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Ciao! Or is it Salve? The Italian language is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. As diverse, emotional, and melodic as it sounds, there are few who object to that statement. Language mirrors their speakers, and Italian gamers are one of the most passionate and loyal gamers. If you do things right. But before we dive into Italian game translation, let’s get an overview of the current Italian video game market.

The current state of the Italian video game market

In 2022, Italian video game revenues will be 3 billion USD, accounting for almost half of all digital media revenue. It isn’t going to take over any other bigger FIGS or European Video Game players like Germany or France. However, the rapid growth in this industry in such a short time of 5 years is impressive. There are various reasons why people think the change happened, including company incentives and a shift in public perception towards games.

Italian Game Localization is a major opportunity for entering the Italian Gaming Market.

Italian Gamers

In 2021, the estimated number of video gamers in Italy decreased to 15.5 million, representing approximately 35% of the population. Especially young gamers (aged 15-24) and gamers aged 45-64 made up a huge chunk of the gaming population. Also, over 60% of male gamers play more than 21 hours per week and own a console or PC. Yet, 15% of female gamers aged 55 and above reported being hardcore gamers, compared to 11% of males.

Mobile gaming in Italy

Mobile gaming flooded Italy’s video game scene in 2021 when they made up 60% of total games revenue. By 2022, smartphones will be the topmost favorite game devices among all Italian gamers. Also, Coin Master topped the Google Play and Apple App Store rankings regarding app earnings in February. Hay Day and Airport Security dominated the charts in Spain and Germany by early 2022, indicating similar trends in Italy.

eSports in Italy

In 2021, a survey showed that 18% of the Italian population regularly consumes eSports content. In fact, 37% of Italians have a positive opinion of eSports because they create connections between people. For example, POW3Rtv is the most-followed Italian-language streamer on Twitch, with 1.8 million followers watching him play Fortnite and Call of Duty.

The importance of Italian game localization

When it comes to bringing your games to the Italian market, localizing them to Italian is a must. In fact, translating from English to Italian means that players in Italy can understand and enjoy your game. It will help you reach more gamers, as the language barrier can be a major hurdle for many.

English literacy in Italy

According to EF, Italians don’t have a very high proficiency in English, ranking in the 30s out of 100 countries. Of course, it doesn’t mean Italians don’t understand English. However, it’s more of a generational difference. Actually, older generations don’t speak English and often find it frustrating to read pages, websites, or games in English.

Younger people are also a bit less likely to know how to speak or read English due to the limitations of living in an environment without immersion in various languages. For example, movies or shows have subtitles in many countries, like the Netherlands, which has the highest English literacy score worldwide. In Italy, most content will be dubbed over. That’s a huge takeaway. If you want to attract and engage your Italian players, you need to translate and localize your game. Otherwise, you miss a big chunk across all customer segments in Italy. Finally, if you want your game to be popular in Italy, we recommend that you hire an Italian localization team. The Italian team should know a lot about gaming terms, so they can translate all of your game’s text and menus into the right language.

Cultural sensitivity

If you’re translating a game to Italian, it’s really important to understand the culture and region. You have to make sure that your translation is culturally sensitive and doesn’t use offensive or inappropriate language. Make sure to ask these 20 questions before localizing your game.

The challenges of Italian Game Localization

Length of expressions in Italian Game Localization

The process of translating games into Italian is far from simple. Like many Romance languages, Italian has more words than English. This means much longer text, which can get tricky to fit into user interfaces and game design.

Gendered nouns in Italian

Additionally, Italian has gendered nouns that can make the accuracy of translations hard. – table can be either “il tavolo” or “la tavola” – Il parrucchiere (hairdresser man) / la parrucchiera (hairdresser woman) – il gatto (male cat) / la gatta (female cat)

Context in Italian

Therefore, giving context to your Italian game translation team is important when translating games to Italian. This context can include the gender of the characters, the setting, and the story. Giving your Italian game translation services this information will help them make much better translations. It also makes sure that your game is ready for the Italian video game market.

The benefits of working with an Italian Game Translation Company

When it comes to translating video games into Italian, you need to work with experts. The benefits of working with Italian video game localization experts are numerous. Here are just a few of the benefits of hiring a professional translation company for your Italian game translation project:

1. Expertise and Knowledge

A professional Italian game translation team can translate games. They know how to do a great job because they have all the experience and knowledge that you’ll need.

2. Quality Assurance

Professional translators know how to do quality assurance techniques. They make sure that all translations are correct, technically accurate, and contextually relevant. This ensures you get a high-quality translation.

3. Speed

Working with a professional Italian translation team can dramatically reduce the time it takes to translate your game. With their experience, they can quickly and efficiently translate your game into Italian. That way, you can release your game much sooner.

4. Cost-Effective

You might think that it costs a lot to translate video games into Italian, but professional translators can offer competitive rates and packages. Conversely, you’ll be able to stay within your budget without sacrificing quality. Hiring an Italian video game translation agency ensures that your games will reach their target audience in the best way possible. If you want to translate a game into Italian, work with a professional translation team, so you can get the job done right!

SandVox – Italian Game Localization Company

At SandVox, we know how hard it is to get your mobile game into the Italian market. That’s why we have a team of professional translators who specialize in translating games into Italian. Our translation services are designed to help you stand out in the video game market in Italy. SandVox is the best choice for your Italian game translation needs. Contact us today to find out how our team can help you succeed in the Italian video game market.