Challenging Chinese Game Market... Targeting with 'Igeot' Not Even in Korea

K-Games Approved by China to Launch Officially in Second Half
Busy Adapting to Local Regulations and User Expectations
Localization Evolves to Content Reassembly Level

Korean games that received a large number of service licenses (panho) in China at the end of last year are about to be officially launched. They are busy localizing to meet the heightened expectations of users while complying with Chinese government regulations. In the past, localization mainly involved adding a Chinese flavor, but recently the focus has shifted to strengthening gameplay through content reassembly.

On the 27th, Smilegate, Nexon Games, Netmarble, Devsisters, and others are in the final stages of preparation before launching their games in China. They are actively conducting pre-tests and working on localization.

Localization starts with changing the flagship game titles into Chinese-style names. Since China does not use foreign words as they are but converts them into Chinese characters, the meaning is translated directly. Smilegate’s "Epic Seven," released on the 20th, is called "Dichil Sasi" (第七史?) in Chinese. The game’s setting is the seventh world that revived after the sixth destruction, so the name means "Seventh Epic." Nexon Games’ upcoming release "Blue Archive" is called "Wulam Dangan" (蔚??案), meaning "Azure Library."

Due to expression restrictions, content is often removed or modified. According to Chinese panho regulations, religious and superstitious content must be excluded. Depictions of blood are also prohibited. In Epic Seven, the color of blood during battles was changed from red to black. Potion items containing blood changed from red to pink. Nexon’s "Dungeon & Fighter," which was a hit in China, removed cross items for religious reasons.

Content is also added. Nexon Games added Chinese dubbing to Blue Archive, which is scheduled for release in China later this year. Native language dubbing is an element not even present in domestic games. To preserve the genre’s sentiment, the original Japanese dubbing was provided with Korean subtitles only, as Nexon Games initially developed the game aiming for a subculture game that would also succeed in Japan. In the Chinese version, the focus was on delivering the game story, allowing players to choose Chinese dubbing in addition to Japanese. Devsisters’ Cookie Run Kingdom, currently being tested in China, uses traditional Chinese instruments such as erhu and pipa for its background music (BGM). Pearl Abyss’s Black Desert Mobile, released in China last year, added the "Haengja" character, inspired by Sun Wukong, the protagonist of the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West.

Recently, there has been a trend to put more effort into enhancing gameplay. As the Chinese market has grown, companies aim to compete with their unique gameplay. Netmarble plans to emphasize the cute and charming aspects typical of casual games in "Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds," scheduled for release later this year. A representative example is adding interior decoration features to farms where crops are grown. Another Netmarble game, "A3: Still Alive," maximizes competitive elements by increasing play speed to quickly reach the core content of war. To emphasize key game elements, the original content is reworked specifically for the Chinese market. An industry insider analyzed, "In the past, localization involved adding panda characters to give a Chinese flavor, but recently the focus is on emphasizing gameplay. They have entered full-scale content reassembly."

China is known as the most challenging market for localization. Basically, to release a game in China, it must pass government review and obtain a panho license. Games cannot be provocative or violent, and politically sensitive issues can lead to outright bans. On the other hand, if the original game is excessively altered due to regulations, Chinese users may reject it. It is a demanding but indispensable market. Last year, the Chinese game market size was $45.5 billion (about 60 trillion KRW), accounting for more than 30% of the global game market. It significantly influences overall performance.

Chinese publishers are crucial for localization. This is why local publishers such as Tencent, Century Tiancheng, and NetEase Games are given the lead and entrusted with the process. An industry insider explained, "The key is to find a middle ground between Chinese regulations and user needs. Experienced local publishers are given the game source and entrusted with localization."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.