Blog | LocalizeDirect

Dynamic Language Optimization for Game Promotion Explained in 5 Minutes

2020-05-19 | Andew Kozik

Since there is no longer a gamer archetype, like several years ago, video game advertisers have to deal with a diverse audience. eMarketer reports an approximate $3 billion market for mobile in-game advertising with gamer’s age diversity from 21 to 50 and older. Video game advertisers can reach more people with their messages using Facebook ads but they need to find new creative ways for that. Check this guide to run top-notch campaigns on Facebook.

What Languages To Translate Your Game Into In 2020 (Trends & Insights)

2020-05-07 | Christoffer Nilsson

For a mobile game developer it can be difficult to decide which languages to localize a game into and what parts of the game to localize. Here, we're talking about the most promising and the popular languages for game localization in 2020.

5 Tips for Game Localization from East to West

2020-05-06 | Sharon S. Milne

Localizing or adapting games is not just about translating a game from language A to language B. On a much broader scope, it’s about bridging cultures. So here are some tips to keep in mind when localizing games from the east for players and audiences in the west.

[REPORT 2020] The Hottest Languages For Game Localization

2020-04-24 | Slava Zaiets

FIGS requests are falling down but Polish got into the top 10 for the first time, also becoming one of the fastest-growing languages in the past four years. This game report will help you to make better decisions in game localization.

Localization QA: How Video Game Testers Work (Q&A)

2020-03-23 | NAHUEL G. APRILE

German and Italian LQA testers talk about their work, typical translation issues they see in games, and why localization testing is a must for the German audience. Bonus: tips for the game devs on how to make the LQA process smooth and sound.

Game Localization On A Tight Budget - Tips When Choosing Game Translation Languages

2020-02-18 | Carolina Silvandersson

In this article, you will learn which language to translate your game into depending on your game's platform. Should you translate your Steam game into Russian or Chinese? And what about your iOS app - is Japanese a good choice for your game translation? You are about to find out.

How To Choose The Right Localization CMS: Essential Features & Functions [Part 2]

2020-01-27 | Simon Hill

The right localization content management system (CMS) will enable you to localize your game for several different audiences around the globe simultaneously. It will enable developers, translators, testers, and managers to work together seamlessly, allowing you to craft a tailor-made collaborative workflow and maintain a real-time overview of progress. What features should you pay attention to?

Game Localization To Arabic - Why And How?

2020-01-10 | SLAVA ZAIETS

The 5th most spoken language in the world - Arabic - is not an obvious choice for game developers and publishers. Nevertheless, Arabic is the language of the most affluent and some of the most populous emerging markets on the globe. But it has its own specifics which you'll learn about in a minute.

What Is A Game Localization System And What Can It Do For You? [Part 1]

2019-12-16 | Simon Hill

Maintaining a real-time overview and ensuring localization is completed in a timely fashion can prove impossible when you’re juggling multiple spreadsheets and trying to coordinate different departments. A localization content management system (CMS) can take all the pain out of the process. So, how can it help with game localization?

Should Game Devs Still Invest In Christmas-Themed Video Game Updates?

2019-12-16 | Slava Zaiets

Spoiler: it depends. We've asked game creators of varying size about their plans for their Christmas updates - and received some quite controversial answers. Read on to find out how to wrap a video game for Christmas (and how we used the holidays in our branding).

Game Localization Into FIGS - Does It Still Matter In 2020?

2019-11-27 | Dolly Dai

FIGS is the sacred cow in the world of game localization - everyone’s doing it or starts their game translation push with these four languages. But is it still important? Shouldn't we switch to the other languages spoken in the regions like APAC or BRICS? Let's dig into the FIGS markets’ potential.

Chinese Game Localization 2020: Translate Games With The 4R Technique In Mind

2019-11-12 | Dolly Dai

China is a multibillion-dollar gaming market, the largest in the world. But expanding your game to PRC, don't simply think that a Chinese translation will be enough to conquer local gamers - you may also need to significantly alter your title. Get tips on how to localize your game into Chinese.

