Halo 5 Guardians is among the most anticipated titles by Microsoft.
Expected exclusively on the Xbox platform, the game is expected to release some time in the next year. Microsoft has ensured that the wait up to the release is full of good things for the players. So you have the Halo Channel and the Master Chief Collection and an exclusive TV series as well, to keep you busy. In addition to all these goodies, Microsoft seems to have much more in store for the fans of the franchise.
Halo 5 for China
The Chinese make for a large audience for any kind of game. With a game as popular as Halo, the admiration is much more fervent. It is no surprise then that Microsoft is planning to release a localized version of the game just for China. WPDang, a popular Chinese website, has recently reported Microsoft’s plans to unveil a localized version of the game for the Chinese. This means, that the game will have a lot of Chinese context, in addition to being dubbed in the local language and having Chinese subtitles. It is not clear though, whether the game will be available in both Cantonese and Mandarin or just one of them.
Why Chinese?
A lot of people are questioning Microsoft’s motives, which are actually very clear. Microsoft is playing for profits and it would be really foolish to ignore a market as ripe and ready as China. The move to localize the game and dub it in Chinese languages is seen to be made exclusively to attract Chinese buyers. For years, the Communist government in China had banned video games and all the gaming consoles. However, the ban has been recently lifted and the Chinese people are eager to get in on the action. This is the right time to enter into the Chinese gaming market and make space for themselves. With a localized version of the Halo 5, which releases exclusively on the Xbox, Microsoft is making sure to tilt the scales in its balance. Since the Japanese almost always favor Sony, this is a move to warm the average Chinese player to the Xbox.
What Now?
Halo 5 is a huge franchise, and localizing such a game may set a precedent. This is one of the boldest moves any gaming company has made, to attract buyers. However, China has had a good track record in being a rather beneficial market for Microsoft. Halo 5 could have as easily been shipped to China in its original form, but by making a localized version, Microsoft is openly letting China know how important its market is to them. For the fans of the game, it would be interesting to see how the characters in Halo would look and feel like as they speak and converse in Chinese. It also remains to be seen whether Microsoft has decided to add any new and interesting features to the Chinese version of the game or if it remains essentially the same game in Chinese language.
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