What's the EFIGS Problem in 2024? Which Language to Choose for Game Localization and Entering a New Market

Hi all!

My name is Alexander, I am the CEO of the Kolko Group translation agency and the Start Localize game localization studio. We specialize in localization, translation, and content management, and are now increasingly focusing on projects for IT and Gamedev. We translate and adapt websites, applications, services, and games. My colleagues and I have prepared this material for those who are planning to enter new markets and are looking for ways to implement their project. The material has been prepared based on data for 2022, 2023, and partly 2024.

They say, EFIGS — a group of the most popular languages for localization. Or not the most popular anymore? This is what we will figure out in our material. Here will be everything for those who are interested in translating games, software, websites and applications. For those who love graphics with analytics of the gaming market. And, of course, for those who, like us, are “sick” with localization.

Table of contents:

What is EFIGS?
Why EFIGS? Gaming Market Charts and Research.
EFIGS – that's it?
What to look for when choosing localization languages.
Conclusions.

1. What is EFIGS?

Imagine you want to translate a game. It seems simple – all that's left is to choose the appropriate languages. You start searching for information on the Internet and immediately find the answer and salvation – EFIGS! But what was there before this group of languages appeared?

Previously, games were most often released only in the language of the country of the manufacturer. The world's first computer game, which marked the beginning of the commercial industry – Computer Space (1971), was exactly like this. Unfortunately, its sales were poor and did not bring success.

With the development of technology, everything changed. Computer inventions became more accessible, and opportunities for promoting games increased. And then marketers, translators and game publishers began to think about what languages they needed to localize their product into for successful promotion.
The ideal answer to this question was found decades later. Localization into European languages became the standard. In the 90s, games were increasingly translated for foreign players, and in 2000-2010, the era of EFIGS languages gradually began. This allowed to cover a fairly large sales market.

E — English. Used in many countries around the world. Localization into this language covers the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and other English-speaking countries.
F — French. Important for the markets of France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada.
I — Italian. It is spoken in Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia and other countries.
G — German. Localization into German allows you to promote games in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
S — Spanish. Necessary not only for Spain, but also for Latin American countries.

It seems like this is the perfect group of languages that will attract many new users on different continents, and therefore make the game popular and earn a lot of money. However, times are changing. And to understand how relevant this group of languages is for localization now, let's turn to analytics!

2. Why EFIGS? Charts and research of the gaming market

Let's see how big the gaming market is. According to analytics company Newzoo, the gaming market of EFIGS countries in 2022 is the following.

The US is predictably in first place. But Spain is in last place with $2.9 billion in revenue. But don't write it off! With 470 million speakers (approximately), Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

If we look at the situation not from the point of view of money turnover, but from the point of view of the number of players, we see the same leaders:

P.S. Please remember that the data here is for specific countries. There are large numbers of speakers of each language around the world. The research only helps to understand the overall picture.

Research answers the question of why many people choose EFIGS. Not only are these languages popular and have a large number of users, but the countries that this language group covers also have a significant turnover in the gaming industry.

However, we forget a few facts: the world is changing, and so is the role of states in the economy.
And with it, the gaming market. After all, other languages offer many opportunities and can become a real springboard on the path to popularity of the translated game. “But what if not EFIGS?” you might reasonably ask. Let’s look at the language ratings in one of the most popular stores, Steam. According to Statista, we see the following:

English – 32.33%
Simplified Chinese – 32.22%
Russian – 9.3%
Spanish – 4.29%
Brazilian Portuguese – 3.51%

These are the top 5 languages on Steam. As you can see, the list includes only 2 languages from EFIGS. The largest share is occupied by English and Chinese. However, the latter is striving to take the first place. At least, this is what many media outlets claim.

It would be unfair to talk only about the computer games market. Let's pay attention to smartphone app statisticsusing data from the App Store and Google Play.

Google Play. According to Semrush, in 2023, the largest traffic came from the following countries (in descending order): USA, India, Indonesia, Japan, Brazil. The total volume of mobile traffic in these countries was 95.01% (2 billion), while only 4.99% was computers (1 million).

These countries represent key markets for mobile apps, showing where developers should focus their efforts. As you can see, this data refutes the hypothesis that EFIGS is inviolable.

App Store. According to Apptweak statistics, the most popular languages in the App Store are English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese.

Google Play and App Store different languages are popular among users. This is due to the fact that in some countries, Android devices are in demand, while in others, iOS devices are. For convenience, we will display the data in infographics: (Google Play statistics are presented based on data from countries whose statistics are known; all other countries not included in the diagram have a very small percentage).

