Why is Context Really Needed in The Indonesian Game Localization Process?
In the vastly growing and multicultural landscape (the largest in the world) of the Indonesian games market lies the understanding of context in localization. The greatly immersive nature of today's gaming experience calls for seamless localization, especially if you want your game to perform among Indonesian players.
Localization goes beyond mere translation; it also accommodates local culture, values, and preferences. Therefore, so that everything in the game, be it the dialogue of the characters, the style of storytelling, or the visual details like settings, animation, symbols, and others, is delivered as authentically as possible, context becomes an important factor in the Indonesian game localization process. Localization can become a patchy, less satisfying game experience if it's done without knowledge of the full context. Interested in understanding more about the importance of context in localization? Keep reading!
5 Key Reasons Why Context Matters for Indonesian Game Localization
Here are some of the main reasons why context plays a crucial role in the game localization process in the Indonesian market:
1. Accuracy and Relevance of Translation
One of the main reasons why context is so important in game localization in Indonesia is to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the translation. Context provides crucial information that influences the choice of words and phrases so that the translation results are not only technically correct but also appropriate to the context of their use in the game. For example, in an action game, the word "power" may refer to "tenaga" when talking about physical strength, but it can also mean "daya" in the context of using a device or weapon. Another example:
- Bisakah kau menyelesaikan teka-teki silang ini dalam waktu 5 menit? (Can you solve this crossword puzzle in 5 minutes?)
- Hati-hati! Bisa Black Mamba menyebabkan kematian pada manusia! (Be careful! Black Mamba’s venom causes death in humans)
The words "can" and "venom" in the example above show how the context of use influences the meaning of the same word. In this case, “can” indicates a person's possibility or ability to do something, while “venom” refers to poison or a harmful substance.
2. Improve Gaming Experience
Context in localization is also essential for enhancing the gaming experience. As the game's localization team dives deep into the game's mechanics, storyline, and nuances of humor, they ensure that every element is adapted to local culture and customs. This contextual understanding allows translators to capture and convey the right nuances and emotions so that players experience the full magic of the game. Understanding the cultural nuances, age sensitivities, and gaming habits of the target market ensures that the translation is not only accurate but also relevant and engaging for Indonesian players. With a human touch in localization, every aspect of the game can be conveyed in a more authentic and immersive way, which machine translation cannot achieve. As a result, the gaming experience becomes more optimal and satisfying, which increases player engagement and satisfaction.
3. Easier Transcreation Process
Transcreation is a creative process in game localization that involves translating the text as well as adapting the content to suit local culture and preferences. The information includes various aspects, such as item descriptions, characters, scenarios, and character limitations in the user interface (UI). Without this contextual information, there is a significant risk of transcreation errors and a compromised gaming experience. In addition, game localization teams often receive out-of-context text strings or out-of-sequence dialogue sections, so understanding the context is crucial.
4. Optimizing Work Efficiency and Productivity
Another reason why context in game localization in Indonesia is needed is that it can optimize the efficiency and productivity of the localization team in completing their work. By giving translators or reviewers access to the context in which the text appears in the game, they can work more quickly and efficiently.
When translators understand how and where the text will be used, they can avoid mistakes and do not need to frequently ask for clarification or make repeated revisions. This increased efficiency also helps reduce costs and the resources required, providing greater profits for game developers.
Who Needs to Understand Context in Game Localization?
Context is a major limitation of machine translation tools and prevents automatic game localization, requiring continuous human input. Therefore, who should have an understanding of it?
1. Game Developer
Who says that only Indonesian game localization teams must have a deep understanding of context? Game developers must too, especially if they want to be successful in the potential Indonesian games market (the largest in Southeast Asia).
If you are a company or game developer, you are definitely involved directly in exchanging files and strings. Therefore, you need to understand the context of the game and provide that contextual information to your localization partners. You should also maintain ongoing communication with the localization team to approve or fix content that may be problematic, whether by adding comments or instructions to segments of text in resource files. These comments can then be accessed by managers and translators via the localization team's editor UI, ensuring all important information is noted and considered.
Contextual information that must be understood by developers during Indonesian game localization covers various aspects, including:
- Local legal regulations, such as Permenkominfo 11/2016 concerning Electronic Interactive Games (the term "online games" in this law), Law 28/2014 concerning video games as creations protected by Copyright, and so on.
- Technical conditions, meaning the developer must ensure that the code used meets all technical requirements, including character encoding and proper use of fonts.
- Local nuances, including date and time formats in Indonesia (DD/MM/YYYY), numbers, currency (Rupiah), calculations (for example in Europe they use feet to measure height, while in Indonesia they are more familiar with meters), etc.
- External system integration, meaning developers need to understand the new external systems they want to integrate into the project to ensure compatibility and functionality.
- Etc.
2. Game Designer
The game design will likely change during the localization process due to differences in language direction, word length, and other special elements that often require layout adjustments or even creating a new layout from scratch.
In this situation, it is very important for a game designer to understand the context of localization. That way, they will be able to adapt visual materials to keep them relevant and effective. Contextual understanding allows designers to combine text and design harmoniously so that messages can be conveyed clearly to the target audience.
Context-appropriate design also ensures the product or service is well represented in the Indonesian market. Without proper context, game visuals may detract from the overall quality and effectiveness of the game. Here is some contextual information that a game designer needs to understand:
- Information about the audience profile, in this case, the Indonesian people.
- Cultural nuances, including colors, symbols, music, choreography, characters, and other things that are permitted or prohibited in Indonesia (for example, prohibition on including elements that show images of smoking, alcohol, and gambling, including chat features for games under the age category of 13 years, and so on).
- Understanding the context of player feedback gives design teams the ability to conduct A/B testing or construct surveys, allowing for more accurate evaluations.
3. Translator
During the Indonesian game localization process, it is best to collaborate with a localization agency that has a team of native-speaker translators because they usually have a deeper and more thorough understanding of the context to make accurate and relevant translations that suit the local culture and preferences of Indonesian players. This contextual understanding includes the following things:
- Formality, grammar, types of vocabulary, slang, etc.
- The added value presented to penetrate the Indonesian market.
- Spelling of terms, including use of names, titles, locations, etc.
- App store description (picture, label, layout, etc)
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, context is a vital component in achieving accurate and high-quality game localization, especially if your new target market is Indonesia, the country with the largest game market share in Southeast Asia. If you want to ensure that your game rises in the Indonesian market, Digital-Trans Asia’s game localization services are the ideal choice.
We combine a deep understanding of Bahasa with deep knowledge of the Indonesian gaming market to produce translations that are correct, relevant, and engaging. Our state-of-the-art translation technology and a team of professionals to work on your assignment ensure that your games will be localized for culture and reach high-quality standards. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation session and see how Digital-Trans Asia can take your game to the next level!