How Game Devs Use Halloween To Revitalize Their Gamers

2019-10-30 | Slava Zaiets

While shops, restaurants and pretty much every mall gets into Halloween mode with pumpkins, skeletons and all things ghoulish, we take a look at video games. How are game developers integrating Halloween elements into their games? Let's see how you can treat your gamers and make your video game even more spooktacular.

10 Actionable Tips For Your Chinese Video Game During Singles' Day

2019-10-21 | DOLLY DAI

Many people in China are fascinated by lucky numbers. 11.11 (November 11 or Double 11) is known as Singles Day. This Day has become the largest shopping day in the world. Why should you, working in the game industry, care? Read more to find out.

Pixelbite Studio: "We were told our game wouldn’t sell in China. What happened next surprised everyone else except us!"

2019-10-09 | Slava Zaiets

LocalizeDirect interviewed Pixelbite about their new game Xenowerk Tactics, game localization secrets, and their ad-hoc game testing on the couch.

No Blood But Tolerated Suicides: 10 Secrets For Your Successful Game Localization To Japan

2019-08-15 | Carolina Silvandersson

It’s one of the top three games markets in the world, nevertheless, Japan can be a real challenge for the Western game studios. Learn 10 main lessons to successful Japanese game localization to gain favor for your game!

Best Turkish Game Translation Practices (And Pitfalls To Avoid)

2019-08-14 | Slava Zaiets

Turkey is the most developed games market and the video game centre of MENA, #18 globally. However, there are a few important things to consider before localizing your game into Turkish.

Korean Game Localization: How To Conquer One Of The Top 5 Games Markets

2019-07-30 | Carolina Silvandersson

The typical Korean gamer's attitude is changing. They no longer primarily purchase games from Korean developers, which means that the door has opened to non-Korean game makers. Read more about how this change in the Korean video game market will affect your studio.

Game Localization For Russia: Go Hard Or Go Home! [with factsheet]

2019-06-12 | Carolina Silvandersson

Russian is one of the top 10 languages for video game translation. Learn how to localize your game into Russian, what are the most common localization mistakes, and how to save your title from potentially bad reviews. Validated by our Russian linguists!

LQA: What Is Game Localization Testing And How To Do It Right

2019-04-25 | Nahuel G. Aprile

How can you trust that your translated game is as cool as the original and the gamers enjoy it as if created in their own language? Here's where the localization QA testers step in. Learn about different types of game testing and why LQA can be a game-changer for your title.

How Mobile Game Localization Can Widen Your Audience Worldwide

2019-04-18 | CAROLINA SILVANDERSSON

Most mobile games have the potential to reach a global market. Yours too :-) English language support will only enable your mobile game to reach a certain number of people, but mobile game localization will significantly increase your potential market. Think bigger and aim for world dominance. Game localization will help your mobile app reach a wider audience.

Game Localization Into Brazil: Why Using EU Portuguese Is A Bad Idea (+ factsheet)

2019-04-16 | Carolina Silvandersson

Localizing your app or game into Brazilian Portuguese is a good investment. If you are considering entering this space then we have a few pointers for you in this factsheet.

Why You Should Localize Your Game For India ASAP [localization factsheet]

2019-04-15 | CAROLINA SILVANDERSSON

India is a true mobile-first market. It has the second-largest smartphone user base in the world and is home to 10% of the global gaming audience. In this blog post, we'll dig deeper into what you should know about the Indian gaming market, and how you can succeed in India, from language specifications to cultural context.

Games Rule The App Stores: Most Popular Genres Revealed 2019

2019-04-11 | Simon Hill

How different are the gamers' preferences in various regions? We'll take a look at the popularity of the games genres within the iOS and Google app stores and explore the most popular genres, comparing them by country. Some exclusive conference data is revealed too!

Make Your Mobile App Or Game A Great First-Time Experience

2019-04-10 | CAROLINA SILVANDERSSON

If you want to improve user experience, mobile app localization is an important factor. To make mobile app or game localization easier, preparing for localization during app development is a good idea. There are a few other important things to keep in mind when working on user experience. Here are 5 tips on how to improve your app’s user interface when developing an app or a game.

