Future-proof your game: The long-term value of LQA
LQA (Localization Quality Assurance) is a fundamental part of any localization process, although sometimes it is overlooked due to time or budget constraints. In this brief article, we will see why it is instead a step that should always be prepared and accounted for in any localization process.
LQA being an essential part of a sustainable localization strategy means that through the improvement and refinement this process provides, future content will be able to leverage the lessons learned and be more accurate, requiring a lesser degree of further adjustment and a more efficient use of time and resources.
Check out our article on the best practices for a thought-out and successful localization strategy for more details.
What is LQA? A brief overview
Without going into too much detail, the Localization Quality Assurance service, or LQA for short, is a process that involves checking the localized written content in-context, meaning in the exact place those texts would appear to the final user.
This helps make sure texts are correct under all aspects, such as grammatically, syntactically, contextually and are in line with the local expectations for such contents for each language involved. This type of checks are especially important in video game localization, as the context a message appears in can be everything and anything, and can therefore drastically change how something needs to be localized.
Context is not the only aspect of the title that can benefit from LQA, as most LQA processes will also include and help fix implementation issues, such as:
- audio or graphics
- unlocalized texts (which could be the result of a coding problem rather than missing translations)
- corrupted characters (be it special characters or entire languages)
- any other issue not directly caused by the localization process, but that still affects the usability and enjoyment of the game by the audience.
The sustainability of LQA
With each LQA process comes a lot of data, not only in the form of the fixes the testing team identifies, but also in terms of valuable lessons learned during the process. These lessons, especially the ones coming from the non-strictly-linguistic issues encountered give the chance to improve on the way a title is being produced and developed, allowing for fewer such issues to be present in future content or follow-ups.
LQA is also a modular process that doesn’t necessarily need to be all-or-nothing, but can be custom-tailored to the specific needs and challenges of each particular project. All this can lead to leaner and more efficient future processes, allowing for better time and resource management that can ultimately produce better products at a more manageable cost.
What is needed to perform LQA on your game?
When thinking of running LQA checks on your game, there are a few points we advise to take into consideration:
- The title should be in a playable state (i.e. Functional testing should have been conducted and no game-breaking functionality bugs are left)
- The content should be fully localized in the desired languages for the parts that are to be tested
- Localized builds are ready to be provided to the testing team
The first point refers to the game being playable without interruptions in all the areas LQA needs to be performed on, which can be either specific parts of the title, or its entirety. The second one is fundamental to make the most of the time being invested in the LQA, as any time invested into revisiting already checked areas because there were texts not yet localized reduces the efficiency of a pass. The last point is worth considering in terms of efficiency, which can benefit from having all languages involved able to start and proceed at the same time.
There are also different types of LQA, based on the needs of each project:
- FTUE LQA → This type of LQA focuses on the First Time User Experience, meaning it focuses on the very first parts/hours of a game to ensure that they are clear, smooth and appropriate for the locale and target audience; this type of testing can be beneficial for titles with a somewhat repetitive nature to their gameplay that is explained in the very first few hours of the game, with little to no additional mechanics or new texts being present later in the gameplay;
- Iterative LQA → The testing effort is divided into several “passes” each focusing on a specific part of the game, be it a per-chapter, per-content or per-area subdivision, allowing to perform more ad-hoc checks or accommodate for a more compartmentalized development and localization cycle;
- Complete (or “Classic”) LQA → This is the most comprehensive type of LQA, which consists in concentrating the testing efforts into one single continuous pass; this allows for the testing team to experience and check the game as a cohesive piece, making it easier to spot potential unwilling inconsistencies in different parts of the game that might not be as apparent with an iterative approach;
- Continuous LQA → Especially valuable for the after-launch of a title with a content release schedule, the testing is recurring and focused at checking and polishing each new piece of content before its release, and builds on the accumulated knowledge of the testing team patch after patch;
The Iterative, Complete and Continuous LQA approaches also greatly benefit from the presence of robust Debug Options at the testing team disposal. Planning ahead on the type of LQA that best suits a project is a winning strategy to make sure to maximize the efficiency and impact of this process.
