Taiwan has a game market to be reckoned with. According to Statista, the total revenue in the Taiwanese game market is projected to reach US$2,088.00 million in 2023, with a user base of 10.8 million. This translates to an average revenue per user (ARPU) of US$215.6.  

Mobile games in particular have increasingly accounted for a significant portion of revenue. Taiwan has surpassed Germany and become the fifth-largest mobile game market worldwide, with a staggering US$700 million generated in the first quarter of 2022, ranking just below the United States, Japan, China, and South Korea.

Taiwan has a gaming population that constitutes 63% of its total population. Taiwanese gamers have demonstrated a strong proclivity to make in-app purchases in games. Their ARPU is generally three times higher than that of mainland China, contributing significantly to the revenue generated by top titles. Additionally, Taiwanese gamers display a high level of acceptance towards various game genres and are enthusiastic about trying out new games.
 
Therefore, the Taiwanese game market possesses tremendous commercial potential. It is crucial for developers and publishers to understand the necessary elements for catering to this market. This article briefly explains how to prepare your games for success in Taiwan.

Localization

The gaming industry in Taiwan is highly competitive, with both domestic and international developers vying for players' attention. To stand out in this market, developers need to provide a localized experience that resonates with Taiwanese players.
 
Traditional Chinese is the official and main language of Taiwan. By providing localization for games into Traditional Chinese, developers can cater to the linguistic preferences of the target audience and provide a more immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.

Localizing to Traditional Chinese presents unique challenges, so one must be mindful. The context and vocabulary of Traditional Chinese varies slightly across different regions. For example, Traditional Chinese is also the common language in Hong Kong, but it has many differences in that region in terms of terminology and writing. Due to these characteristics, the translation process often requires adjustment for common terms.  

Additionally, the writing style commonly used in Taiwan is closer to Japanese, with longer sentences and more subtle expressions. It is important to avoid discriminatory or offensive language, or descriptions that are not suitable for Traditional Chinese. For example, a typical mistake is to mix up Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese, which have different language conventions.
 
Elements related to language formatting also need to be treated with caution. For example, converting the order of Japanese kana characters into the stroke order of Traditional Chinese characters requires a careful process of re-evaluation and production. Some text arrangements created as game graphics may need reformatting, requiring collaboration with the art department.

These are just the tip of the iceberg in the localization process. An expert translation team is required to determine the success of your game. PTW Taipei has extensive experience in localization to Traditional Chinese from multiple languages, including English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese, among others. They are dedicated to providing the most authentic localized content to Taiwanese gamers.

Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA)

LQA, or Linguistic Quality Assurance, is a practical testing process that ensures that the language and text used are displayed properly to local players. The basic process involves verification, including checking for normal appearance, missing characters, and proper positioning of punctuation marks. LQA also ensures consistency of platform-specific and game-specific terminology.  

Extra attention must be paid to the translation of Traditional Chinese to confirm that it does not mix with Simplified Chinese usage conventions. Many people have become more accepting of Simplified Chinese terminology, and it is frequently used in daily life and news media. However, although Traditional and Simplified Chinese are closely related, there are still important differences to account for. This is an area that LQA in Taiwan has been continuously improving.

Topics like politics and indigenous cultures are usually acceptable to Taiwanese gamers, as long as they are not stigmatized or commented on either positively or negatively. For example, games like Detention and Raid on Taihoku use themes derived from our contemporary era and culture to depict the experiences of ordinary people in an earlier historical context, similar to the storytelling approach in Valiant Hearts: The Great War. Therefore, a thorough LQA testing to find localization bugs or avoid cultural confusion before release in Taiwan will always benefit a game.

Player Support

Taiwanese gamers appreciate timely and helpful assistance when facing technical issues or other challenges. They value clear communication, prompt response times, and personalized support that addresses their individual concerns. Additionally, players in Taiwan often seek a sense of community and enjoy engaging with both the support team and fellow players through forums or social media platforms.  
 
Here are several reasons why player support is crucial in Taiwan:  

Player Satisfaction: By providing reliable support services, game developers and publishers ensure that players have a positive experience and are more likely to continue playing and recommending the game to others

Retention and Engagement: Effective player support helps retain existing players, as they feel valued and supported, leading to higher engagement and longer gameplay sessions

Reputation and Trust: Good player support builds a positive reputation for the game and the company behind it, fostering trust among players and attracting new users

Market Competition: In a competitive gaming market like Taiwan, quality player support can be a differentiating factor that sets a game apart from its competitors

PTW Taipei’s Player Support team provides text-based services to enhance the gaming experience and address player concerns. The range of common services includes technical support, account support, game guidance, customer service, community management, and conducting version update testing.

Quality Assurance (QA)

Although the methodology of QA testing is relatively universal across regions and agnostic of language, it is worth noting that certain types of QA require local expertise and resources. For example, PTW Taipei conducts payment tests in Taiwan for many games. Additionally, network tests, which ensure the stability of the network in a game, are becoming more important.

Conclusion

A game’s success in the Taiwanese market depends not only on the game itself but also to a great extent on how well the players experience it. When a game enters different regions around the world, localization, testing, player support, and other services ensure that local players can enjoy the content authentically. PTW can help achieve this.