Best Indonesian Localization Company for Your Game

To successfully penetrate the Indonesian market, you need to focus on the process of Indonesian game localization to suit local players' preferences. This is because the languages ​​in various regions in Indonesia are greatly influenced by local culture and customs, so direct translation often cannot accurately capture the true meaning. This challenge also occurs when localizing a website for the Indonesian market.

In this article, we will discuss why you need to localize games for the Indonesian market, as well as how to design an effective strategy for the process. You need to know that game localization does not only involve language translation but also cultural adaptation so that your product can be well received by the target audience.

Why Is Indonesian Game Localization So Important?

Before we get into the important tips for ensuring the success of an Indonesian game localization project, let's review some of the main reasons why translating your game into Indonesian is a very strategic move for your expansion plans:

1. Indonesia Is Known as the Largest Trilingual Country

With the many tribes and cultures in Indonesia, it cannot be denied that Indonesia is included in the list of countries with the most languages. The total number of official languages ​​owned by Indonesia is 712, with the official language being Indonesian.

The most famous languages ​​in Indonesia are Javanese, with 75 million speakers, and Sundanese, with more than 30 million speakers. This linguistic diversity not only reflects the rich culture that Indonesia has but also adds complexity to cross-regional communication.

Apart from that, Indonesia is also a trilingual country, meaning that the majority of its population has the ability to speak three languages. In the research results released, SwiftKey found that trilingual Indonesians are Javanese, English, and Indonesian itself. Indonesian itself is the most common language to use. Yes, it's no secret that Indonesian is widely used in everyday life.

SwiftKey resulted in 17.4% of Indonesians being able to speak three languages. Not only that, but Indonesia is also a country with the third largest number of bilingual (two languages) users, with 57.3%. For trilinguals themselves, Indonesia is ahead of Israel and Spain.

2. Indonesian People's English Language Skills Are Still Low

Another reason why the Indonesian game localization is crucial is because the English language skills of the population are still relatively low. According to the 2023 English Proficiency Index (EPI) report published by Education First (EF), Indonesia was ranked 79th out of 113 countries surveyed and is in 15th position out of 24 Asian countries.

In terms of the EPI score, Indonesia had to be satisfied with getting 469 points below the global average score of 502. With this score, Indonesia is still in the "low" category for English language proficiency. The data also shows that people on the island of Java are in the region with the highest skills, while Papua shows the lowest skills. The cities of Jakarta and Surabaya emerged as the cities with the highest English proficiency.

This data shows that many Indonesians may have difficulty understanding English-language content, including games. When players cannot understand the instructions, dialogue, or story in a game, they tend to feel frustrated and incapable of enjoying the gaming experience. This can lead to a decrease in the number of active players and even reduce loyalty to the game.

Localizing the game into Indonesian can overcome this language barrier, allowing more players to fully understand and enjoy the game. By providing content in familiar languages, game publishers can improve the user experience and attract more players.

3. Indonesia Is a Large Gaming Market

It's no secret that Indonesia has a large mobile game market. As a country with the 4th largest population in the world and with smartphone penetration that has reached 80%, it is only natural that Indonesia has a large share of the mobile gaming industry. The latest report from data.ai even places Indonesia as the third-largest mobile gaming market in the world.

data.ai recently released the State of Mobile 2023 Gaming Report. Based on the data they collected, Indonesia recorded 3.45 billion mobile game downloads in 2022, an increase of around 320 million from the previous year. Specifically for the Android gaming market, Indonesia ranks third, behind Brazil and India. Throughout 2022, Indonesian gamers will also spend $370 million on mobile games, an increase of $50 million from 2021. In terms of purchasing power, Indonesia is still far behind other Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Despite this, research from data.ai shows that interest in mobile games remains strong. Indonesia, being one of the largest markets for the mobile game industry, with over 3 billion downloads last year, presents significant growth opportunities. The dynamic nature of Indonesia's game industry is expected to sustain its remarkable growth in the years ahead.

Useful Tips for Excellent Indonesian Game Localization

To ensure your game localization is of superior quality, here are some important things you need to pay attention to:

1. Market Research

The online gaming market in Indonesia has recently been in the spotlight after recording very significant growth. Based on data from Newzoo regarding growth rates, Indonesia's mobile game industry generated US$1.3 billion in revenue from Google Play. In comparison, the App Store contributed only US$210 million, while third-party application stores brought in US$35.8 million.

