Summary
This article examines the impact of localization on Supercell's Boom Beach, highlighting how effective translation can boost app performance. Supercell first soft-launched the game in Canada and Australia in 2013, allowing them to fix bugs before global release. They then localized for Japan, updating screenshots and descriptions on April 24, 2014.
Before localization, Boom Beach ranked #348 on the Top Grossing iPhone Apps chart. Immediately after, the rank surged to between 60-70, leading to an estimated 4-5X revenue increase. Similarly, the Free iPhone Games chart saw a jump of 185 places to #41 within a day.
Reviews also improved, further contributing to better rankings. The author argues that localization is a powerful tool for app publishers, citing examples of download increases over 7X. They encourage developers to start small and expand to more countries, emphasizing that ignoring localization can result in lost potential downloads.
Overall, the case demonstrates that investing in localization pays off significantly.
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