Summer 2018 Game Localization News

Lucy Xu

August 28, 2018

4 min read

As summer 2018 comes to a close, gamer communities continue to play and grow, regardless of season. In the spirit of continuing to support the growth of games to reach passionate gamer audiences across the globe, we’ve rounded up the top game localization news from this summer. From new market launches to localization tips from top global gaming companies, read on to take a closer look at the top happenings in the game localization world and stay tuned for Part 2 of the summer game localization news roundup. Let’s dive in!

This post is part of the #gamelocalization series, built to equip everyone in your gaming localization process – from game developers to localization managers – with the knowledge and resources necessary for driving game localization success.

1. Popular Sci-Fi Game Localized into 15 Languages by Fans

Space Engineers, the sandbox game developed by Prague-based indie video game developer Keen Software House, has sold over 2.5 million copies since its launch in 2013. The game has been translated into 15 languages with the help of its passionate community. Slator takes a look at how Space Engineers achieved localization success by engaging its gamer community with crowdsourced localization projects.

2. Sega’s Localization Team Brings Japanese Culture to the Gaming World

This summer, Sega has breathed new life into their name in the gaming community by successfully bringing Yakuza, the popular Japanese game, to the world. OC Weekly examines the cultural challenges of game localization, and how Sega overcomes them by dedicating entire teams to making sure global games like Yakuza are localized properly down to every name, idiom, and detail.

3. Why Electronic Arts Localizes Using Freelance Translators ‘Wherever Possible’

Michaela Bartelt-Krantz, Senior Localization Director at Electronic Arts (EA), reveals that EA works with freelancers and single language vendors (SLVs) whenever possible at this year’s SlatorCon conference. In Bartelt’s talk, she explores how while EA automates content flow in localization, the actual translations are not automated. Slator recaps the full talk by Bartlet, exploring “What’s Next in Game Localization.”

4. Best Practices for Localizing Licensed Intellectual Property

Games based on famous intellectual properties (IPs), whether movies or TV series, are on the rise and with them come a few limitations not only to creativity. To make sure your game properly follows what has already been created and dedicate the correct budget and time make sure your game will have the IP’s local taste, Gamasutra provides some best practices for localizing licensed IPs.

5. NIS America reveals new game localization

Big name Japanese video game developer and publisher NIS America has revealed a new game localization, of Nippon Ichi’s The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince. The games are set to release for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in 2019. Playstation Lifestyle goes inside the localization and launch planning to provide coverage on the Japanese release, including gameplay footage and other details.

More Game Localization News

Looking for more game localization news? Stay tuned for our next roundup next week, highlighting even more of summer’s game localization news to help you stay on top of what’s launching, what’s hot, what’s best, and what’s next in game localization.

This post is part of the #gamelocalization series, built to equip everyone in your gaming localization process – from game developers to localization managers – with the knowledge and resources necessary for driving game localization success.

Explore the full #gamelocalization series to catch up on other posts and get more insights into game localization:

Everything You Need to Know About Game Localization

Bottom line, with the proliferation of mobile devices and spread of gaming systems across the world, video game localization is more important than ever if you want to succeed. In our latest gaming guide — A Quick Guide to Localizing Games for Global Markets — we answer the most common and fundamental questions that game developers and localization manager ask when translating their game for international markets.

Download the guide to better understand:

The video game localization process from start to finish,
What to account for when internationalizing your code,
Things to keep in mind when designing your game UI,
How “pre-flight” helps ensure the best video game translations possible,
… and more.

Download the game localization guide today, to learn how you can start adapting your game for users worldwide.

Summer 2018 Game Localization News, Part 1