The application of culturalization to video game creation isn’t a one-size-fits-all process with a prescribed time frame. In fact, culturalization strategies may vary when they’re being applied at different stages of a game’s development. While proactive culturalization strategies aim to shape content before it’s created, and reactive methods address issues post-launch, neutral culturalization occupies the vital space between when a game is essentially realized, but not yet released. At this point, neutral culturalization is the bridge between creative development and the market, and serves to ensure that the final product will resonate positively with target audiences worldwide. Here, we’ll explore this neutral stage of culturalization more fully.
Why Is Neutral Culturalization Important?
Launching a game that feels authentic and immersive to players from the start can make the difference between an immediate hit and a lukewarm reception. That’s because players often judge a game’s quality based on their initial experience with it, and cultural missteps in the early gameplay, no matter how minor, can alienate audiences or result in missed opportunities for engagement. Neutral culturalization can help a game make a powerfully good impression—from title screen to closing credits.
Employing culturalization strategies in a game’s development stage provides an invaluable opportunity for developers, designers, and marketers to collaborate with culturalization specialists to address specific questions about visual assets, narratives, and marketing materials. It also saves developers the cost of post-launch fixes, which are not only resource-intensive but can also damage a brand’s reputation. By ensuring that cultural nuances among target audiences are accounted for, and that the game’s content is aligned cross-culturally before release, developers can present a product that feels well-thought-out, respectful, and ready to connect with a diverse audience.
How Neutral Culturalization Works
Unlike proactive methods of culturalization, which emphasize early-stage decision-making, neutral culturalization focuses on reviewing and refining content that’s still in process. Culturalization specialists analyze game assets that the development team selects for scrutiny, which could be anything from character designs and in-game narratives to promotional materials, or even gameplay mechanics.
For example, when working on a game targeting Latin American players, culturalization experts might review character names and in-game references to be certain that they align with regional norms and avoid unintended stereotypes. Similarly, for games released in East Asia, recommendations might include subtle adjustments to color palettes or icons to promote visual harmony according to cultural preferences.
A game’s cultural alignment with target markets is essential, which is why the feedback phase from culturalization specialists is so valuable.
It often includes
- Ad-hoc consultancy sessions with culturalization experts who provide targeted advice for specific assets or questions
- Cultural relevance checks via detailed reviews that gauge whether the game resonates with local audiences in terms of visuals, dialogue, and mechanics.
- Suggestions for improvements outlined in a set of actionable recommendations for how to fine-tune content before launch.
Additional Benefits of Neutral Culturalization
At its core, neutral culturalization serves as a safeguard to guarantee that a game is respectful of cultural nuances and that its content is appealing across diverse markets. Further key benefits include:
- Cost Efficiency: It is far less costly to address cultural issues before launch, compared to fixing them post-release.
- Stronger Market Appeal: A finely tuned product creates a stronger connection with players, thereby enhancing sales and player engagement.
- Brand Reputation: Games that demonstrate cultural awareness foster goodwill among global audiences and boost their developers’ reputations.
The Takeaway
While proactive culturalization is about futureproofing, neutral culturalization focuses on the present: refining the product for its imminent audience. It’s a collaborative effort that brings together developers, designers, and culturalization specialists to ensure that a game isn’t just playable, but also meaningful across cultures.
In a world where players expect more from their gaming experience than ever before, neutral culturalization serves as a powerful ally for developers in that crucial time between development and a successful global launch.
