While putting your efforts into video game design and development, subtitles are the most trivial and even the last thing you think of adding to your game. However, a survey of CNet on subtitles reports, 79% of gamers turn on subtitles while playing video games. The figure is a clear indication of how much gamers prefer turning on the subtitles of video games.
Whether it is a blockchain game development company or a metaverse development company, it must consider including subtitles in the gameplay. As a matter of fact, video game subtitles are a must these days not only for people suffering from hearing impairments. Several reasons are hanging there like mobile speakers of low quality, playing games in a noisy environment, gamers do not want to bother children, roommates, the old, etc.
Despite the essentiality of subtitles, most of the time, designers and developers pay less attention to adding subtitles to their video games. Yes, it is true that later in the development cycle, subtitling systems get hooked to the game.
But you can start working on the subtitle texts during the video game design process as early as possible to drop them in the development cycle later. Here, we will show you how to put subtitles in video games with perfection.
Subtitles in Video Games: The Benefits
Following are the top reasons why game developers must consider including subtitles in video games:
- With subtitles, it becomes easier for people with hearing problems to understand the gameplay rules.
- Subtitles foster better comprehension regarding the game’s backstory.
- Video game subtitles bring flexibility in a sound-sensitive environment.
- With subtitles, video games get more views, resulting in an expansion in targeted gamer reach.
- Many players like to play lowering the sound volume. Subtitles prove great for them.
Tips While Including Subtitles in Video Games
Okay, you are now pretty much convinced to add subtitles to your game. But they are just simple texts on screen. How would they go any wrong? Well, to much surprise, many game designers and developers fail to present the subtitle clearly and unobtrusively. Here we are presenting the effective ways to include subtitles in video games:
Using the Right Font
Does it sound like a no-brainer? Well, many times, video game designers get themselves tangled between making subtitles catchy and making them readable. You may think that a curly font style may suit your game theme and background, but it will ruin the readability of the subtitles.
For example, you are reaching out for blockchain consulting to get a clearer vision of potential blockchain applications for your business. So, you would like to directly dig into their blockchain expertise instead of admiring their office interiors.
Likewise, you are providing subtitles not for making the gameplay more presentable but comprehensible. So, readability is the first and foremost criteria for subtitling your game. Unless you present your subtitles readable, they are of no use. So, instead of choosing fancy fonts, go for font styles like Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, etc., to make sure your gamers find the subtitles useful.
Font Size Matters
Some people may play your game on PC, while some gamers may play the game on mobile phones. If you generalize a font size, it may not seem right for everyone. Yes, one thing remains constant: the large font is preferable to ensure the gamers are not straining their eyes to read out the subtitles. So, instead of encouraging confusions, why don’t you give your gamers choices on the font size of the subtitle?
Not too Much Text on the Screen at One Time
If you present a large chunk of text at one time, it will spoil the gameplay and event. If there is a lot of dialogue, you can split it up into short lines to enhance the readability. Try to avoid putting more than two lines per subtitle. While subtitling a conversation, make sure there is an adequate amount of spacing between words and lines.
Coloring the Subtitles
In most cases, white is the best option to color the subtitles. But, many times, video game designers use different colors like yellow, and neon green to highlight the speaker.
Moreover, there is no guarantee that subtitles will run against a plain background. If a lot of things are going on there, your subtitles will get lost over there. You should choose a background color for your subtitles to avoid the clash and keep their readability intact.
Easily Being Switched on and off
Not every gamer requires subtitles in video games. You have to make sure that your gamers can easily turn on or turn off the subtitles even in the middle of a level. Try not to let your subtitles become the cause of irritation to your gamers.
Wrapping up
To conclude, subtitles in video games are crucial. Unfortunately, many game developers fail to consider the importance of adding subtitles to their games. Compared to PC games and consoles, the mobile video game industry is lagging a little behind when it comes to adding subtitles. Still, the importance of adding subtitles to your game is inevitable.