Game localization services are a common solution of people who want to share their creations with others. Game developers don’t want to stay confined to the limits of their native country — if their invention does well in the local market, they try introducing it on an international level. PickWriters always looks for top translation companies because our goal is to link our visitors to the best options that modern translating industry has to offer. This time, our review targets professional adaptation of video games.
Ten Best Game Localization Services in 2023
Our review team studied many companies specializing in game localization service. We placed orders developed by our people, communicated with operators, chatted with translators and other employees. In the end, we assessed lots of information and finally made our decision. Meet the best ten agencies in the current year!
This best game localization provider has started out as a small company in 2007. It had very few employees and services, but over the years, Andovar has developed a lot. Now it’s an impressive agency that specializes in 110 language pairs and helps clients all over the world. Its support team is enthusiastic and polite, so if you have any questions, ask them day or night — Andovar is going to assist you no matter what. The prices are somewhat higher than normal, which can push some customers away, but the quality is absolutely worth it. Localization from this company is amazing: your text will sound just as fun and sinister as it does in original. If something doesn’t look right, you can count on quick revisions. Everything is delivered by a deadline clients specify beforehand, so cooperating with this firm is a sheer pleasure.
Pros
- Excellent attention to details
- A lot of services for your choosing
Cons
- Prices are higher than average
This is the second company that offers some of the best video game localization services in the market. It has smaller experience since it’s been established in 2018 only, so right now, it works with about 50 languages, but its success is unparalleled. Its operators are personally invested into every request and they take their time to explain everything you might want to know about. The prices are published right on the website, so there is no need to waste precious minutes on waiting for a quote — you can calculate everything right away. These prices are affordable, which is another plus. Orders arrive on time, and their quality is brilliant. TheWordPoint tests its localization projects before sending them to the customers. Some proofreading issues could pose a problem, but it’s easily resolved through revisions.
Pros
- Fully affordable costs for localization
- Top level of translation
Cons
- Typos and minor language issues might be present
As a company, LevelUpTranslation stands out from most others in this review because it focuses specifically on video game localization. It has been operating since 2011, conquering its niche and becoming known among the gamers. At the same time, LevelUpTranslation supports about 20 languages, which is an unfortunately small number. Only those customers who are interested in popular countries are going to find these services useful. Operators are amazing since they manage to stay communicative and polite even during the most challenging situations. Prices for localization are expensive, but this agency offers the best equipment and experts in exchange since games are its key focus. Quality of its assistance is outstanding — we couldn’t find even one serious drawback. It has revisions and refunds you could use in case something looks wrong and you want improvements.
Pros
- Impressive quality of translation
- Focus on game localization
- Respectful support team
Cons
- Few languages covered
- Expensive prices
As it’s evident from its name, this is another rare firm that specializes exclusively in game translation services. This fact already increases its chances at effective performance because it means that LocalSoftGames works strictly with professional localizers. They all have a personal understanding of video games — there are no translators who never worked on such projects and got yours by accident. The company appeared in 1988: the length of its experience is impressive. Clients select between 50 different languages and they can ask for a variety of related services, which is another great thing. The problem is in prices — they are higher than acceptable. Deliveries could be late, too, which is another issue. Based on reviews we’ve seen and on our own experience, the delays aren’t long, but it’s still an unpleasant factor. Quality is great, though; these experts clearly know what they are doing.
Pros
- Great localization service
- Narrow focus on games
- Amazing experience
Cons
- Small delays in deliveries
- Pricey services
As a firm focused on Spanish translations, TragoraTraducciones has been founded in 2006. Its employees work with 50 languages and support a variety of industries in addition to game localization. Prices are fully affordable — most customers would be able to pay for their orders without feeling like they’ve gone broke. Operators, on the other hand, need some extra training. A lot of them don’t know English well and they keep asking or saying irrelevant things. We were worried that the same problem would occur with translators, but fortunately, this was only partly the case. They understood all demands clearly and submitted their projects on time. Now, the text in the games had some issues: it was too dry when it had to be vivid and there were small grammar problems. But revisions corrected this situation, so our review team ended up feeling pleased with the services.
