Are you a gaming company or a developer who has been creating games for the local market? Now is your time to extend your reach, breaking down barriers and targeting international gamers.
Globalizing your game comes with huge challenges of compliance, language, and cultural sensitivities. A local game has a limited audience, based on a simple concept and design. On the flip side, global level games may target 3.2 billion gamers worldwide, eliminating language barriers using gaming translation services, localizing for diverse cultures, and involving a complex structure, design, and context.
In this article, we will dig deeper into the difference between the games designed for local and global markets. We will also explore the challenges gaming companies face while reaching international markets and discuss the key tips and tools that can help streamline the globalization process.
Understanding the Difference Between a Local Game and a Global Game
Local Game
One may think of a local game, a game developed by any small gaming company or a freelance developer, right? Well, the status of a local or global game is not dependent on who created it. It depends on for whom it has been created and who is the target audience.
For example, a game is developed by a Chinese company and is only available in Chinese language. This game will count as a local game. Because no one other than the Chinese people can play or relate to it. In simple words, a local game is that’s:
- Tailored to a specific region, language, and cultural context.
- Developed with a smaller budget and a limited audience in mind.
- Marketing and gameplay elements reflect local trends and preferences.
Global Game
As the name suggests, a global game is something that can be played by everyone regardless of their linguistic and cultural preferences. Everything in the game is adapted to resonate with the target audience’s linguistic and cultural preferences. For example, PUBG is a global game available in more than 15 popular languages and is played by millions of players in 106 countries. The specifications of a global game are as follows:
- Designed to appeal to diverse audiences across multiple countries.
- It requires localization, adaptation of content, and compliance with international regulations.
- It involves larger investments in infrastructure, marketing, and distribution.
Challenges Faced When Expanding from Local to Global
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Cultural Adaptation
The major challenge developers face while globalizing their game is adapting cultural nuances. Every country has a different language and cultural practices that demand adapting the in-game description, narratives, and themes according to the target audience’s preferences.
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Regulatory Differences
Another roadblock is navigating the international gaming laws and compliance requirements. It may include registering your IP products and translating the regulatory documents into the target region’s language.
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Infrastructure and Technology
You cannot expect that all players in the world have updated devices. So, creating a game that is adaptive to diverse infrastructures makes it challenging for developers due to the highly diverse server capacity and payment options.
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User Experience
The end user experience is the center point of the whole development scenario. It is typically challenging for players to play a game that is only available in one language because they cannot relate to the jokes, idioms, and cultural allusions that the developer has included for the target market. It’s a difficult undertaking to modify these nuances for a multicultural and multilingual audience.
You might find these challenges drastic, but don’t worry, we have got you. Keep reading to know what aspects you should consider while reaching the international market and how they can help you streamline your game’s global reach.
Key Steps to Streamline Your Expansion Journey
Localization and Translation
The first and foremost thing that you must consider is partnering with a reliable translation company. Their professional translators have years of experience and skills to cater to your requirements and needs. So, it won’t be difficult for you to describe the project details to them. They translate or localize the game’s content to adapt it for diverse gamers with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. From the design of your game to in-game descriptions, they will cater to everything and make sure that the games meet the user’s demands.
Market Research
It is crucial to know about your audience’s preferences, like what types of games they like. If you are planning to reach the Arab region, they mostly like puzzle games, and in countries like China and Korea, fighting games or platform games are of high preference.
Partnerships and Distribution
You might be confident with your product, but it is better to collaborate with local partners from the target market. They are well aware of everything that you are required to survive in a global market.
Regulatory Compliance
Make sure that your game meets the regulatory and legal standards of the target country. It includes that your game doesn’t contain any elements that are restricted in a country.
Tools and Technologies to Facilitate Global Gaming Expansion
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Now is the time for cross-platform games. So, it is better to develop games that are compatible with all devices and are available for multiple platforms like mobile, PC, and console.
Global Servers
Video games are more like social media platforms. They allow gamers from different parts of the world to connect and interact with each other. So, your game should be responsive to cloud-based servers so that players can easily communicate across boundaries.
Payment Integration
Make sure your game supports multiple payment methods and currencies to cater to a global audience.
