Like any other business, games studios are always looking to broaden their global audience. Translation has long been a no-brainer for game localization, yet stumbling blocks appear when thinking about how to handle audio. With dubbing often proving an expensive commitment for smaller markets, multilingual subtitles provide a cost-effective means to ensure your title can travel anywhere. And that’s easy, right? – just translate the words and put them on the screen.
Of course, in reality there’s a lot more to it than that. Let’s take a look at the ‘whys’ and ‘wherefores’ of multilingual subtitles in games, as well as how they can contribute to a more inclusive gaming environment.
Games are a unique form of storytelling, combining visual, auditory, and interactive elements to create immersive experiences. However, the narrative and dialogue are often central to understanding and enjoying the game. As mentioned, while some games will opt for full voice localization, this can be cost-prohibitive, leaving multilingual subtitles as an effective middle ground that ensures accessibility while keeping projects within budget. They provide access to the story, character development, and crucial gameplay instructions, ensuring that non-native speakers can fully engage with the game.
To reach a broader demographic, as well as increase their market potential and foster a more diverse player base, developers need to implement multilingual subtitles to cater to every target market they have within their sights. Such a move offers inclusivity which not only benefits the players but also enhances the cultural richness of the gaming community as a whole.
But creating and implementing multilingual subtitles can present certain challenges, underlining the need for specialist language service providers. Let’s divide those challenges into three broad categories: technical, linguistic, and cultural issues.
Now you can see what you have to deal with, it’s time to establish a strategy. Luckily, we can give you some pointers to start you on your way.
If you hadn’t realized it before, you will have figured out by now that multilingual subtitles must be carefully considered and implemented into your titles. They enable game developers to enter more territories, more effectively, by bridging language barriers. Any game localized this way will receive a better response from the target markets, which is good for the game developers, in terms of profitability, and good for the players, in terms of playing a great new game that they love.
It may seem like a lot of work, but the benefits of reaching a global audience and fostering cultural diversity are well worth it. The world of your game is a wonderful place – and you want everyone to be a part of it.
Are you looking to localize your game? Not sure whether subtitles or dubbing is the way forward? The Alpha Games team are ready to help – just contact us.
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