Game Localization Matters: 7 Reasons Why You Should Localize

2019-02-12 | Carolina Silvandersson

All games are developed from a cultural context. Localization is about customizing that context to another, specific market. For a game, to attain a global reach, localization is an effective way to widen the market and reach more gamers.

How To Prepare Your Game For Localization: Keep Costs Down (part 3)

2019-01-29 | Michael Souto

What does and doesn’t need translating? In this blog post, we’ll focus on how to work with game translators - a safe way to keep localization costs down and translation quality high.

How To Prepare Your Game For Localization: A Few Translation Tips (part 2)

2019-01-22 | Michael Souto

In this blog post, we will focus on the in-game dialogues. We'll look at maximum text length in game translation and handing game translator questions throughout the game localization process.

How To Prepare Your Game For Localization: Step-By-Step Guide (part 1)

2019-01-22 | MICHAEL SOUTO

You’ve put all the in-game text together in a nice Excel, GDOC or game translation tool and that’s a great start for your game localization project. But that's not enough. Check this practical guide to learn how to prepare your game to get a high-quality localization back.

7 Quick ASO Actions To Improve Your Mobile App Downloads

2018-12-11 | Carolina Silvandersson

In this blog you will receive 7 tips on how to improve your app’s ASO. Ranking your app in App Store or Google Play may feel like an unrealistic goal, but following these steps will help you get where you need to be. Give your app the full treatment and perfect your app store optimization. Let’s start!

Choosing The Perfect Keywords For Your iOS App

2018-11-20 | Simon Hill

It’s time to generate a list of keywords that will help potential customers to find your iOS app. This article will show you how to boost your chances of choosing the right keywords for maximum App store success.

Learn How Language Quality Assurance Can Elevate Your Game To The Next Level

2018-07-30 | Simon Hill

One of the best ways to boost interest in your game in foreign markets is to localize it. Translating the text into the local language is likely to boost downloads or sales and increase player satisfaction in your target market, but it must be done properly with due care and attention.

How To Write A Great App Description With The Wrap-App Technique [+DIY Checklist]

2018-06-30 | Carolina Silvandersson

You’ve worked hard to develop an app or game that people will find useful and enjoy using. But how do you stand out of a million-strong crowd? With a great app description you’ll create a favorable impression & entice people to download your app. Use the Wrap-App Technique - and you’ll increase downloads immediately.

Localizing Your Game Into Spanish, Which Spanish Do You Choose?

2018-04-22 | Michael Souto

You want to localize your game into Spanish, ok no worries there. However are you aware that you need to choose whether to translate your game into Euro Spanish or Latin American Spanish? There are around 480 million native Spanish speaking people in the world spread across 22 countries. Localizing your game is the best way to reach them but then you have a choice to make: Which Spanish do you choose?

[Checklist] Localization To Chinese Market: How To Prepare The Website For China

2018-04-10 | Carolina Silvandersson

Are you a game developer thinking of entering the Chinese app or game market? Do you want to present your website to the Chinese audience? Perhaps you need to translate your website into Chinese first and make other important adjustments.

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words: Choosing Screenshots For Your Game

2016-12-20 | Simon Hill

Today we're going to take a look at how to create good display screenshots for your game page in the App Stores. We'll discuss the technical requirements, how to stand out with overlaid text, or lifestyle photos, the importance of localization, and what to avoid. We'll also briefly discuss preview videos.

Creating Your App Store Video: Increase Downloads In 7 Easy Steps

2016-07-19 | Simon Hill

Take a look at how to create your App Preview video for your product page in the App store. A video can really help you sell your app, so here's a guide to making a great one and highlighting the best your app has to offer.

What Is Localization And Why Should I Care?

2015-03-19 | Simon Hill

In this article, we're going to explain what localization is really all about and discuss how to plan and execute it properly. We're also going to look at why you should allocate budget and resources to localization, and how to maximize your return on investment.

What’s In A Name? Choosing A Name For Your iOS App

2014-10-08 | Simon Hill

In this guide, we’re going to look at some practical considerations when you’re choosing a name for your iOS app. We’ll take a look at the limitations, the impact on search, the potential of keywords or other references, the importance of localization, and a whole lot more. Grab yourself a drink, put your feet up, and let’s explore the strange art of picking an app name.

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