Analysis on the localization of products by the plants vs Zombies

"Guided" Plants vs. Zombies 2 at the same time localization is worth affirming, but also because of increasing the difficulty, increase the purchase item and angered the player. How to balance user experience and localization is the game between user experience and localization.

Plant vs. Zombies 2 ago in the Chinese area App store shelves, attracted a new zombie boom. Although earlier PopCap in Australia, many players have been first to experience the new version of Zombie, but from China's shelves of zombies 2 to see, Bao Kai China in the game localization has also made no small effort, including language, Some of the plant and zombie names, as well as the establishment of the purchase of the Chinese market has made corresponding adjustments. But it didn't take long to get to the top of the App Store. The tens of thousands of-star evaluation also illustrates some of the problems that localization is not as simple as changing languages, and there are many other things to consider.

Localization of language

Language as a basic part of the process of localization, whether it is for the game or tool products are very important point. From the Plants vs Zombie Zombies, the Chinese version of Zombies in the central section includes help pages, pages, and game loading pages that have been tailored to the Chinese market, rather than simply translating the game's problems into Chinese, from the point of view of ordinary gamers, Bao Kai in the language localization is still very attitude, for the domestic game players to provide a in the language is also a kind of Chinese version dozen zombies.

Of course, also do not rule out some players for the effect of the Chinese after the performance is not satisfied, after all, the overall style of the game for the English version of the design, even after the full Chinese, some text will still be displayed by some players think very "low." Although the Chinese can not meet the vision of all players, but from a localized point of view, the product of the entire user-related content for the local language localization is still an essential step, even if no other aspects of localization work, this step is necessary.

Plants vs. Zombies

The domestication of customs and habits

For an ambitious product in overseas markets, it is not enough to localize the language, and local customs and user habits are a part of the process of localization.

As early as the first version of the Plant vs. Zombies, the treasure opened on the local customs and user habits of the game made some changes, single from the game icon and some of the game zombie appearance can be seen. In the traditional impression of Chinese users, the Qing Dynasty robes dressed zombie modelling is more popular, and similar to "Walking Dead" in the zombie style of dress is familiar to foreign users. So the Chinese version of the zombies in the game of the zombie dress made a corresponding adjustment, ordinary zombies wear the Qing Dynasty official hat, and eventually Boss is the Crown Emperor Qin Shihuang. In addition, like the Dragon Zombie and the word "fu" the lantern also appeared in the game, from the visual for domestic users to create a more familiar scene. Affinity has, the game process will naturally have a sense of generation.

"Vegetable question" in the Plant vs. Zombie 2

The new version of zombies in the local customs and habits is still under the full effort. Take a plant in the game for example, the boxing cabbage in English version of the name "Bonk Choy", meaning "loud cabbage." In the Zhong District, the plant was translated as "vegetable ask" and the plant introduction also wrote "Kung Fu master from Guangdong, China". Single from the name and introduction text, the player will be linked to the plant to the leaf asked above, so almost do not have to look at the plant introduction can probably guess the ability of the plant, the player's intimacy of the game also increased abruptly.

Similar to local customs to localize the place there are many, in the previous version of the zombie even added a "China pavilion" such a module, specifically for the Chinese players to design a number of special achievements and other content. According to the customs and habits of the product localization, on the one hand, can make the product more adapted to the use of local users, on the other hand, the product in specific areas to promote and carry out activities to provide a good foundation, is the product into the overseas market to expand the user base one of the important means.

Localization of marketing and business models

Marketing and business models are issues that must be considered before products can penetrate overseas markets, and the business model of a product is likely to change according to the consumption habits and consumption levels of local users. The product should be charged in another country after the shelves may be adjusted to "free download + buy" mode, different business models and pricing strategies are for different user groups open.

Bao Kai China this time in the plant War Zombie 2 Chinese version of the pricing strategy is undoubtedly the majority of the focus of the audience. Central zombies not only in the difficulty of the game compared to other regions, the number of purchases and prices are several times higher, which is causing many players in the app Store to give a star evaluation of the main reason.

