Currently ,creating a game can potentially earn you millions of dollars. The advent of internet technology, along with the ease of access to quality games means that the pool of gamers is increasing. I mean only a couple of decades ago, your mobile device would play games like Snake and Space Impact. And even those mobiles were out of financial reach for most. Game consoles require a TV, and that does not sound like a big demand right now. But during the ’90s and early 2000s, homes usually had just one TV.
Today, your mobile device can play games like GTA, SanAndrease, and Call of Duty online. Which was unimaginable just a short time ago. Anyways, this has led to a revolution in the gaming industry. Consoles are also more accessible now and mobile gaming dominates the global markets. Given that the world is interconnected because of large corporations like Google and Apple who offer App Store services. You can target millions and billions of people with your game. However, the main issue is usually language and communication.
Game Translation: Why Is It Necessary?
Like I said above, the current main issue for game developers is communication and language. If your user is unable to understand the story of your game, how to play? You cannot expect to maximize your profits. Here is where a game translation company, earns its bread. Such a company will translate and even localize your game for various audiences. Take the example of Final Fantasy by Square Enix, which began racking in millions of dollars after in-house localization. Since then, the game has a cult-like following, and each new release is received with exciting vigor. The localization of Final Fantasy put the Japanese gaming firm Square Enix in the limelight. Today we have 16 Final Fantasy games. The developers not only earn from the games they make but also from the merchandise.
Countries to Target
It is only natural that you should target regions where gaming is more popular. Currently, there is no place in the world where people do not play some sort of game. However, there are regions where gaming itself is a more popular form of entertainment. Let’s break it down!
China
China is one of the world’s largest gaming hubs both in development and use. The country has the second-largest population in the world. Moreover, technology is cheap and easy to access. This makes China a very popular gaming country. However, you need to be aware of their strict privacy and content policies. Hiring a software translation agency with experience can be your best bet for this. People in China strictly prefer all content forms in Mandarin, and games are no exception.
Japan
Gaming is a part of Japanese culture. The country has the best developers and pioneers in game development. Consoles were first introduced by them, and some of the best gaming titles. However, like China, the Japanese prefer games in their native language. Moreover, given the number of local game production companies, you need Japanese translations to be competitive in their market.
The United States
Gaming culture is very vivid and rapidly expanding in the USA. Casual mobile games are more popular than others given the type of work culture. Japanese games such as Tekken and Final Fantasy are immensely popular in the US. Moreover, people have good buying power, and Americans are more likely to try your game if it looks exciting enough.
India
If you are a mobile game developer and your games are compatible with low-end devices. Then look no further than India. The country with the most dense and widespread population in the world. Given the sheer number of people in the country, a simple localized mobile game will earn you millions in just AdSense money. However, it can be tricky to translate English to Hindi. But it is worth it.
Brazil and Portugal
Though Brazil has a more vivid gaming culture, I put the two together because both countries speak Portuguese. Moreover, both countries are similar in many aspects, like user interests in game genres. Brazil also has one of the largest populations of actively growing gamers. Both countries have an open culture, and it takes a lot to offend them.
Russia
The Russians prefer to play localized games and for that reason, there are many local developers. Many Russian games only stay in Russia because of a lack of translation. Russian players also prefer free-to-play games. The free culture has been quite strong ever since the Ukraine war. Casual gamers are also on the rise, with women and children actively engaging in mobile gaming.
Conclusion
The choice of country is really based on many aspects such as gaming genre, pricing, and more. For instance, free-to-play games that rely on AdSense or community data for income can best profit in third-world countries where buying power is low and demand for entertainment is high. Or AAA games that are expensive but extravagant will provide more profit in the USA, UK, and Japan. Overall, the industry is very popular, so you will not have too many issues in making sales wherever you launch the game.
