Why Do Games Need to Be Translated into Indonesian?

Game translation has become an important aspect of the global video game industry. Indonesian, with more than 270 million speakers, has huge potential to influence the success of a game in the local market. This article will explain why international games need to be translated into Indonesian and how this process affects the player experience and the success of the game in Indonesia.

What Is Game Translation?

Game translation is the process of translating all of a game's textual content, including its storyline and character interactions, down to marketing and packaging content into another language. The game translation process is critical to ensuring a game's global success. While North America still holds the top spot for video game consumption, Japan's multimedia development tradition gives the Asia-Pacific region the largest market share.

In order to attract new gamers in this generation, game developers are competing to create increasingly realistic worlds. However, simply providing videographic realism is no longer enough. To achieve the immersive experience gamers crave, choosing the right language and dialect is key. Interacting with other gamers enriches the gaming experience, whereas, for an audience that is becoming more tech-savvy by the day, poorly translated games get less attention.

Read More: How Careless Indonesian Game Translation Can Upset Indonesian Gamers

Game translators are responsible for translating all verbal and written content contained in video games. This means accurately conveying the game's storyline into your local dialect, using colloquial terms and expressions. It is this level of detail that ensures seamless interaction in cyberspace. The best way to globalize your game is to translate it for each of your target audiences. Game translation aims to impress and make gamers feel that the game was designed especially for them.

Indonesian Market Potential

Indonesia is one of the largest markets in Southeast Asia for the gaming industry. With increasing internet access and mobile devices, the number of game players in Indonesia continues to increase every year. According to a report from Newzoo, Indonesia has more than 100 million active Indonesian game players, making it a very promising market for international game developers. Translating games into Indonesian can help developers reach more players and increase their sales in this market. Additionally, well-translated games tend to get positive reviews from local players, which in turn can increase the game's popularity and success.

Improved Player Experience

One of the main reasons why games released in Indonesia need to be translated into Indonesian is to improve the player experience. Language is an important component in understanding the story, instructions, and game mechanics. Games that are not translated well can cause confusion and frustration for players. By translating the game into Indonesian, developers can ensure that players can understand every aspect of the game. This not only increases player satisfaction but also allows them to become more involved in the story and game world. Good translations can also include cultural adjustments so that game content is more relevant and attractive to Indonesian players.

Expanding Fan Base

Game translation can help expand the game's fan base in Indonesia. When Indonesian games are translated into local languages, more players feel comfortable trying and playing the game. This is because they don't have to worry about language barriers that can reduce their enjoyment of playing. A well-translated game can attract players from a variety of backgrounds and ages. This is important because Indonesia has a very diverse population with varying levels of English proficiency. By providing the game in Indonesian, developers can ensure that all players, regardless of their language skills, can enjoy the game.

Increase Sales and Revenue

Game translation can also contribute to developers' increased sales and revenue. Games translated into Indonesian have a greater chance of being downloaded and purchased by local players. Additionally, Indonesian games that receive positive reviews from Indonesian players tend to be recommended more to friends and family, which in turn can increase sales.

Good translation can also help developers reduce refunds and complaints from players. When players are satisfied with their gaming experience, they are less likely to submit refund requests or complain about the game. This can save developers time and resources in dealing with customer issues.

Competition in Local Markets

The gaming industry in Indonesia is increasingly competitive with the many local games developed by Indonesian developers. These local Indonesian games have often been translated and adapted to local culture, making them more attractive to Indonesian players. To compete with these local games, international developers need to translate their games into Indonesian. Good translations can help international games stand out in this crowded market. By ensuring that their games are accessible and enjoyable to Indonesian players, developers can increase their competitiveness and attract more players.

Appreciate Local Culture

Game translation is also a form of respect for local culture and language. By translating the game into Indonesian, developers show that they care about players in that market. This can build better relationships between developers and local player communities. Translations that pay attention to cultural aspects can also prevent errors or misunderstandings that may arise from cultural differences. For example, some in-game content may be inappropriate or even considered offensive by Indonesian players. By making the right cultural adjustments, developers can ensure that their Indonesian games are well received by local players.

Challenges in Game Translation

Although game translation has many benefits, this process also has its own challenges. Game translation involves not only translating text but also adapting visuals, audio, and other elements to suit local culture. Additionally, developers need to work with professional translators who understand both the source and target languages and are knowledgeable about the terminology and context of the game.

Game translation must also be done carefully to avoid mistakes that could ruin the gaming experience. Translation errors or inappropriate cultural adjustments can cause confusion or even player dissatisfaction. Therefore, developers need to ensure that they work with an experienced and skilled translation team.

Translating games into Indonesian is an important step for developers who want to be successful in the Indonesian market. By translating their games, developers can improve the player experience, expand their fan base, increase sales, and compete in local markets. Apart from that, game translation is also a form of respect for local culture and language.

Although the game translation process has its challenges, the benefits that come from good translation are far greater. Developers need to work with professional translators and pay attention to cultural aspects to ensure that their games are well received by Indonesian players. In this way, game translation can help developers achieve success in the growing Indonesian market.

If you are looking for game localization services, Digital-Trans Asia is the most appropriate choice. Here, we will provide services according to your needs, especially for game localization. We will help you expand the game market that you are developing globally and internationally. Please consult with us to learn more.