Game localization is an essential step for game developers to reach a global audience and increase their sales accordingly, and most players – especially in French-speaking countries – won’t bother playing a game that is not in their native language nor adapted to their culture. Even if they do, their experience may not be as enjoyable as it was intended to be.

I still remember when, in my childhood, I played a game called Starflight on Sega Mega Drive. When I first tried it, this spatial exploration game was something very new and attractive to me: as a spaceship captain, you had to recruit your own crew, customize your spaceship and sail through the galaxy to find resources and money while trying to survive hostile environments and alien encounters. You could explore unknown solar systems, discover new species, and even had to buy fuel to keep traveling! It had so much content that I felt I was diving in a whole new world whenever I turned on my console.

However, I was only 7 years old at the time and had no clue what I was reading. I am pretty sure the plot also played a big part in this game, but unfortunately, I stopped playing it after a few weeks trying to understand it. As captivating as it was meant to be, my experience of the game was very limited. When I think about it today, I see wasted potential. And so do most players when they can’t enjoy a game in their own language.

Back then, this was understandable, as game developers and translators didn’t have all the tools we have today, and much more effort was required to localize a game. But what about now?

Today, the localization industry has developed solid tools and workflows to deliver games all around the world. There are hundreds of tools to help you make it real, provided that your team members know what they are doing.