Pros
- Presence of talented localizers
- Affordable service costs
Cons
- Unhelpful operators
- Quality fluctuates and isn’t consistent
The experience of this company with expert video game localization comprises two decades. After being established, it quickly gained a known position in the translating market, gathering a group of dedicated clients. Now, it specializes in 150 languages — the range of options here is pleasantly vast. While MorningTrans underwent some changes, its policies remained customer friendly. Its operators are very friendly and they know everything about the company, so they could handle any requests. Game localization is expensive. There are cheaper variants in the industry. Translators in this agency rely on software and other tools that help make their jobs easier. On the one hand, they deliver projects on time. On the other, such frequent usage of technologies is bad for games since lots of lines sound mechanical. The issue isn’t major, but it’s still unpleasant enough to qualify for revision that can improve everything.
Pros
- Great range of localization options
- Effective deliveries and free revisions
Cons
- Prices are too high
- Content is too technical
TextMaster started functioning in 2011: it was one of the best game localization companies that worked purely online. During the decade of its existence, it joined Acolad group and gained recognition among clients worldwide. Like most firms in this review, it works with 50 languages, which isn’t a lot, but its support team is dedicated and does everything in its power to find a specialist you need. Prices are average, which pleased us, but there is another problem. There are extra charges for services that should come free. For example, if you’d like a professional expert to work on your order, you’ll have to pay an additional sum. Deliveries aren’t guaranteed on time — our project arrived almost four hours late. Still, quality is pretty great, which allowed us to include TextMaster into our best firms review.
Pros
- Impressive quality level
- Affordable service costs
Cons
- Extra costs for simple services
- Late deliveries
This is one of video game localization companies with an average experience. Tomedes emerged in 2007 and quickly hired a group of young professionals who helped make it successful. You can choose from 100 languages, and if you have any questions, you can always direct them to customer support — these guys are always prepared to guide you. For localizing a game, you won’t have to pay much, which is great news. But delivery is more complex. Sometimes orders are late, and not by a few hours, but by several days. Apologies and reassurances don’t help when your time is running out. Lots of reviews we examined mentioned it and the same thing happened with our project, too. Quality is on the top level: all nuances are accounted for, but keep the problem with deadlines in mind and plan ahead.
Pros
- Good prices for localizing services
- Satisfying quality
Cons
- No respect for deadlines: long delays
DayTranslations came into existence in 2007, but despite years of professional experience, it works with 51 languages only. Among other video game localization providers, this is the only one that has an insurance policy for the customers. Support representatives here love their job — their passion is obvious in everything they do; they handle requests day and night, so your time zone is irrelevant. Frustratingly, prices exceed the norm and are hidden from public view, which is something our review team dislikes heavily. Translators are responsible in terms of delivery but their levels of professionalism differ to a huge extent. We had to ask for three revisions until our game sounded properly. Mixed words, grammar errors, and wrong stylistic choices disappeared only when another translator accepted our project. So, if you hire this firm, you might have to wait a while before getting what you’ve paid for.
Pros
- Insurance for customers provided
- Good translators work here
Cons
- Exceedingly high prices
- Unstable quality of translations
This video game localization service has been working for almost two decades, and it supports 80 languages as well as various spheres. At the same time, its experience with localization seems average since it has only completed around 1500 projects during all these years. The prices, in turn, are higher than the norm, so clients might end up overpaying. It is nice to communicate with the firm’s operators — they try treating each customer with warmth and understanding. But according to reviews and what our team witnessed, getting perfect service here is next to impossible. You either get bad quality on time or great quality that comes too late. Alconost offers revisions, so quality could be improved, but there is nothing to do about delays. Still, our sample game was localized in an amazing way, so sometimes, it might be worth the risk.
