Game Localization Services

PoliLingua offers game localization services that can help video game creators localize their work and build a global audience. Our video game translation and localization experience includes decades of expertise, the latest technological modernizations, in-depth cultural and linguistic aptitude, and attentive project management to ensure your project reaches its fullest potential.

Our game translation services have been at the top of the industry for over 20 years, prompting us to continuously refine our products to guarantee that they provide the best quality available.

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Game Localization Importance

The importance of game localization cannot be overlooked. It is an essential aspect of game development that can significantly impact a game's success in international markets. Here are some reasons why video game localization is important.

Market Expansion - Game localization helps game developers reach a broader audience, expanding their market beyond their home country or language.
Cultural Sensitivity - Localization ensures that a game's content is culturally appropriate for the target market. This includes adapting language, visuals, and references to fit the local culture and avoid any misunderstandings or cultural offenses.
Player Engagement - Players are more likely to engage with a game if it is presented in their native language. Localization can help players better understand a game's story, characters, and gameplay mechanics.
Competitive Advantage - Game localization can give developers a competitive advantage in international markets. Players are more likely to choose a game that is localized in their language and culture over one that is not.
Revenue Growth - Localizing a game can lead to increased revenue by tapping into new markets and creating more opportunities for in-game purchases, advertising, and other revenue streams.

In summary, game localization is crucial for game developers who want to reach a global audience and maximize their game's potential. It helps create a more inclusive and engaging experience for players, fosters cultural sensitivity and awareness, and can lead to increased revenue and market share.

Video Game Localization Problems

As the game industry evolves, video game localization problems become increasingly pertinent to game developers, as they strive to ensure players around the world can enjoy their games as intended.

One major video game localization problem is properly localizing aspects of game content such as dialog, setting, and items for a game that was designed with a different culture in mind. This challenge can be exacerbated when attempting to localize a video game into multiple languages.

Additionally, game developers typically must factor in time-consuming activities such as recruiting translators and playtesters from various countries and implementing the game to account for culturally specific approaches to game design.

List of Common Game Localization Problems

Cultural Misunderstandings - One of the main challenges of game localization is understanding the cultural context of the target market. The localization team must be familiar with the local customs, traditions, and values to ensure that the game's content is culturally appropriate.
Translation Accuracy - Translating game content accurately can be challenging, especially when dealing with idiomatic expressions, slang, and other linguistic nuances. A poor translation can lead to confusion and misunderstandings for players.
Technical Limitations - Game localization requires more than just translating game text. The localization team must also adapt images, sounds, and other multimedia elements to fit the target market's language and cultural preferences. Technical limitations may make it difficult to adapt certain elements, such as character names or references to real-world locations.
Time and Cost Constraints - Localization can be a time-consuming and expensive process, especially for large, complex games. Game developers may need to balance the cost and time investment of localization against the potential revenue generated by reaching a new market.
Legal and Regulatory Requirements - Game developers must also navigate legal and regulatory requirements in the target market, such as age ratings, content restrictions, and censorship laws. Failure to comply with these requirements can lead to delays or even a ban on the game.

What is included in our game localization services

Game localization services are designed to adapt video games to fit the linguistic, cultural, and functional requirements of a specific target audience in a particular region or market. Here are some different types of video game localization services available.

Translation of game text - This involves translating all the in-game text, including menus, dialogues, subtitles, and other text-based elements from the source language to the target language. This requires not only a deep understanding of the target language and culture but also familiarity with gaming terminology and conventions. The goal of text translation is to provide an accurate and culturally appropriate translation that enhances the player's experience.
Localization of audio and video content - Audio and video localization involves adapting the game's audio and video content, such as cutscenes, voiceovers, sound effects, and music, to fit the linguistic and cultural requirements of the target audience. This requires attention to detail and a deep understanding of the target culture to ensure that the localized audio and video content is engaging and appealing to players.
User interface localization - User interface localization involves adapting the game's user interface, including buttons, menus, and other elements, to fit the linguistic and functional requirements of the target audience. This may involve changing the layout or location of buttons or adjusting font sizes to make the game easier to navigate for players.
Technical localization - This includes adapting the game to fit the functional requirements of the target audience, such as adjusting gameplay mechanics, or adapting the game to meet specific regulatory requirements.
Game script translations - Game script translation involves translating all the in-game text, including dialogues, subtitles, and menu options, from the source language to the target language. This requires a deep understanding of the target language and culture, as well as knowledge of gaming terminology and conventions. Game script translations must be accurate, culturally appropriate, and engaging to ensure the best possible player experience.
Graphics localization - Graphics localization involves adapting all the game's visual elements to fit the linguistic and cultural requirements of the target audience. This includes adapting images, symbols, logos, and other graphical elements. Graphics localization requires a deep understanding of the target culture and the cultural significance of different visual elements. It is important to ensure that graphics localization is culturally appropriate and appealing to the target audience.
Quality assurance - This involves testing the localized game to ensure that it is free from linguistic, cultural, or functional errors.
Marketing and advertising adaptation - This includes adapting the game's marketing and advertising materials, such as trailers, posters, and promotional materials, to fit the linguistic and cultural requirements of the target audience.

Technical localization in the video game translation industry

Technical localization is an essential part of video game translation that involves adapting the game's mechanics, user interface, and other technical features to meet the functional requirements of the target audience. Here are some of the technical elements involved in PoliLingua’s technical localization.

