A reception study of video game localization in China: the case of fantasy role-playing games.

Abstract

Nowadays, Chinese-localized versions have significantly contributed to the growing popularity of many international video game titles. To better meet players’ preferences and expectations, video game localization into Chinese should adopt a user-centered approach. Since players’ expectations are shaped by their local social and cultural contexts, their reception of localized products largely depends on individual differences. This study examines the reception of video games localized into Chinese, using fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) as a case study.

The analysis of the localization of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt indicates that this video game combines strong foreignization with moderate domestication at the lexical level, and adopts a mostly neutral, moderately domesticated style at the syntactic level. Overall, the localization was well-received among Chinese players.

The questionnaire survey investigates players’ preferences and expectations, as well as how demographics, purchasing behavior, and gaming habits shape their reception of localization. The result shows that while Chinese players agree that localization primarily facilitates narrative comprehension, they prioritize functionality that enhances gameplay over stylistic features. Many players perceive Chinese localization as a sign of respect from developers toward the Chinese market, and the number of players who refuse to play games without Chinese version is higher than those who are more flexible. Poor localization quality is harmful, as players are sensitive to translation errors. For fantasy video games, players prefer retaining original cultural elements. In addition, visually, they favor shorter subtitles; aurally, they prefer translated subtitles with original voiceovers, suggesting low expectations for localized voiceovers.The data analysis reveals that players’ sociological characteristics strongly influence their reception of video game localization. Gender is the most impactful factor, especially regarding sensitivity to translation errors, culturalization, and voiceovers, followed by age, language proficiency, RPG familiarity, and so on. In contrast, cautiousness in purchasing and education level have the least influence.