Google Play statistics are presented based on data from countries whose statistics are known, all other countries not included in the diagram have a very small percentage

If the EFIGS group is not successful on Google Play, then the situation is different in the App Store. Probably, the case seems very confusing and causes confusion among developers who want to translate their game. However, if you delve into it, you can still find the answer to the question “What language should I translate the game into in 2024”? (and in 2025, 2026, and so on). Let's figure it out together!

3. EFIGS – that's it?

Definitely not! Research has shown that this group of languages still remains in demand among both users and developers. EFIGS languages still continue to reach a large audience in developed markets where consumer income and purchasing power remain high.

But while EFIGS is a popular and basic set of languages, its share has dropped significantly in recent years. In addition to the usual “mature” markets, demand has also increased for Asian ones — CJK (China, Japan, South Korea). And the demand for the languages of the countries is also beginning to increase BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China).

That is why today the usual principle of localization into English, French, Italian, German and Spanish is, unfortunately, not enough. To be competitive, it is necessary to move away from outdated standards and try to focus on the market. The ideal option is a combination of languages based on the demand on the game promotion platform.

I would also like to say something about the Chinese market, as one of the fastest growing. Remember the first two tables on EFIGS at the very beginning of our publication? The US market was on the pedestal there. But if you add China to the statistics, it can even compete with the United States of America!

In 2022, the US gaming market was worth $46.4 billion, while China's was worth $44 billion. Chinese has overtaken French, Italian, German, and Spanish. In terms of the number of players, the Asian country has even taken first place – 699 million versus 209 million in the US.

New data Newzoo's 2024 forecasts also confirm that the trend towards Chinese and English is still going strong. Nothing has changed in two years, the number of players continues to grow. This is especially true for the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam). It accounts for 53% of players, which means it is still worth taking a closer look at Asian languages and not missing the moment!

So our main advice: before entering the market, analyze it. Understand where your game will be in demand. And don't forget to take a closer look at the market of China and other Asian countries.

4. What should you pay attention to when choosing localization languages?

Selecting languages to localize your product — is a decision that affects international success. Which language to translate into depends on strategy, budget, and desired outcome. This list will help you consider important factors, from analyzing your target audience and economic indicators to assessing competition and cultural specifics.
All points are not listed in order of importance.

Pay attention to the target audience.
Who are your potential players? What countries do they live in? What games do they like to play in the evenings? Don't forget to study the language preferences of your target audience. For example, Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. However, we think that localization can be done without the latter language. Only a small part of the population speaks it, only 60 thousand speakers in one of the 26 cantons (territorial and administrative units of Switzerland).
Don't forget about mentality.
What is familiar to residents of Japan, will not always please residents of Russia. And vice versa. Analyze whether your game will violate the norms of another country. Will it become for foreign users exactly the game that is able to “blend in” into their everyday life.
Look at purchasing power data.
If you are going to translate the game into a new language, try to consider how affordable it is for new players in that country. The price should be competitive, but not low enough to cause losses. If the language for translation does not meet this criterion, then we do not recommend you choose it.
Take a peek at your competitors.
A proven method is to look at someone else's experience. The main thing is not to repeat someone else's mistakes. If you have a goal to enter a specific market, look for similar games. Answer the question: “How well do they sell and what languages have they been translated into?” This will help you make a choice.
Consider the features of the platform on which you are going to sell your game.
If your goal is to advance on a specific platform, it is always better to study not only its rules, but also what languages are in demand on it. Remember Steam! Not long ago, English was in first place there. But in the last few years, Chinese has caught up with it.
Focus on your budget.
As they say, the budget is not unlimited. We understand this perfectly. After all, you will need funds not only for localization, but also for promotion. But what budget is needed to distribute the game in the country of your choice? If you feel that the competition is too high, we recommend looking at less competitive markets. Perhaps this is what you need?
Future prospects.
Looking into the future is always difficult. Especially if you are not a clairvoyant. However, you can always use analytics! Predict the potential for growth and development. Evaluate the long-term benefits of expanding language support.

We hope our tips will help you decide which language is best for localizing your game or app!

5. Conclusions. What language should games be translated into in 2024?

The main conclusion of the article is that EFIGS is not a panacea. You need to listen to the market and people.

The world is changing. If 5 years ago some languages were popular for localization, now globalization and world market leaders are making their own adjustments. We can say that English has always remained and will remain an international language, so localization into it is definitely needed. And we recommend taking a closer look at Chinese, it is gaining popularity every year.

We definitely do not recommend following the principle “the more languages the better”. Especially if your project is not too large-scale. It is better not to spread yourself too thin across many markets at once, but to focus on the main ones. This way you will be able to implement your plans most effectively.

Well, we, together with the team of the game localization agency, Start Localize We wish you successful localization, popularity of your translated games, software and websites. And also great reviews from your users all over the world!

And let your reviews not be like this: