Localization/Localization in Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

Localization in Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG or MMO)

When players see localized content in a video game, they may assume that the companies offer support in those specific languages, such as support tickets, bug reports, etc. For video games, this assumption is more prevalent if the localization is done by the official companies. And especially for MMORPG’s, the choice to localize a game has greater risks due to the fact that the product (the game) will continue to receive content updates and there is constant upkeep and communication for the product as long as the game remains live.

MMORPG Localization: Service by the Company

Because MMO continues to receive content updates and offers 24/7 server access for the players, frequent communication between the players and the company is expected. This communication is in many different forms including but not limited to the following:

Official announcements, patch notes, game/company blogs, news, etc.
Official game forums
Customer support tickets in and out of the game
Bug reports in and out of the game
Social media interactions such as Discord, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Steam, etc.
Stream platforms such as YouTube, Twitch

Once the MMO is localized and published in a specific language, players will expect the services listed above in the localized language as well. In order to accommodate the players in localized languages, companies often run and manage the communication channels in those languages.

MMORPG Localization: Game Updates

Because MMORPG’s continue to receive game updates, it is important that the consistency and quality of the localization do not decrease over time. Using dedicated in-house translators/localization experts and/or using the same language vendors with well-maintained translation memory can help with maintaining the consistency and quality, as well as utilizing bilingual employees who speak the source language and the localized language. And in order to prolong the product’s life, the perpetual localization of a MMORPG can encompass a lot more than what is normally thought of for a non-MMORPG.

Differences in gaming culture and playstyle: A game developed in a country without different time zones may lack a robust party matching system since the everyone is on at the same time during the peak play time. Once the game gets localized and published in another territory with time zone differences, having a party matching system that’s built into the game and easy to use becomes a higher priority than in the original country because the number of users will scatter over a wider range of peak hours. A second example would be focusing on different gameplay styles. Some regions can be more used to grouping with the other players while some regions focus on individual play. Different markets will also have varying percentage of highly skilled players or players with who are very knowledgeable in game mechanics, or it could be that the use of in-game consumable items that temporarily boost your character’s abilities are much more widespread. These variances often result in contents that are very difficult to play in some markets and easy in others, not to mention what the players wish to see more in future game content. E.g. The localized market that is able to handle the difficult content may want to see more contents like that or even with greater difficulty, whereas other markets may want the difficulty decreased.
Differences in aesthetic preferences: Depending on the market, players will have preferences Various visual assets such as art style, character appearances, item appearance, etc. Creating the visual assets that appeal to the different market taste can be challenging since it may result in items that result in having an mediocre universal appeal in all markets. However, companies can also use the market preferences to create unique looks that are customized for the specific markets to bolster player loyalty and general goodwill towards the game and company, since one of the more common complaints in a localized game is that the original developers don’t care about their own market’s needs/wants.

MMORPG Localization: Player Behavior

Players Who Speak Non-Localized Languages

Whether a game is localized in a specific language or not, players are not limited to only those who speak the localized languages since they can play the game as long as they can access/or purchase the game. If a language barrier exists, players usually have several options:

Ignore the issue or if they can’t, try to circumvent the issue by playing another character, creating another account, etc.
Submit support tickets and bug reports in their native languages or Google translated content.
Utilize other players who speak the language to ask around or translate for them.

Players Who Speak the Source Language and a Localized Language

If there are bilingual players who speak the source language of the game but play the localized version of the game, it is not uncommon for them to translate the latest patch notes from the developer’s announcement and share it with the localized market’s players. This is due to the fact that it usually takes some time for the content to be localized and updated for the localized markets. For example, a game in the original language may be version 5.5, while the game in other localized markets may be version 5.0. The unofficial translation by the players before the company officially localizes the content.

Once the knowledge of the upcoming content (game mechanic changes, cosmetic items, etc.) is shared with the other players in the localized market, the players can provide feedback even though the content will arrive in the future. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, the company has the opportunity to gather the feedback and share it with the developer beforehand, potentially influencing future efforts in globalization and/or internationalization of the game content.