’s no need for a physical copy of a game to be shipped anymore. A game can now be released anywhere, anytime, in any territory.
But innovation doesn’t require a disruptive and painful means of deployment.
Games being a globalized industry means the game must now be global – requiring localization services. Gaming localization and translation are critical parts of that. It’s not only a case of ensuring that menus and instructions are translated – it is about localizing the whole game experience. That includes subtitling or, for big-budget titles, dubbing and voice-overs and a whole new audio production assignment. It includes translating game instructions and ideas in ways users will respond to – a mid-point meeting between translation and game design. Localization also includes marketing the game and ensuring it is brought to worldwide players in a way that resonates with them. These are all part of Acclaro’s gaming localization services.
Humorous game (mis)translations have taken on their own lives – the phrase ‘All your base belong to us’ from the 1989 Megadrive game Zero Wing became popular on internet message boards around ten years ago – and you can still while away your time today browsing such mishaps. But no serious developer today would accept their vision being distorted through rushed, improvised translations.
At Acclaro, we’ve been deeply involved in the gaming industry for a long time. Our expertise has helped companies and developers such as Xbox, Spil Games, EA, Microsoft, and Wunderman Thompson succeed in a variety of markets. We take pride in the service we provide to our gaming clients, not just in terms of the pleasure of translating a game for a new audience, but also in our unwavering commitment to quality.
If you’re ready to take your game to the next level and expand your potential market to include Mexico as much as Marseille or Manchester, we’re here to help. As your professional localization partner, we can handle an exceptional level of attention to detail, quality commitment, and nuance regarding the differing requirements of subtitles versus voice-overs and dubbing. Get in touch and let’s make your game a global success.
