There are more active gamers today than at any other time in history. While console gaming or computer gaming had long existed. Mobile gaming is fairly new in comparison, but more accessible. What makes mobile gaming so accessible is the fact that it is affordable, most games are free to play, and everyone has a mobile device. Mobile gaming is also the reason why there are more active gamers today.
Games can be developed on both mobile platforms simultaneously. Hence, the target audience is already massive and can be widened with the help of a game translation agency. You see many popular mobile games employ translation companies to localize and publish their game in multiple languages. This increases the demographic, thereby unlocking the door to a plethora of possibilities.
Some Gaming Stats
A study by Newzoo Global Gamers in 2023 shows us the popularity of mobile gaming. The study found that 47% of gamers play across platforms. Mobile gamers rank highest with 79% of all participants admitting to gaming on their phones. Second came PC at 43% and game consoles got 41%.
How Does Mobile Game Translations Increase Profits?
There are many examples where localization and video game translation services have aided in increasing the popularity of a game. For example, Call of Duty, PubG, Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Football Manager, and countless others. Here are the reasons why game translations helped them increase profits and popularity:
More Market Reach
There are over 7000 languages spoken around the world. Out of which 23 are commonly spoken. When your game is available in more languages, it is accessible to more people. For example, there are a billion Mandarin speakers, almost a billion Hindi speakers, almost 500 million Spanish speakers, and well you get the picture. If your game is, let’s say, available in English, and you choose to translate it into Mandarin and Spanish. You have increased your target audience by twice its current size.
More Sponsors and Better Advertising Revenue
Most mobile games are free and rely on advertising systems to make money. Games that have more users are likely to get more sponsors and ad placements. This helps developers earn money and a lot of it. Again, the profits rely on the number of people playing your game. Hence, developers should partner with a reputable translation agency long-term. This will ensure consistency of translation, tone, and more.
Enhanced User Experience
Let us take the example of PubG, which sells many in-game items and hosts loads of tournaments based on regions. Now PubG has properly localized its game. When you buy items, it is in your local currency rates, language, and experience. This helps people feel more comfortable spending money on the game. Hence better user experience increased PubG game item sales. There are countless other examples of how video game translation services have aided in improving user experience.
Clear Competitive Advantage
Currently, there are many developers out there creating similar games. Translation and localization can be a way of gaining a competitive edge over them. Certain populations like Arabic speakers, Spanish speakers, German speakers, Mandarin speakers, and others prefer their native tongues over English. Hence they are more likely to play a bilingual mobile game that features their native tongue. FIFA in 2018, provided Arabic commentary through a famous Arab commentator. This was well-liked in the Arab community, and there were record-breaking downloads.
In-App Purchase Sales
Clear communication in the user-preferred language will drive more In-App purchases. When you translate your game, you also translate related materials like trailers, descriptions, marketing content, and more. This makes your content appear more on search engines and recommendations. All such dynamics help you increase your game sales.
Strong Community Building
A gaming community is the heartbeat that keeps any game alive. What makes Call of Duty, Candy Crush, or PubG so great is how many people love them. This community then not only promotes your game for free on forums and recommendations. They also buy products associated with the game. Take the example of Pokemon, the game that has popular anime, school bags, card decks, bottles, lamps, and so much more. Making your game more accessible through localization and translations can be the key that unlocks the game’s true monetary potential.
Conclusion
Mobile gaming is here to stay and improve over time. Today, a standard mobile device can be just as powerful as any gaming console. This makes possibilities endless, with AR and VR technology also becoming more common. The Metaverse genre has further increased the need for translations and promoting seamless communication between global community members. It will be exciting to see what the future holds and how developers will decrease the communication gaps. However, one thing is for sure, that game translations will continue to increase profits. It is best for game developers to foster long-term relationships with their localization and translation providers. This helps ensure consistency of tone and quality. Which is vital to building a strong community. Good luck! I hope your next game brings you more fame and fortune.
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