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Game Localization: How to Conquer Korean Games Markets

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Is it important to localize to Korea?

YES.

Let’s talk about the Korean video game market. It is one of the most unrestricted gaming markets in Asia with almost zero censorship. It is the 4th largest games market worldwide after the US, China, and Japan. It hence comes as no surprise that Korean is one of the top three Asian languages for game localization and one of the top 10 globally. Out of the nearly 29M gamers in the country, almost half of them spend money on games. A Korean gamer spends close to $200 on an average per year; this makes Korean gamers one of the chief spenders in the world.

Even though the Asian market is huge, the game market has been difficult to monetize. In terms of geography, South Korea is rather small compared to a giant like China, but revenues are very impressive. Revenues generated in 2020 are estimated to be $6.5B. (newzoo. 2020 Research)

Top 10 Countries/markets by game analyze revenues (newzoo. 2020 Research)

For this reason, the Korean video game market has become an indispensable country that must be taken into account when proceeding with game localization. Therefore, it will be important for us to learn about the characteristics of the Korean video or mobile game market and prepare to enter the market.

From now on, let’s take a look at what are important considerations when Korean translations for games.

Let’s find out together!

How to localize in the Korean Video game market

1.Consider game UI

Korea uses the word “Hangul”. It consists of 24 consonants and vowel characters grouped in blocks, and each block consists of 2 to 6 characters in the form of at least 1 consonant and 1 vowel. In Korean games, the text is usually written from left to right, but if your mobile games or video games are going to describe an old manuscript, you should consider writing it from top to bottom. This is because characters in old Korean books are written from top to bottom. If you want to work a little more delicately, it is better to localize it in a font that seems to reflect the old characters of Hangeul.

2. Culturalize images together UI

Whether it is a Korean video game or a Korean mobile game, the images in the game need to be localized together. Since Korean users like to play games in their own language, the culturalization and localization of design elements in the game is very important.

3. Avoid cruel or sensitive materials

As mentioned earlier, unlike China, the Korean game mobile market or video game market is a fairly free market that respects freedom of expression and freedom of speech. Nonetheless, some games were banned for violence and cruelty. In addition, topics related to the Korean War and Japan should also be treated carefully. It is necessary to create a story or element of the game while avoiding various issues that users react sensitively.

4. Formal expression

The level of formality of the Korean language differs from person to person. It depends on whether the characters are familiar with each other, or if they are bosses or subordinates. When translating Korean, it is very important to take care of that part and localize it. Not only can the context and nuances be expressed efficiently, but also the character’s characteristics can be expressed. For example, if a subordinate in a serious situation in a Korean game speaks to his boss in a comfortable language rather than a formal language, Korean users will surely feel awkward about the game itself and their immersion will decrease.

5.Do an LQA test before publishing

In a 2016 game called Darkest Dungeon, the sentence “Ruin has come to our family.” is translated into Korean as “Cultural heritage has become our family.” The translation was controversial in the Korean game community.

Image source: Darkest Dungeon

Making sure the game translation progresses smoothly before the game is released increases the overall quality of the game. Localization does not simply end with translation but should proceed in consideration of the overall context. If you try to localize the game using translation without taking into account the clear culture or terms used by users, the above may eventually be repeated again, and the game’s reputation may be degraded.

6. Do localization with dubbing

Rather than localizing only with subtitles, it is better to perform voice dubbing together. As mentioned in number 2, In Korea, the immersion of the game is important, but rather than simply localizing the subtitles and UI, it is helpful to dub the voices of the characters so that they are familiar to Korean users.

Summary

1. In the Korean game market, the characteristics of Hangul characters must be considered.
2. If you want to represent an ancient document, write it from top to bottom rather than from left to right.
3. All UI and pictures should be cultured.
4. It is necessary to be careful about the content that is too cruel or related to Japan such as the Korean War.
5. Lastly, pre-launch LQA testing is important.
6. Do dubbing together.

As such, game localization is a tricky task that requires not only the quality of the translation but also LQA testing before release. Not simply considering translation, but localization that takes into account the culture, environment of each target country, and the user can be a keyword for your game to successfully enter the world. The Korean game market is so big that it is essential, so it will be very important to prepare for advancement with experts. If you leave it to us as experts, we can help you enter the Korean mobile game market or video game market.

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