Chinese-made video games appeal to international players

"Imagine what would happen if movie-goers walked into theaters to see Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and heard a soundtrack and dialogue that were totally incomprehensible - something more akin to jabberwocky than to English. People would storm out of the theater and demand their money back," Lakritz says. "Yet, in the world of gaming this level of localization is somehow considered acceptable."

While weak translations have marred the spread of Chinese games in the past, it seems more Chinese companies are learning from their mistakes, hiring translators and companies to do a proper job.

Chinese games tend to fall under genres such as martial arts fantasies, says Chen. Chinese companies can create Western-style games but it's not their forte, so localization is needed to make the Chinese styled game more appealing to Westerners.

The inclusion of cultural references and jokes that foreigners understand comes in at this point. Dyer says that literal translations of Chinese games can create issues for the players.

"Chinese games tend to be a little more romantic and poetic. You can run into a character and he'll recite poetry, 'Peach blossoms flutter to the ground in a spring breeze' It will make no sense to an American player," Dyer says. "You want a little of the references to Chinese history and culture, but you want to spice it up."

Dyer says that little nuances and in-jokes for players are able to help gamers connect with the game.

"American gamers are quick to judge and even quicker to point out mistakes," Cohen says. "Developers who are interested in localization into English should take the time and spend the extra money to get it right the first time."