Editing Video game development (section)

== Marketing ==

The game production has similar distribution methods to those of music and film industries.{{sfn|McGuire|Jenkins|2009|p=25}} 

The publisher's marketing team targets the game for a specific market and then advertises it.{{sfn|Bates|2004|p=241}} The team advises the developer on target demographics and market trends,{{sfn|Bates|2004|p=241}} as well as suggests specific features.{{sfn|Bates|2004|p=242}} The game is then advertised and the game's high concept is incorporated into the promotional material, ranging from magazine ads to TV spots.{{sfn|Bates|2004|p=241}} Communication between developer and marketing is important.{{sfn|Bates|2004|p=242}}

The length and purpose of a [[First playable demo|game demo]] depends on the purpose of the demo and target audience.<!--246--> A game's demo may range between a few seconds (such as clips or screenshots) to hours of gameplay.<!--246--> The demo is usually intended for journalists, buyers, trade shows, general public, or internal employees (who, for example, may need to familiarize with the game to promote it).<!--246--> Demos are produced with public relations, marketing and sales in mind, maximizing the presentation effectiveness.{{sfn|Bates|2004|p=246}}<!--
Note to self: contine on page 242 - chain stores, distributors and alike-->

=== Trade show demo ===

As a game nears completion, the publisher will want to showcase a [[game demo|demo]] of the title at trade shows. Many games have a "Trade Show demo" scheduled.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}
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Depending on the stage of development, the demo will either be full of "hacks" or a scaled-down version of the game, such as containing all of the game's features, but just one special level.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} Sometimes the demo can just consist of a video of potential gameplay and features.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}-->

The major annual trade shows are, for example, [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]] (E3) or [[Penny Arcade Expo]] (PAX).{{sfn|McGuire|Jenkins|2009|pp=24–25}} E3 is the largest show in North America.{{sfn|Bethke|2003|p=57}} E3 is hosted primarily for marketing and business deals.<!--24--> New games and platforms are announced at E3 and it received broad press coverage.{{sfn|McGuire|Jenkins|2009|p=24}}{{sfn|Bethke|2003|p=58}} Thousands of products are on display and press demonstration schedules are kept.{{sfn|Bethke|2003|p=58}} In the 2000s E3 became a more closed-door event and many advertisers have withdrawn, reducing E3's budget.{{sfn|McGuire|Jenkins|2009|p=24}} PAX, created by authors of [[Penny Arcade]] blog and web-comic, is a mature and playful event with a player-centred philosophy.{{sfn|McGuire|Jenkins|2009|p=25}}
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Often normal development is halted as the team prepares a small-scale, polished version of the game.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} Special assets are usually required for such a demo and team members are normally pulled off mainstream production for the demo development.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} This demo may also be used as the game's official demo when the game is released.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} At the 1999 E3, for example, [[Blizzard Entertainment|Blizzard]] showcased the highly anticipated ''[[Diablo II]]'' and allowed a small number of attendees to play the nearly completed game.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} On the other hand, [[Electronic Arts]] showcased the upcoming ''[[The Sims]]'' with a looping video of segments of the game.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

Since the demo is so critical, its development can halt all normal programming efforts as it branches off in the development of the demo. Depending on the stage of development, the demo can contain illusions of features and hacks that will crash the game if used wrong. But a game near completion can portray an accurate representation of the game with sufficient polish. The demo is often responsible for a great deal of crunch time.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}-->

=== Localization ===
{{Main|Video game localization}}
A game created in one language may also be published in other countries which speak a different language. For that region, the developers may want to translate the game to make it more accessible. For example, some games created for [[PlayStation Vita]] were initially published in Japanese language, like ''[[Soul Sacrifice (video game)|Soul Sacrifice]]''. Non-native speakers of the game's original language may have to wait for the translation of the game to their language. But most modern big-budget games take localization into account during the development process and the games are released in several different languages simultaneously.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Modesto |first1=Cristian |title=Insights on Game Localization From Ark One Studios |url=https://80.lv/articles/insights-on-game-localization-from-ark-one-studios/ |website=80.lv |date=14 June 2023 |access-date=27 July 2023}}</ref>

Localization is the process of translating the language assets in a game into other languages.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584503432/bytelevelrese-20|title=The Game Localization Handbook|publisher=Charles River Media|author=Chandler, H.|date=October 2004|isbn=978-1584503439}}</ref> By localizing games, they increase their level of accessibility where games could help to expend the international markets effectively. Game localization is generally known as language translations yet a "full localization" of a game is a complex project. Different levels of translation range from: zero translation being that there is no translation to the product and all things are sent raw, to basic translation where only a few text and subtitles are translated or even added, and full translation where new voiceovers and game material changes are added.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

There are various essential elements in localizing a game including translating the language of the game to adjusting in-game assets for different cultures to reach more potential consumers in other geographies (or globalization for short). The translation seems to fall into the scope of localization, which itself constitutes a substantially broader endeavour.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Explorations: A Journal of Language and Literature|author=Czech, D.|year=2013|volume=1|issue=1|pages=3–25|url=https://www.academia.edu/6639017|title=Challenges in video game localization: An integrated perspective}}</ref> These include the different levels of translation to the globalization of the game itself. However, certain developers seem to be divided on whether globalization falls under localization or not.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

Moreover, to fit into the local markets, game production companies often change or redesign the graphic designs or the packaging of the game for marketing purposes. For example, the popular game ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' has two different packaging designs for the European and US markets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/03/13/how-game-art-changes-around-the-world?page=1|title=How Game Art Changes Around the World|date=March 13, 2012|work=IGN|first = Lucas M.|last = Thomas}}</ref> By localizing the graphics and packaging designs, companies might arouse better connections and attention from the consumers from various regions.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}