Bonus chapter: What is debug?
Debug or debug options are a series of “cheats” embedded in the game itself that help developers as well as testers (both functional as well as LQA) to navigate the game more freely and with less time waste. Such options can range from infinite life to automatic win conditions, to jumping to any point of the game, setting in-game currencies and resources to a certain amount etc.
These options greatly improve the independence and efficiency of any testing involved, and allow for better custom-tailored checks to also be conducted in the most time-effective way possible. Not only this, but the time savings coming from effective debug options can even allow for further checks to be performed, and even the lack of certain desirable options can inform the development team on what to include in future development, be it for the same or upcoming titles still to be tested. Thinking about the inclusion of debug options early in the development stage is a huge help in making sure the LQA efforts will be even more efficient, sustainable and future-proofing.
For a deeper dive into the intricacies of LQA, we have our dedicated LQA Guide.
But again, why is LQA so important?
In the growing demand and attention to localization quality the video game industry has seen throughout recent years, making sure your product is not only properly translated but localized is paramount to success. Due to time constraints and other factors, though, most often than not the professionals working on the texts that are being localized do not have access to the actual visual context those texts will appear in.
In the vast majority of cases this is due to the fact that the texts are being written and localized while the actual game is still in active development, therefore it is being created alongside the writing. Because of this, as much as the language professionals employed all have years of experience in the industry, some of the localized content might still not quite fit when put in the actual visual situation it appears in.
Additionally, even if the development of the game is complete before the translation, there are many other issues that can slip into the game that have no relation to the linguistic team. Even a correct translation can be wrongly implemented in the game for a variety of reasons. This could create in the end-user an impression of lack of care, sloppiness or even disregard from the developers on the quality of the game, potentially leading to unnecessary backlash on social media or review websites. And while the aim of professionals is always to provide the best service they possibly can, some errors here and there can still slip through for any number of reasons, and no localized text is ever 100% error free.
The safest option in any scenario is LQA: expert professionals going through all nooks and crannies of the game as a completionist gamer would, searching for all localized texts and making sure they are correct under all aspects. Curious to have an even better understanding of how testers help improve your product? Find that and more out in our “What do LQA testers do?” Q&A.
Will LQA make my game error free and 100% accurate?
That is always the aim and what any good LQA process strives for.
The reality is that sometimes something might still slip through due to time constraints that didn’t allow the full totality of the game to be thoroughly checked, and some messages are so obscure and difficult to trigger on screen that even the developers are not quite sure of the conditions to make them appear.
This leads to situations in which potential in-context errors in such texts might never be found, and even last-minute changes on the visuals of something can have cascading effects that might be difficult to address within the timeline of the project.
A silver lining to this, though is that in this day and age game patches are an (ever growing) option, and many of the refuse or parts that might not have been addressed before launch can be checked, corrected and implemented at a later date, even between the moment the launch version of a game has been submitted and the actual launch of the title, with the now very common “Day One Patch”.
These patches, applied as soon as the game officially launches, are aimed at exactly this: addressing any issue, whether known or stumbled upon, in the version of the game that has been provided for launch through continued testing after submission.
See our “Learn how LQA can elevate your game” article for more information and examples on how LQA can help setting yourself up for success.
Final thoughts
LQA is an important and oftentimes essential tool to make your title as polished as possible, and for you to provide your audience with a well-cared for product that will resonate with them, giving you the potential of expanding the offering of your game to more of the world, regardless of language or culture.
Therefore if your goals are to:
🎭 provide an enjoyable experience to a wide audience of diverse cultures and countries,
📊 make the best of the budget and time at your disposal and
🧠 have you and your team learn valuable and future-enhancing lessons, then LQA is something you should definitely include in your localization strategy.