Control schemes - The game's control schemes may need to be adapted to fit the preferences of the target audience. For example, the layout of buttons on a controller may need to be changed to better match the preferences of players in the target region.
Rating and compliance - The game's rating may need to be adjusted to meet local regulations and cultural expectations. Compliance with local laws and regulations is essential for the game's success in the target market.
Network features - The game's network features may need to be adapted to work with local networks and internet connections. This may involve changes to the game's matchmaking or online gameplay features.
Compatibility with local hardware - The game may need to be adapted to work with local hardware, such as consoles, computers, or mobile devices.
Bug fixing and testing - Testing the localized game for technical issues and bugs is essential to ensure that the game is stable and functional for the target audience.

As a reputable and experienced game localization service provider PoliLingua can help ensure that technical localization is handled professionally and with cultural sensitivity to ensure the best possible player experience.

Steps of our professional game translation and localization

Determine your target audience - Identify the target audience for your game and the languages they speak. This will help you choose the languages that need to be translated and localized.
Choose a professional video game translation provider - Look for a reputable game translation provider with experience in translating games in your target languages. Check their credentials and client feedback.
Provide clear instructions - Provide clear instructions and guidelines to the video game translation provider about your expectations, game content, and the target audience.
Provide access to game files - Provide the video game translator with access to the game files, including game text, audio, and video content, to be translated.
Translation and localization - The game translation translators will translate and localize the game content, adapting it to the linguistic, cultural, and functional requirements of the target audience.
Quality assurance - The video game translator should carry out a quality assurance process to ensure that the localized game is free from linguistic, cultural, or functional errors and meets the target audience's expectations.
Testing - Test the localized game with members of the target audience to ensure that it is engaging and enjoyable for them.
Launch - Launch the localized game in the target market, and continue to monitor its performance and feedback to make any necessary adjustments.

It is important to work with professional video game translators who can deliver high-quality and culturally appropriate translations, which can enhance the user experience and help the game succeed in the target market.

Benefits of PoliLingua’s Video Game Translation Services

Quick turnaround of Service - Time is money in the gaming industry, so it’s important to have quick turnaround times on translation projects. PoliLingua understands this, and they provide flexible services tailored to your timeline. This ensures that you get the translations you need as soon as possible, without sacrificing quality or accuracy.
High-Quality Translations - PoliLingua delivers high-quality translations for all types of games in more than 50 languages. But it doesn't stop there; the company also offers a wide range of other services such as audio and video recordings, voice acting, graphic design, and more. All these services are provided by native speakers who understand the nuances of each language and culture so you can be sure your game will be accurately localized for global audiences.
Flexible Solutions - The team at PoliLingua understands what it takes to successfully localize a game; they know that no two games are alike and that every project requires a unique solution. That's why they offer flexible solutions tailored to your specific project needs and budget constraints - so you get exactly what you need without breaking the bank. Plus, their experienced translators are available around the clock to ensure fast turnaround times for any project.
Quality Assurance Processes - PoliLingua follows stringent quality assurance processes to ensure top-notch results every time. Their experienced linguists use advanced software tools to check for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax before delivering the final product. They also employ reviewer editors who audit each translation before delivery to ensure accuracy and consistency throughout the entire process. This ensures that your game is localized correctly in all languages with no mistakes or inaccuracies slipping through the cracks.
All Translations Are Secure - Data security is critical when working with a third-party service provider like PoliLingua; after all, you want to make sure that your intellectual property remains secure throughout the entire process. Fortunately, PoliLingua takes data security very seriously - they use advanced encryption technology to protect your data from unauthorized access or theft at every stage of the translation process. You can rest assured that your information is safe and secure when working with PoliLingua for game localization services.

Contact us to get a Free Quote

Offering a free quote for video game localization services, we make it easy for you to get started.

All you have to do is upload your documents into our request form and our experienced managers will contact you promptly to discuss the details.

Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out by phone or email us. We look forward to assisting you with your game localization project!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The timeline for game localization varies depending on the size and complexity of the game, the number of target languages, and the volume of content. A small mobile game localization project may take a few days, while a large AAA title requiring full video game localization services across 10+ languages can take weeks or months. At PoliLingua, our project managers work closely with clients to establish realistic timelines without compromising on quality. We handle all stages of the video game localization process, from translation and cultural adaptation to LQA testing.

Video game localization is the process of adapting a game's content, including text, audio, graphics, and cultural references, to make it feel native to players in a target market. The video game localization process typically begins with extracting source strings, followed by translation, cultural adaptation, voice-over recording (if needed), and integration back into the game engine.

The game localization process involves multiple stages, content extraction, translation by native-speaking linguists, cultural and contextual adaptation, desktop publishing (DTP), quality assurance testing, and final integration. For best game localization services, it's essential that translators understand both the game's narrative and the target culture. We cover 100+ languages and all major game platforms. Whether you need a full game localization service or specific elements like UI strings, PoliLingua delivers quality you can ship.

Localization Quality Assurance (LQA) is the testing phase of the game localization process that verifies the accuracy, functionality, and cultural appropriateness of localised content within the actual game environment. It checks for issues such as text overflow, broken strings, mistranslations, and culturally inappropriate content that may have been missed during translation. PoliLingua's LQA service is an integral part of our video game localization services, carried out by bilingual testers who are experienced gamers themselves. By combining linguistic expertise with functional game testing, we ensure your localised game is polished and player-ready across all target markets.

The best time to start is as early as possible, ideally during development, not after the game is finished. Early involvement in the video game localization process, known as "internationalisation", allows developers to structure content so it adapts cleanly to multiple languages, avoiding costly rework later. This allows for simultaneous shipping across markets, reduces time to market, and often lowers overall game localization costs.

Game translation refers to the direct conversion of text from one language to another, while game localization goes much further, it adapts the entire game experience to resonate with a specific cultural audience. This includes adjusting humour, cultural references, currencies, date formats, character names, and even visual elements. The video game localization process ensures that players in each market feel the game was made for them, not just translated for them.

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