Pros
- Many years of translating experience
- Excellent quality possible
Cons
- Frequently failed deadlines
- Quality depends on your translator too much
Video Game Localization Solutions: What Are They?
Whether you are searching for adaptation of your game or the best website localization services, you need to understand how localization differs from simple translation. When people order assistance with their documents, this is exactly what they receive: translators treat a text as one piece and basically re-write it in another language. But localization is more nuanced. Let’s review what game localization companies do when they accept an order like this:
- Multimedia Elements Including User Interface and Graphics Elements. Modern games aim at the maximum immersion of players not only providing high definition and photorealistic textures but also including small details that make the inside world believable. TES V: Skyrim or any other RPG has multiple textual elements embedded in graphic elements such as signs, book covers, banners, and many other things. All these short texts should be localized as well. User interface is the primary thing that requires video game localization service as people would not be able to even test the offered product if all interface elements are provided in a foreign language.
- Linguistic Considerations. Obviously, things have to make sense linguistically. Game localization is more thorough than general translation, but it has to be just as accurate. Top experts will ensure 100% fluency in your project.
- Cultural Considerations. What is acceptable for one country is outrageous for another, and localizers take this into consideration. For instance, if someone ordered a translation from Japanese to English, they must understand that many elements that look great in Japanese might seem strange or even offensive for English audiences. A lot of work is needed to even everything out.
- Packaging, Manuals, & Game Guides. Games rarely function independently. They are accompanied by manuals or detailed instructions explaining what the players should do. If you’re expanding your reach, this is something you’ll need, too.
- Dubbing Scripts. In most games, characters speak a lot. The best game localization services include voice over options where the original speech is echoed by native speakers in their target language.
- Functional Game Testing. Once all work is done, the best firms won’t merely send it to you. First, they’ll test it and collect opinions of their native speaking reviewers. This helps eliminate possible flaws and make sure that your product is perfect in every way.
Tools Professional Translators Use For Game Localization
Obviously, the best firms that do large-scale localization use a variety of tools. Most of them concern teamwork. At least several people collaborate on big projects, and since they live in completely different places, their actions have to be synchronized. Systems like SmartCAT, TextMesh, and others help ensure it. Game testers have access to editing tools that allow them to make their remarks or objections right in a draft version of a game. Equipment and apps for voice enhancement & clarity are also applied.
What Platforms Do Localization Companies Support?
As a game developer, you might be worried about what kinds of platforms the best video game translation companies support. Since this is a common question, we decided to offer a quick list with available options. Of course, we recommend that you clarify such matters with operators ASAP, but if you’re simply curious, here you go.
- Microsoft Xbox
- PC
- Nintendo
- Android
- iOS Apple
- Sony PlayStation
Each platform is unique. It means that they all require a special approach that only the best experts could provide. If you need help with one of these options, you won’t have to worry about anything because top localizers will provide it.
Consider Website Localization for Your Game
Like we mentioned before, asking for game localization alone isn’t a good idea. If you hope to make your game known among many international players, you’ll need a website for it, and it has to be translated, too. For example, if you ordered German translation for a game, you can expect the German fans to look for your official website. They should be able to find content in a language they understand.
Outsourcing Your Translators: Is This Method Reliable?
Even large companies with great budgets don’t like hiring translators as full-time employees. It’s not cost-efficient, so they prefer outsourcing them from reliable companies. This makes sense, so you have no reason to worry. Decide what language you need assistance with, prepare all the materials for localization, including website, manuals, etc., and find the best company. Once you place your order, it’ll do the remaining work for you through its freelancers, so you’ll just have to download the results and reap the benefits.
We’ll Help You Choose between the Best Game Localization Companies
PickWriters team never stops working for helping link our visitors with the best translation companies. If you are interested in game localization, 10 options we described above are your best bet. Things change, so a firm that used to top the market last year might fall behind in 2023. That is why you should stick only to the latest reviews. Read them, do your own research, discuss details about your game with operators, and make a choice that you won’t have to regret!
