The Localization of Digital Games: A Case Study in China

This paper examines the challenges facing digital game localization, using China as a case study to explore why some foreign games succeed in the Chinese market while others fail. The authors argue that localization is more complex for games than for conventional software because games function simultaneously as commercial and cultural products. To structure their analysis, they propose a three-dimensional model comprising the In-Game Environment (storyline, gameplay, engagement, and interface), the External Environment (social, political, legal, and ideological factors), and the Users, who serve as the link between the two. Their central contention is that all three dimensions should be considered throughout the entire game design process rather than treated as a late-stage adjustment.

The study's methodology combines several data sources, each aligned with a dimension of the model. Content analysis of a selected set of foreign games marketed in China addresses the in-game dimension. The external environment is examined through secondary news reporting, a review of relevant regulations, and online gaming discussions within China. The user dimension draws on secondary literature alongside primary interview and survey data. The paper's stated aim is to give game designers and marketers a practical framework for improving localization outcomes in one of the world's largest gaming markets.

The paper's scope is focused on the Chinese market and the localization of digital games for it, situating this within the broader expansion of computer and Internet use worldwide. Its framing draws on prior work in international technical communication and web usability, which the authors use to distinguish game localization from general software localization. The document was presented at the DiGRA 2005 conference, and its analysis is grounded in the period's regulatory and media environment, including reported government crackdowns on certain online games.