The video game industry is growing very fast. In this scenario, it’s imperative for creators to establish a localization strategy that enables them to effectively penetrate the global market.
In order to do that, taking assistance from Professional video game localization services is the right way to go about it. These services help companies understand the target market.
And how it is important to publish content that could be accept by the audience given the different set of cultural values and traditions.
Choosing The Right Localization Management Platform
Anything that is done at a higher level needs adequate research and collaborative effort. Hence, it is the responsibility of the game publisher to choose the appropriate localization management platform that buttresses their localization demands in the long haul.
Many video game publishers find it very difficult to adjust their localization strategies with their business goals. The reason behind this aspect is the notion that they aim to make a global brand, but refuse to give a personalized gaming experience to their users.
This eventually does not sit well with the gaming audience and they are unable to trust your brand. And once that trust is unable to develop, it leads to an unsuccessful attempt at expanding the game to a border market audience.
In this article, we will share some important points that will help video game publishers to ameliorate their localization strategy.
What Can Be Done To Build A Successful Localization Strategy?
The first thing that video game publishers should do is they should construct a proper plan. This plan will lay out the entire journey to target the global market.
Within that plan, there are some important factors that need to be implement. So let’s discuss them
-
Knowing Your Consumer Audience
The first step in the localization strategy is to conduct thorough research on the target market. The research will give insights into the consumer audience. And then you will be able to create content that caters to their specific needs.
Talking To The Local Audience
You have to start off by talking to the local people of that market. This research will let you know the specific preferences and tastes of the market. Game localization services will help publishers understand the nuances and intricacies of the target market.
And most importantly, directly asking consumers about your video game and if they would ever consider purchasing that, will provide you with a potential return from the market.
Seeking Potential Markets
This research will enable you to funnel out the potential markets for your video games. Considering the diversity of culture and regions.
It is an obvious factor that not every game is going to be in high demand. Therefore, seeking out the best market for your video game is the prior step in the localization strategy.
-
Understanding The Locales
Before a video game is introduced into a market, the brand makes its presence known first. This step is made to understand what brand positioning sits well with the market. Hence, saving the company from offending the locales in any way or form.
Successful Positioning
Every video game that is popular in a particular region is due to the successful positioning of the company in the minds of the consumers. If they are successful in making an impression with the local culture, the chances of the locals accepting the offering will probably increase as well.
Customer-Centric Localization
Video games that are widely popular globally are not due to a universal brand strategy. Rather, they have been able to focus on their localization strategy as per the needs of the people. And which games excite them.
Example
Let’s take the example of Pakistan and India, countries where the game of cricket is very popular. If Sony decides to introduce a baseball video game in these regions, the probability of it becoming successful would be very low.
Hence, if the industry is aware that the local audience is more fanatic about cricket than they will ever be about baseball, the chances of launching a successful video game would be more.
-
Focusing More On Localization Than Translation
Brand localization cannot be done effectively if the translation aspect is not addressed efficiently. But the thing with most video game publishers is that they limit their strategies. And are unable to go beyond the translation process.
Aim Is To Ensure Adaptability Of The Video Game
Businesses assume that just because they have converted the content from one language to another, it’s good to go.
Fundamentally, there are several tenets that need to be consider when localization is done. The aim is to secure the adaptability of the content rather than making it just readable for the market.
Internationalization
In the case of video game localization, a global launch cannot be done without conducting internationalization. In this process, we see that multiple agencies like Chinese Localization Services take up the task of localizing games for international markets.
Collaboration Of Developers And Translators
However, the best way to go about is to acquire developers that can collectively collaborate with professional translators, rather than translating content after the game is develope. The better approach would be to localize it simultaneously.
This would not only work for market penetration but will also reduce the costs and other resources incurred during the localization process.
Benefit Of Collaboration
Moreover, the greatest benefit of this collaboration would be that the video game would not have to be localize separately for another market. Thereby, reducing a lot of time and effort.
Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of the developer and the localization team to ensure that the date and formatting are do according to the regional specificities.
And most importantly, the payment options are make available in the local language of the market audience.
-
Analyzing Competitors
One step that can help video game publishers to stand out from the crowd is to closely analyze the strategies adopted by their competitors. This will help them in analyzing markets.
Moreover, they will observe what steps worked for their competitor might work for them, or strategies that did not work for their competitors. Ultimately, it would guide them to what they should or should not do.
A lot of video game publishers were able to observe their competitors and what they did in their respective markets. The aim is never to emulate what others are doing but to learn from their experiences.
Once that experience is attain, organizations get the opportunity to create their own brand identity. And in today’s age, brand identity is essential for localization.
-
Taking Help From local Translators
The only way a game is going to be successfully localize is if the firm hires local translators. Local translators will have the ability to make the content culturally friendly. Hence, all the cultural complexities and nuances will be take care of.
Moreover, the local translators will also know what material will sit well with the consumer audience. Hence, the trial and error strategy would never have to be implement, making the duration of the localization project much shorter.
Conclusion
Establishing a strong localization strategy is one of the most important factors, if not the most, in terms of international expansion. If this strategy is conduct effectively, it will allow games to become popular in a shorter period of time.
In this article, we discussed the strategies that ameliorate the localization of video game companies. However, every strategy has its own pros and cons. Companies just have to find the best fit for them.
