Persian game localization scene in Iran: taking stock

Abstract

The present study focuses on providing a descriptive account of the Persian game localization scene by offering a diachronic and synchronic account of the video games localized in the Iranian market. This is done through compiling a list of the officially and unofficially localized video games into Persian between 2000 and 2022. The localized video games are analyzed in terms of localization company, publication date, genre, platform, and localization levels. The findings suggest that official Persian game localization has been in place since the early-2000s, whereas the unofficial localization of video games is a rather incipient phenomenon in Iran, starting in the mid-2010s. Furthermore, partial localization, focused on the dubbing of games’ audio assets, used to be the most frequent localization level aimed at by official Iranian localization companies, while official game localization is currently carried out at the level of box and docs localization. Additionally, partial localization is the preferred localization level by unofficial Iranian game localization teams, with subtitles and user interface of video games being localized into Persian. The findings have implications for international game development and localization companies considering Iran, and similarly oft-ignored locales, as a potential target market.