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Relevant Video Game Localization Languages in Europe (2020)

In this article, we provide an overview of Video Game Localization in the current European context, with a focus on relevant stats showcasing video game industry's multivalent boom, from the standpoint of current market trends and the recent evolution of the top highest-ranking European languages for game content Translation and Localization.

Relevant Video Game Localization Languages in Europe (2020)

Every day, access to the internet is growing, and more and more people, globally, are immersing themselves in video games. It cannot be denied that this relentless immersion is a cornerstone factor that is driving the demand for and success of the Video Game Industry at an unprecedented rate.

The current COVID-19 crisis has boosted sales and traction within the Video Game Industry on a global scale even more, inherently increasing the demand for Video Game content localization and internationalization.

Statistics behind Video Game Localization Market in 2020

According to a report by Newzoo, in 2019 the global mobile game revenue grew to $68.5B, only to surge by 12% to an impressive figure of $76.7B in 2020, with PC gaming accounting for 23% of the total market revenue, and mobile and tablet revenue for 46%.

App Annie, the go-to reference in terms of app analytics and app market data, predicted that in 2020 consumers will collectively spend 674 billion hours on mobile devices downloading and taking their gaming experiences to the next level. Meanwhile, data from GlobalWebIndex also indicates that more than a billion people around the world stream games over the internet each month.

Inherently, this escalating gaming demand brings forth an increased demand for in-game content diversity, tailored to specific market rigors and regulations (such as regulations introduced by PEGI).

European Trends for Video Game Localization in 2020

Looking at the European context for Video Game Localization from the standpoints of language ranking and market share last year, traditionally, FIGS (French, Italian, German, and Spanish) was a priority language set, accounting for approx. 40-45% of the total word count.

2020 was marked by a drop in the share of these languages to under 37% due to reduced demand for Italian and Spanish, as these countries were gravely affected by the COVID-19 economic downfall and underperformance in terms of GDP per capita.

At the other end of the spectrum, a rising star in the Video Game Localization top list is Polish, with its growing popularity explained by a large number of video game development companies, studios, and exporters located in Poland.

According to a very interesting statistic from Reuters, nearly half of Poland's population consists of avid gamers, and Poland's growing video game industry is expected to further increase to approximately $850 million over the next four years.

Besides, the imposed isolation has resulted in a boom in MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) Video Games, as well as Casino/Gambling Online Games, Dutch and Scandinavian languages ranking #1.

Furthermore, the 2020 trend for Nordic gaming consumers displays a high propensity towards the splurging of resources on video games, rather than any other individual expenses, playing an integral role in the increase of demand and execution of video game localization in their respective languages.

To ensure a high-quality UX (user experience), the localization of these video games into Scandinavian languages is preferred, contributing to the support of local languages, as well as the markets they target.

European Trends for Video Game Localization in 2020

Conclusion

The statistics above serve as a solid base in the process of choosing which language to localize your video game into, also contributing to your performance as a successful contender entering the European Video Game Market.

To this end, teaming up relevant market insight with a tailored portfolio of Video Game Localization solutions in tune with the current 2020 European context offers you precisely the linguistic options you need to maximize your video game content opportunities. Meanwhile, staying ahead of the game and keeping up with the fluctuating trends within the industry.

At AD VERBUM, we take pride in our extensive portfolio of professional Video Game Localization Services. Our Professional Video Game Localization services are provided by video game content SMEs, native in the highest-ranking language combinations within the market, guiding you along every step of the intricate Translation and Localization processes.

Additionally, you can check out our Introductory blog post on Video Game Localization to get more relevant information on the subject.

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References:

“Global Gaming Industry Report 2020: Revenue Projections of Consoles, Tablets, Smartphones, Downloaded/Box PCs, and Browser PCs to 2025 - ResearchAndMarkets.com.” Business Wire, 17 Apr. 2020, www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005189/en/Global-Gaming-Industry-Report-2020-Revenue-Projections.

Koper, Anna. “From Communist-Era Roots to Cash Cows: Poland's Gaming Industry Takes on the World.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 23 Jan. 2020, www.reuters.com/article/us-poland-gaming-focus/from-communist-era-roots-to-cash-cows-polands-gaming-industry-takes-on-the-world-idUSKBN1ZM20B.

“Newzoo Adjusts Global Games Forecast to $148.8 Billion; Slower Growth in Console Spending Starts Sooner than Expected.” Newzoo, newzoo.com/insights/articles/newzoo-adjusts-global-games-forecast-to-148-8-billion-slower-growth-in-console-spending-starts-sooner-than-expected/.

Schreier, Jason. “Gaming Sales Are Up, but Production Is Down.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/technology/personaltech/coronavirus-video-game-production.html.

Zaiets, Slava. “[REPORT 2020] The Hottest Languages For Game Localization.” LocalizeDirect, www.localizedirect.com/posts/top-game-localization-languages.

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