American version of Plants vs. Zombies

The U.S. version of Zombie 2 of the internal purchase of six species, and each plant is not a diamond and other virtual gold coins to exchange, but directly through the payment of dollars to buy, in which the more expensive plants priced at 3.99 U.S. dollars, equivalent to less than 30 yuan yuan. In addition, we can note that in the U.S. version of the store page there is a purchase of games around the T-shirts and toys and other goods entrance, players can buy online peripheral derivatives in the game, which does not exist in the game in central. In fact, this is related to the Chinese region of the game and the surrounding derivatives of animation not enough about the game around the derivative in the United States can even be called an industry. Compared to the United States and the light of the local game, the central fight zombie is another scene.

Chinese plants vs Zombies inside purchase

There are as many as 13 plants in China, twice times more than the number of plants in the US, and the pricing is outrageous. Although the diamond and gold coins needed for the plant are available from the game, it is almost impossible to think of a normal game, as the difficulty of the central game increases and a large number of important plants are changed to be purchased. Pricing, such as frozen shooter, such as the more important plants priced 400 diamonds, the control of the purchase of the page, to buy a one-time 400 diamond plants, at least to buy a 680 diamonds in the bag, that is, the need for 68 dollars. And the normal process in the United States to obtain the plant, in the Zhong District version of the need to collect a specific number of stars to unlock the use, it seems to open China for Chinese players in the game level and purchasing power is very confident that the central fight zombies in an attempt to challenge the domestic players to bear the bottom line.

After the Zhong District zombie shelves, there are players in the game in the cost of the purchase of the calculation, the Chinese version of the content of the purchase charge of nearly 300 yuan, is the U.S. region twice times more. For this challenge to the user's tolerance of the bottom line behavior, although can also be interpreted as a localized strategy, but this strategy undoubtedly on the game and production company caused a great negative impact, the central district tens of thousands of a star evaluation of all the problems. The localization of marketing and business model is an important link in the process of product localization, which plays a key role in the sales of products in foreign markets. However, in the process of localization, consider the profit while also to ensure the integrity of the user experience, if at the expense of the user experience to meet the needs of the local market, but it is not worth the candle.

The game of localization

According to the previous data, Shanghai Bao opened in the whole of the company's gold absorption capacity of the third, in the POPCAP global companies are in the job cuts, while the Shanghai Bao opened the proportion of layoffs is very small, it can be seen that the parent company EA for Shanghai Bao opened the ability to absorb gold is quite satisfactory. However, some of the practices in the central plant vs. Zombie 2 have obviously angered too many players, and I am afraid that Shanghai Bao-Kai will have to pay the price accordingly. Localization for production companies can be regarded as a game, in a variety of other factors and localization between the need to find a balance, so that the localization process does not cause too much impact on other factors.

Take the game between user experience and localization as an example. The Plant vs Zombies 2 China version has increased the difficulty of the game and added to the purchase, which seems to take into account that Chinese players are more tolerant than players in other countries. However, the high degree of difficulty and a large number of internal purchase results are blocking the normal player of the game experience of the country while a small number of yuan players will buy the purchase, but carefully consider, free download a game, but to spend hundreds of dollars to buy the project in order to normal and comfortable to carry out the game process, And players in other areas spend far less money to get a good gaming experience. The impact of this internal imbalance on the player is directly reflected in the game score. Sacrificing the user experience is too costly for marketing to localize, though with a good starting point and no good results. So how to balance user experience and localization is the game between user experience and localization.

Once a product is decided to enter the overseas market, localization is a problem that has to be considered. Some time ago micro-letter launched Chat expression package is an example, micro-letter Edition users can get free expression package, and domestic users need to buy through payment. It is necessary to make corresponding changes to the product in different market environment, and the balance between the localization and other factors affecting the product is the key to determine the fate of the product.