Game translators are in high demand as the gaming business grows worldwide. The vast market of international gamers in China need translators to give the greatest gaming experience for non-Chinese speakers. For foreigners, how much do game translators earn in China?
China has the world’s biggest gaming market, earning nearly $43 billion in 2019. There are many international and local Chinese gamers in the country. E-sports and internet gaming are booming, thus overseas players who don’t speak Chinese need game localization and translation services.
Game translation adapts a game’s language, cultural allusions, and gameplay to a specific audience. This involves translating western games into Chinese and vice versa in China. For international game makers entering the Chinese market, this is crucial to reaching a bigger audience and increasing income.
As China’s gaming industry grows, so does need for game interpreters. Foreign game translation in China goes beyond text translation. Translators localize the game’s graphics, music, and cultural allusions to make it more approachable and entertaining.
Factors Affecting Chinese Game Translator Salaries
Due to several variables, Chinese game translators’ salaries differ. Factors include:
1. Skill and Experience
As with any work, experience and competence determine game translators’ salaries in China. Experienced and skilled game translators earn more than newcomers. Experienced game translators understand the Chinese gaming market better, making them more useful to customers.
2. Language Pairs
Game translators in China who can translate many languages earn more. China needs multilingual interpreters as international games arrive. Translators of specialized languages like Japanese or Korean earn more than those of English and Chinese.
3. Game Type
The game they translate might also affect their pay. Different game genres demand different skills. RPG translation may demand more cultural and linguistic understanding than mobile game translation. Translators for sophisticated games like RPGs earn more.
4. Client/Business
A game translator’s remuneration also depends on their employer. Top game firms and high-profile clientele pay translators more than smaller companies or individual creators. Due to their notoriety and larger finances, these firms can pay game translators competitively.
Game translators in China might make a lot based on the aforementioned variables. Glassdoor reports that the average game translator income in China is 150,000 Chinese Yuan, or $23,000 USD. Experience, language competence, and job type are considered in this estimation.
Game translation in China provides good pay and several career options. The gaming business will always require qualified translators for numerous games and projects. Game translators may even become specialists in their language pairings or game genres, leading to higher-paying gigs and collaborations.
Game translators typically collaborate with game creators and learn about game design and development. This may lead to game development or other gaming careers.
Game translation is a fast-growing sector in China that pays well for language and game lovers. Foreign game translators in China earn varying amounts based on their skill, language pairings, and game genre. With the rising demand for game localization and translation services, game translators may anticipate a good pay and a successful career with many growth and development prospects. Thus, game translators interested in the Chinese gaming sector might choose this vocation due to its high earnings and career prospects.