Most video games have an international presence thanks to various tertiary companies. An example of a tertiary company is a technical translation company. It enables video game makers to translate games’ content into a target market’s language.
In other words, tertiary companies offer supportive services to help video game developers expand their market.
The USA is home to thousands of video games. However, some games stand out from others because of their quality and versatility, among other aspects. For this reason, Eurolingo, a language service provider, has identified the five best video games played in the USA as follows:
Weird West
You can play Weird West using Playstation 4, Xbox One, or a Windows PC. WolfEye Studio is the brain behind the production of this video game. The studio consists of a team featuring Arkane veterans, who created Deathloop and Dishonored video games.
When playing the Weird West video game, you fight cultists, bounty hunters, and the undead. The mission is to revenge. The tactical shoot-out battle takes place in an open field. Also, the battle employs a top-down setting. If you are trying to rob a bank during the game, find your way through a chimney to avert a deadly firefight.
One of the beliefs that WolfEye holds is that you should touch the world you explore when gaming. So, the studio does its best to make the concept a reality.
For this reason, the five bounty hunters in the video game operate in a world responsive and interactive to a player’s commands. For example, shooting an ammo box makes it explode. Also, your character and their friends die permanently.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo plays on Windows PC and Playstation 5. It is a product from Tango Gameworks, creators of the Evil Within video game. If you compare the two video games, Ghostwire: Tokyo carries the day. It leaves the American suburban terrain to adopt Tokyo’s rainy grounds. So, it features vengeful spirits of Tokyo’s legendary realms.
Ghostwire: Tokyo features first-person animation. It also has vivid enemy designs. To play this game, banish demons to get into an Ersatz 7-Eleven and receive a health-restoring Mochi. In other words, this video game presents an apocalypse in Japan.
During this game, you can use paranormal and psychic abilities to overcome the spirits and ghosts that haunt you. Your character can also use hand movements and gestures to cast spells. When your enemy loses significant health, their core becomes exposed. So, you can apply takedown moves to destroy them.
If you defeat the enemies, you collect Yokai. In return, you collect spirit resources and points to upgrade your abilities.
Nobody Saves the World
Nobody Saves the World can play on Windows PC and Xbox One. This game features a protagonist, Nobody, who can convert into 18 different fantasy forms, including a dragon, ranger, and warrior. He uses a wand to change his form. Each form unlocks several abilities.
You only have two basic skills at the beginning of the game. However, you gain more abilities as the game continues. You can also swap the forms while moving across the board. Also, you can combine your abilities to carry out a devastating attack.
Players explore dungeons and overworld during the game. The game procedurally generates these two settings. You have to complete gameplay objectives and quests to get upgrades and stars. These two gains are the currency for unlocking the dungeons in the game.
The dungeons have traps and enemies. However, a thorough exploration of the dungeons can enable you to find hidden keys and treasure chests.
This game gives you access to everything it offers. So, you cannot choose an unintended form only to realize your error later. In other words, Nobody Saves the World has open features to ease their selection. Also, you can play this game solo or as a team.
Rainbow 6 Extraction
This game can play on PlayStation 4, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and Xbox One. It is a product of Ubisoft Montreal. This video game contains similar characters and arsenals found in Rainbow 6 Siege. You can play this game as a 3-member group and try to complete a set of challenges. So, it is a cooperative multiplayer video game.
During the game, your team fight to defeat parasite-like aliens, the Archæans. Firstly, you have to infiltrate a location with aliens and complete a set of objectives. The objectives include gathering Intel, extracting computer data, and collecting samples.
Each play session, incursion, has three interconnected sub-maps. Each sub-map has 12 random objectives that a player should meet. Once you achieve your objective, you can opt to extract or move to the next sub-map. If you choose to extract, you become safe.
A new sub-map can be more complex than the previous one. However, you get more rewards for completing a complex sub-map than for completing a simple one.
If you leave one of your friends behind, you can free them in the next mission. Otherwise, leaving them behind exposes them to progressive tax as a punishment. A player that the enemy defeats become missing in action. So, you have to rescue them before continue playing the game.
Uncharted: Legacy of ThievesÂ
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves plays on PlayStation 5. It is an action-adventure game, a product of Naughty Dog. Similar to the other Uncharted series, the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves video game features Nathan Drake. He is an unruly man that grows weird whenever he fails to get his way.
This game features treasure hunters who explore the world to unearth historical mysteries. It consists of historical fiction, folklore and fantasy elements, fictional characters, and real-world historical events and figures.
How Video Games Expand Internationally
Play by the Rules
One of the strategies that video game developers adopt to expand internationally is to play by the rules. Every video game should comply with the rules that govern the industry. Failure to do attracts negative publicity, a penalty, and a ban. An example of the rules to follow before listing your video game on the Google Play Store are as follows:
- Your game should not contain viruses and malware.
- Your game should not exceed the platform’s app size limit.
- You should sign your app with a digital certificate.
- Your app should not feature content that promotes self-harm and terrorism.
- Your app should not have content that violates the law, commissions crime features pornography or obscenity, and violates privacy.
- Your app should include translations. So, you can purchase translations from reputable language service providers.
Localization
Translating your video game app content only does not qualify it for international expansion. You should localize the content after its translation. Doing so increases the competitiveness of your video game.
Notably, localization makes a video game acceptable to people from your target market region. It helps to put your video game content in a context that your target audience will understand. Also, it helps to align your video game with the cultural ethics and values of your target audience.
Localization should not end at the content of the game. It should also encompass localization of the settings of the game, including the names of various towns or landmarks. Some of the parts of a video game that require localization are as follows:
Game Manual
The game manual is a set of notes and instructions for a video game. It is in form of a Word file or PageMaker. It may also feature promotional content and creative writing.
Readme File
The Readme file contains notes detailing last-minute changes not featured in the game manual. It can also contain corrections for errors and typos in the game packaging and documentation. A Readme file can be straightforward and technical.
Game Packaging
Game packaging is the physical game box. The packaging can also feature more information about the game. Game packaging is the first thing that buyers see. So, it should carry accurately translated information.
User Interface
The user interface is what you see on the screen when interacting with a video game. It includes menus, tabs, activating features and functions, and buttons, among other elements. The translation and localization of the user interface cover notifications, error messages, dialogue boxes, notes, and menus, among other features.
Textual Messages
Localization also applies to textual messages appearing on subtitles, dialogues, game notes, and annotations. The translation and localization of textual messages are sensitive because it has to rhyme with what the screen shows.
Spoken Dialogues
Localization also applies to character dialogues, narrations, and interjections. So, a voice talent comes in handy during the translation and localization of the spoken dialogues.
Graphics With Words
Some graphics in a video game contain texts related to some scenes. These texts require local terms, signage, or idioms.
Sensitive Images, Gifs, Animations, or Videos
Localization should identify sensitive political and cultural visual elements. Afterwards, it should replace the sensitive elements with neutral ones to avoid controversy.
The Bottom Line
Give your video games an international standard for them to become competitive globally. Doing so places video games on the list of the best video games in the world. After noting the highlighted video games, it is time to try them out.
