Technical and cultural aspects of game localization in the production phase

Anastasia V. Dorkina and Marina I. Logacheva
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Anastasia V. Dorkina: Volga Region State University of Telecommunications and Informatics
Marina I. Logacheva: Volga Region State University of Telecommunications and Informatics

Russian Social and Humanitarian Studies, 2026, vol. 18, issue 2, 254-273

Abstract: Background. The globalization of the gaming market and the growing demand for multilingual products make video game localization a critical stage of development. However, for indie studios, localization often remains a final “polishing” step, which generates technical and cultural problems. Visually oriented games for children, where the text component is minimal, are especially vulnerable and require separate research into cultural adaptation of the interface, color schemes and gestures. Purpose – to identify and classify technical and cultural problems that arise during game localization at the production stage and to propose strategies for their prevention. Materials and methods. The research is conducted as a case study based on the educational game «Tsifropolis» for children aged 7–10. Methods include participant observation, repository analysis (Git) and predictive expert assessment for the Chinese market. Experimental localization of the interface into English was carried out with the development of a system based on Unity and JSON files. Results. Key problem areas are identified: text expansion of 10–20% when translating into English, the need to adapt character names, as well as potential cultural conflicts. The use of a version control system is shown to allow objective recording of localization changes. Practical recommendations for indie developers are proposed.

Keywords: video game localization; game development; indie games; technical aspects of localization; cultural adaptation; case study; visual interface (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cxm:russhs:18:2:2026:254-273

DOI: 10.12731/3033-5981-2026-18-2-552

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