Crouching button, hidden typo: the reception of localised Chinese-developed videogames

As China’s videogame industry expands and increasingly targets global audiences, Chinese-developed games have gained unprecedented international visibility. Once dominated by North American and Japanese studios, the global market is now led by China, with companies such as MiHoYo producing titles designed for worldwide consumption. As a relatively new major actor on the global stage, Chinese games are received through players’ prior experiences, community discourse, and broader cultural perceptions. This study investigates how localisation shapes the reception of Chinese-developed videogames, and how it influences player perceptions of Chinese games.
Drawing on reception theory, cultural schemata, and user‑centred translation approaches, the research examines: (1) how players perceive Chinese-developed titles; (2) how localisation strategies influence interpretation; (3) what preconceptions, if any, players hold; and (4) whether player interpretations align with intended source meanings. To analyse these dynamics, the study proposes an integrated framework combining user-centred translation, an adapted kineikonic model, and an adapted Motivation, Use, (self), Evaluation (MUsE) model to capture both immediate reactions and longer-term repercussions.
Using a mixed-methods design, the study triangulates data from an online survey, semi‑structured post-hoc interviews, and netnographic reviews. A quasi‑experimental playtest using three case-study onboarding tutorials randomly assigned participants to know either pre‑ or post‑hoc whether the games were Chinese-developed, allowing observation of any perception shifts. Findings indicate that localisation aligned with genre norms and implied player models fostered immersion and positive schema adaptation. Conversely, untranslated text, awkward phrasing, and UI inconsistencies produced negative sentiment and, in some cases, play abandonment. Cultural markers, humour, and playability emerged as decisive factors in engagement.
This study addresses gaps in Chinese-English game localisation research and offers recommendations for culturally responsive, player-centred localisation practices, emphasising the importance of reception-driven strategies in an increasingly globalised gaming industry.