Traditionally, Japanese video games were only intended for players in the country itself. Now that gamers are broadening their scope, more games make it to the international market. However, as the Japanese culture is very different to that of Europe and the US, localization is in order.

Japanese video games are not always launched in the Western market. Take for example the game “God Eater 2.” 

In an article on the Japan Times, Jason Coskrey explains that this action role-playing game was released in Japan in November last year, but its creator, Bandai Namco Games, had no plans to release the game anywhere other than Japan.

This has led to protests from fans all around the world: according to Coskey, the petition “Bring ‘God Eater 2’ to North America and EU” that can be found on Change.org has already been signed by over 700 people.  

According to Croskey this wasn’t the only game at the Tokyo Game Show that will remain within the Japanese market. He believes this practice has been common for quite some time now, to the frustration of gamers abroad.

Reasons to refrain from international releases are manifold, Croskey says. At TGS, Tsuyoshi Oka from D3Publisher, for example, stated that because the Japanese culture is so different from that of the rest of the world, Japanese content sometimes isn’t suitable for foreign gamers.

However, Oka does believe the Japanese market is growing. In fact, Croskey points out, D3 has published two previous titles of popular series (“Onechanbara” and “Earth Defence Force”) in the western market. Although the company has no intentions to release the latest versions of these games, that were playable at TGS, in Europe and the US any time soon, Oka predicts that Japanese games will reach increasingly the West.

There’s more to releasing games in another market than shipping disks overseas:  language barriers must be overcome as well.

This can be quite costly for Japanese companies, especially for role-playing games that feature a lot of text. After all, cultural aspects often have to be translated too.

Croskey gives the example of the game “Ryu ga Gotoku” (or “Yakuza,” as it’s known internationally) that was released by Sega. This game is set in Japan today, which means cultural references have to be localized for players abroad.

Former game journalist and co-founder of localization company 8-4, John Ricciardi, states that games in the Yakuza series have very large scripts because the number of characters you can interact with is very large and players’ decisions influence the scenario and what characters say.

Ricciardi claims localizing great amounts of text can cost game makers millions of dollars. This can be a big risk for games that don’t sell that great in the US. However, Ricciardi says this sometimes is a risk worth taking.

Croskey reveals that gamers’ tastes have changed over the years. This is the reason why dating sims, romance games aimed at women, are now launched internationally by gaming companies such as Voltage Inc. A number of translation companies have jumped on the localization bandwagon: Sunflare, for example as it launched its game-localization service earlier this year.

Concluding, Croskey believes gamers simply like good games, no matter where they come from. He thinks it would be a great victory for the Japanese gaming industry when Japanese games are launched all over the world. And the industry might soon experience this victory: Ricciardi, for one, believes gamers’ tastes have broadened, meaning most Japanese games will be launched beyond the country’s borders.

As Chinese consumers have more and more money to spend, they expect more from the hotels they visit – inside their own country and abroad. Hotel chains can thus seriously benefit from localization efforts.

When thinking of hotel chains that are opening new additions to their company abroad, localization might not be the first thing that comes to mind.

In an article on China Daily, however, Jiang Wanjuan states that the hospitality design industry must keep in mind that their creations appeal to the intended audience. Over the years, travellers have become more sophisticated, Wanjuan says, and hotels are used for more than just sleeping. For an optimum hotel experience, she says, guests should be reminded of exactly where they are.

Of course, this applies to hospitality design in China as well. Even though international companies used to transfer their hotel designs directly to their Chinese locations, this practice has long been abandoned, Wanjuan says.

Now, there are even conferences on subject of localization for the Asian market! At the 2014 Asia Hotel Forum, for example, discussions were held on how to adapt hotels to fit the market and strategies to attract more Chinese guests. At the conference, Wanjuan spoke to two experts on hospitality design: Christian Low and Eric D. Ullmann.

Wanjuan started off by asking the two why some hotels alter their design for new markets, while others employ the same design all over the world? Low, Asia Pacific regional director of hospitality with designing provider AECOM, replies that traditionally, large hotel chains liked to maintain a uniform look all over the world. However, he says this trend is changing – now, most hotels are trying to offer their guests a localized experience for every country their hotels are in.

Of course, Low says, the design is a very important feature of a hotel. He claims successful hotels have their own “design soul” and that localization and uniqueness have always played a big role in the works of innovative design firms.

Ullman, who is the president and design principal of DMU, a global leader in hotel interior design, adds that people also travel to see the city; hotels have to incorporate the country’s culture in their design to provide the best experience possible. Designers must keep the users in mind, he says, in hopes that guests will tell others about the great time they had at the hotel.

Ullman also claims companies are now trying harder to understand the Chinese customer: after all, there is a lot of money to be found on the Asian continent! Hospitality design has greatly been influenced by China. Now, he says, Chinese companies expand overseas, and Chinese people travel abroad as well.

This means international companies are trying to design hotels that appeal to the Chinese consumer. Wanjuan asks Low and Ullman what the Chinese actually like when it comes to hotel designs: Low states that the travelling Chinese are more and more sophisticated, meaning they are looking for unique, ingeniously designed hotels that incorporate the culture of the country they are in. Ullman adds that the Chinese also value a private dining area and lounge very highly. He does point out Chinese travellers have become more demanding: in fact, some simply travel to see hotels!

When asked about the average Chinese hotel, Low says that compared to overseas equivalents, the Chinese were often not that innovative in their designs. He believes this can be attributed to the fact that China simply didn’t have the monetary resources to do otherwise. However, this has changed in recent years, he says, and there are now a number of innovative hotels to be found in China. He also states that recent studies on China’s demographic and economy reveal a demand for budget and mid-market hotels, but Low believes there is room for growth in all segments. However, as the Chinese are increasingly sophisticated, he says, innovation is an important feature regardless of the prince range.

Concluding, Low says it is worthwhile to keep a close watch on the Chinese hospitality market – which includes both these hotels that are located in China and those aimed at Chinese guests travelling abroad. He believes the innovation, cultural sensitivity and the increasingly demanding Chinese consumers will raise the industry’s standards.

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