This revenue growth was driven by the increasing number of game users, which, according to the Indonesian Game Association, has increased by 20% since two years ago. Meanwhile, online gaming market penetration in Indonesia is only 15% of the total population of 268 million people.

The growth of the online gaming market is also influenced by the increasingly cheap and diverse choice of devices used to play games, as well as the proliferation of esports communities.

Apart from that, the COVID-19 pandemic has also triggered the growth of the online gaming market. Referring to research results from Spire Research and Consulting, the pandemic has made playing time longer than before. It doesn't just stop there; the online game market spends more on purchasing game items such as gifts, skins, characters, and so on during the pandemic.

A survey by Spire Research and Consulting involving 80 gamers found that 63% of them favor MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), FPS (First Person Shooter), and Casual games. Meanwhile, 37% of gamers prefer RPG (Role Playing Game) and Adventure games.

These genre preferences are influenced by factors such as the gamers' interests, age, community, and gaming experience. Notably, Indonesian gamers tend to play in a communal manner, requiring coordinated efforts during gameplay. Consequently, having a fast and stable internet connection is vital for an optimal gaming experience.

2. Adapting Local Content or Features

Adapting game content for local markets is an important step in the Indonesian game localization process. This includes changing elements in the game to suit local culture and preferences. For example, the characters, story, and cultural references in the game must be adjusted to be more relevant to Indonesian players. For example, Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), a MOBA game that is currently often played by people of all ages. There are two heroes inspired by Indonesia, namely Gatotkaca and Kadita. Kadita was inspired by the Queen of the South Coast, Nyi Roro Kidul.

Read Also: Play Now! New Indonesian Games in 2024

Apart from MLBB, Arena of Valor or AOV also has a hero inspired by Indonesia, namely Wiro Sableng. The Dragon Ax Warrior Geni 212 appeared on Indonesian TV in the 2000s. As a Tank hero, Wiro Sableng is quite tough to beat. Since its initial release, Wiro has become a meta and is often used in various Rank Matches.

3. Influencer Marketing

Another tip that is no less important in the Indonesian game localization process is using influencer marketing. This strategy is considered to be one of the most effective methods of increasing the visibility and attractiveness of your game in the Indonesian market.

By collaborating with a gaming influencer who is relevant to your brand and product, you can build brand awareness and increase the percentage of leads quickly. You can follow the success story of a brand that is able to attract fantastic leads from Brawl Stars.

Brawls Stars is a game made by Supercell. In this game launch marketing campaign, Supercell collaborated with 10 influencers to promote the game before it was officially launched on the market. Then, those ten gaming influencers managed to get 5 million new registrations after announcing their release date. Since then, the game has been played by many influencers and is now the most popular mobile game played by many people on YouTube.

Collaborate with Digital Trans-Asia for Your Indonesian Game Localization

That's an explanation of the importance of Indonesian game localization and tips for localizing it. From the explanation above, you can conclude that Indonesia has emerged as a pivotal digital market in Southeast Asia, boasting a growth trajectory that rivals that of China.

This dynamic environment makes Indonesia an extremely attractive market for international gaming companies seeking to expand their global footprint. However, to successfully break into this lucrative market, it is essential that your game be meticulously localized to meet the specific needs and preferences of Indonesian gamers. The localization process can be complex and challenging, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Localization goes beyond simple translation; it involves adapting the game’s content, interface, and overall experience to resonate with the cultural and linguistic nuances of the local audience. This means taking into account local idioms, cultural references, and even regulatory requirements. Given these complexities, partnering with an experienced localization firm like Digital Trans-Asia can be a game-changer.

Here are some of the key advantages we offer to our clients:

• Extensive professional experience with over five years of professional experience in the field.
• Our services include comprehensive Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA) and meticulous proofreading.
• Utilization of advanced translation tools to efficiently manage large volumes of text and ensure consistency across all game elements.
• Digital Trans-Asia has successfully localized over 30 games, demonstrating our expertise and capability in handling diverse and complex localization projects.
• Ability to translate up to 15,000 words per day, enabling us to meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.

So, don't hesitate to contact us and let us help you achieve success in the Indonesian gaming market. If you're confused about where to start, there's a free consultation to start your game localization journey!