Video games are one of the most popular pastimes for millions of gamers worldwide. Due to the global demand for video games, the translation of video games has become an absolute necessity in recent times. Although the translation of video games does not seem to be substantially different from translations of other audio-visual content, it still requires a tailored and consistent approach to translation. 

 

But video gaming translation services and game developers across the world often fall into the trap of failing to recognize the importance of video game translation globally. Video game translation and localization are complex endeavours that require a comprehensive approach involving the translation of subtitles, interfaces, and other video game content.

 

Staying consistent in video game translation is a challenge in itself. These are some of the common pitfalls to avoid during the process of video game translation and localization.

 

Common Pitfalls of Video Game Translation

Not Assessing Game Player Demands

 

One of the most common pitfalls of game localization and translation occurs when video game developers and translation agencies fail to identify the game players’ demands and choices. With increasing digitalization and higher internet penetration, game players across the world are demanding greater speed, interactivity, and efficiency from their games, with a preference for game translation in more languages. 

 

Taking time out to research what the game players demand will benefit the game developers and translators, enabling them to connect to the audience on a deeper and more personal level.

Not Testing Games in a Real Environment

 

When a video game translation task is assigned to a game translation agency, the translators are required to work on the texts or software, where they can view the text only, without an understanding of the context of the game. This leads to literal or inaccurate translation of subtitles, which can cause issues for video game developers. 

 

In addition, video games are often not tested in a real environment prior to their release. For example, since the German translation of the text is 50% longer than the English text, a failure to properly test the game in a real environment may result in text shrinkage, leading to a bad player experience.

 

The solution to this issue is to allow the video game translator to play the game in a localized copy before finalizing. Game developers should also test the translated video games before launching them in the global market to assess the audience’s preferences. 

Not Aligning Translation Skills with Game Types

Just like the themes and genres of movies, video games also have different classifications based on their themes and types. While some video games may have different stories to tell, others may involve complex gameplay; for example, a depiction of combat in video games differs considerably from a video game with a moral-based storyline. Needless to say, different genres of video games require different sets of translation skills.

An inability to align translation skills with video game types can lead to mistranslation and inappropriate localization. This is the reason why it is advisable to explore the video game genre thoroughly before translating the video game subtitles and other content.

Not Considering App Store Optimization

 

Video games are downloaded and searched for on organic app stores such as the Android and Apple Play Stores, and the number of downloads for games exceeds millions. This is the reason why one of the best marketing strategies that a video game developer can employ is to use ways to get discovered on the Play Store. 

 

Optimizing for app stores involves thorough research on player preferences as well as optimization techniques for video subtitles, graphics, and content. However, many companies fail to optimize the game descriptions in the target language and only want the game descriptions to be translated from the source language to the target language without doing the proper research. The solution is to ask the translation team to perform keyword research in the target language before providing the game description translation based on the keyword that has the highest search volume.

Not Employing Professional Game Translation Services

 

A video game localization and translation project requires thorough research and work from the beginning of the project until its promotion and marketing. Not all companies can translate video game content the right way, just as not all video game developers can develop the games optimally. 

A failure to employ the services of expert game translators who can even provide website translation services and software translations can lead to inaccurate translation of video game subtitles, strings, descriptions, and marketing material, leading to the video games getting lost in the translation or worse, not getting the intended views and downloads. 

 

Additionally, mistranslations can even lead to negative word-of-mouth for video games, which can potentially damage the reputation of video game developers. 

Key Takeaway

Video games are undoubtedly one of the most sought-after leisure activities for millions of game enthusiasts in these digital times. Localization and translation of video games is an essential activity that must be performed with acute precision and skills to avoid any mistranslation or errors. 

 

This is the reason why video game developers need to avoid certain pitfalls if they intend to achieve maximum downloads for their games in the global market.