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Cloud Gaming: How Will it Impact Localization Operations?

In last week’s Nimdzi Finger Food post we talked about cloud gaming – both a technological shift & a change in how people play games – which is undoubtedly the major future disruptor in the video game sector 

So, just how will the emergence of cloud gaming impact the localization industry?

We’ve taken a look at three trends to keep an eye out on:

  1. More content becoming available and produced faster too: If the cloud gaming model is finally adopted, it is very likely that we’ll witness the same effect as in the media industry: an explosion of content will lead to a battle royale between service providers to see who wins the game. If you’re not yet intimately familiar with the word “scalable”, start giving it serious consideration.
  2. Streaming and social media: Social media and eSports are already big in gaming. But imagine how bigger they will become when cloud gaming becomes a reality and millions of users will be able to interact in real-time. Gaming companies will surely be taking advantage of this, engaging with even more players, likely generating a massive amount of new (daily) content.
  3. New gamer profiles: Cloud gaming will probably attract new users that haven’t been too active so far or haven’t discovered the joys of gaming yet. In an already highly creative industry, this will lead to the creation of new types of games aimed at different segments.

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Statista forecasts a 900 percent increase in cloud gaming between 2017 and 2023

Source: Statista

Now, we understand we’re not there yet, with cloud gaming. We don’t know, what we don’t know, right? However, savvy businesses should start thinking ahead of how to gear up for cloud gaming becoming mainstream.

A few things to consider:

  1. The right tools and processes: With more and diverse content, more updates, faster turnarounds and so on, the current tools and processes in the game localization industry will probably need some tweaks. Are the current terminology and TM management systems streamlined enough? Are the TMS/CAT tools used in this industry prepared to take this leap? How about LQA testing? Will it still be possible and how? 
  2. Scalable, specialized teams: We don’t know yet how much the workload will increase, but it’s a good bet it will increase. So, do you have enough professionals for all the required language combinations? Will you create dedicated teams for cloud gaming projects based on their gaming experience with these platforms?
  3. Targeted markets: Which will be the first markets benefiting from cloud gaming and 5G technology? Will 5G be hindered by market barriers and not take off as a result? With which markets and languages should you be starting first?

Nimdzi Insights has a dedicated team that can help you succeed in your cloud gaming localization strategy with insightful information. Reach out if you’d like to know more.

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20 November 2019
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