Localization quality assurance (LQA), often known as game localization testing, is the final step in creating a fully linguistically and culturally adapted video game. After all preceding phases, including translation, voice-over, design localization, and integration of those parts into the final version of the game, have been accomplished, the LQA guarantees that everything fits with players’ preferences and expectations.

Game localization testing ensures that people from all over the world can play and enjoy the game. Localization testing entails running the game in many languages and checking that the content is appropriate for the intended audience. A faultless user experience is critical for increasing downloads, in-game payments, and lifetime value. A game that has been crowd or fan-translated typically requires linguistic testing.

Furthermore, linguistic quality assurance (QA) ensures that all features and UI elements make sense and that text is shown appropriately. It does not interfere with the game design, and everything functions properly. Thorough testing is essential to a successful game localization, and this is where localization testing services come in.

What Exactly is Game Localization Testing (LQA)?

The final stage of the game localization process is localization quality assurance (LQA). It focuses primarily on linguistic testing and translation quality review, but it also includes UI/UX evaluation, compliance testing, culturalization, internationalization, functional testing, and other topics.

In short, native-speaking linguists with knowledge of gaming and local culture play and assess your game to ensure no linguistic or visual faults.

If the game is released in many languages, each version should be evaluated by a native professional.

Contrary to common opinion, quality assurance (QA) is not simply a bunch of gamers or developers replaying a game but rather a highly specialized stage of the localization process.

There are two kinds of LQA testers you’ll need to test your game:

  • Native speaker localizers: Linguists who thoroughly understand the language and culture and are, ideally, gamers themselves. They will be in charge of identifying language or cultural errors.
  • Game testers: Professional game players focusing on user experience who will be in charge of detecting bugs or glitches.

LQA certifies that the game has been localized to all requested languages, that all strings have been translated, that the terminology fulfills the hardware manufacturer’s criteria, and that no implementation errors have been discovered. Furthermore, it ensures the translations are done with natural flow and consistency.

Language Quality Control

Linguistic game testing looks for errors in game scripts and voiceovers. Typically, these are spelling, punctuation, and translation problems. In the end, the language QA testers recommend fixes or alternative translations. Linguists and native speakers of the target language work with a specialized localization testing company to carefully examine the translated material.

The following are examples of language-related issues in localized games:

  • Grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors (verb conjugation, missing words or punctuation signs, repeated words and phrases, etc.) are common language-related defects in localized games. These are particularly problematic in games with a lot of text, such as RPGs or visual novels, and can interfere with player immersion and comprehension.
  • Numeric formats, financial symbols, calendars, and dates (DD/MM/YYYY in the United Kingdom vs. MM/DD/YYYY in the United States vs. YYYY/MM/DD in Korea, China, and Iran);
  • Incorrect metric and currency conversions, measuring units (in the US/UK vs. continental Europe, miles vs. kilometers, pounds vs. kilograms);
  • Errors linked to the country (incorrect zip codes, phone numbers, addresses, and names);
  • Language-specific characters are broken (for example, diacritics in Polish, Hebrew, and Arabic are rendered incorrectly);
  • Contextual inaccuracy occurs when words or sentences are not translated according to their actual context or when idioms are translated literally;
  • The natural flow of language – do the phrases sound like they would in everyday conversation?
  • Translations that are incomplete or inconsistent (one word is translated differently throughout the game, especially when it comes to synonyms like “submit”, “send”, and “apply”);
  • Voiceover difficulties (either the voiceover files are erroneously translated or the subtitles and audio are presented at separate times);
  • Sensitive cultural allusions (cultural taboos, inappropriate terms or language, etc.);
  • Word-for-word translations: Literal translations ignore nuances and colloquial expressions in the language, resulting in awkward-sounding sentences with no natural flow.

Best Practices for Linguistic Game Testing

1) Plan Ahead of Time for Game Localization

Plan to localize your game into other languages as soon as you begin producing it in your native language. Create a program that can handle bidirectional text and non-Latin typographic elements. The application should also support a variety of temporal and numeric formats, sorting methods, and other related aspects. Include Unicode, which allows for using several character code structures to accomplish this.

2) Outline the Technique and Begin Testing as Soon as Possible

Establish a rigorous process after including localization in a test build to avoid overlooking essential features. This includes documenting the strategy and planning how to test the game, app, or website.

The documentation does not have to be overly long, but it should contain valuable guidelines. It is also critical to begin testing the game’s localization as soon as feasible. This will allow you to discover and correct any errors with the localization before the game is released.

3) Run All Languages Through Their Paces

It is critical to test a game’s localization in all languages it is being translated into. This will ensure that the game functions properly in all target regions. Testing all languages will also allow you to spot any translation or localization issues that must be resolved. A game trailer is required for any game project.

Offer testers insights about the style of an app or service project, such as the tone and level of formality or informality. This is especially important when English is the source language, and the target language is French, Spanish, or German because the correct form of ‘you’ depends on the necessary formality level.

4) Make Use of Native Speakers

It is critical to test the game’s localization with native speakers. Native speakers will notice any problems with the translation or localization that non-native speakers may overlook. They will also be able to provide feedback on the content’s suitability for the intended audience.

5) Test in Various Locations

It is critical to test the game in several target locations to ensure that it operates properly in all of them. Technical characteristics, internet speeds, and cultural preferences may vary by region.

6) Put Cultural References to the Test

Cultural references in your game may be lost on players from other cultures. It is critical that cultural references are not offensive or inappropriate for the intended audience.

Conclusion

Linguistic game testing is an essential element of the game production process. It ensures that players from all areas and cultures may play and enjoy the game while receiving the best possible UX. From a linguistic, aesthetic, and functional standpoint, game localization QA entails several processes. To obtain the best QA process, qualified experts should be given useful contextual information, a QA strategy should be customized, and special localization tools should be used.