There is a worrying trend to be observed in the German gaming landscape: an increasing number of publishers are foregoing a German language version. The most prominent example, albeit a somewhat older one, is the blockbuster GTA 5, which fans have only been able to enjoy in English to this day.
But even role-playing games that live on their dialogue are not always translated into German. For example, the insider tip Disco Elysium has not been dubbed to this day, even though the game was released on all platforms and sold millions of copies. But what are the reasons why many games no longer receive a German dubbing? And what can German players expect from the industry in the future?
Reasons against German language versions
The main argument against a German language version is obvious: It simply costs a lot of money. Especially large game studios would rather not produce a dubbing at all than have it done cheaply and half-heartedly. The latter is of course punished by the trade press and the community alike. Smaller studios can hardly afford dubbing and weigh up exactly whether this step is worth it. Especially with dialog-heavy titles, a translation can quickly become an insurmountable cost factor.
In addition, this step makes sense for the publishers with a view to the target audience. The German player base is small and manageable compared to the global market. In addition, local players are often positively disposed towards a game in the original version or do without a German dubbing altogether. In a survey by Gamers Global, 18% said they only play in the original version and 18% said they prefer the original version. This is opposed by only 4% who categorically reject a game without a German soundtrack and 9% who at least cannot do without German subtitles. The majority, 27%, ultimately state that they prefer games with a German dubbing, but that it is not a criterion for exclusion. For the publishers, this means that they can fall back on simple subtitles without having to fear dramatic
Ultimately, this trend is also due to a actually pleasant development. Thus, the English level of Germans has been steadily increasing in recent decades. The reasons for this are, in addition to better education, above all the social media, streaming services and of course games, thanks to which many players are already confronted with English at a young age. For many players, the original sound is no longer a barrier, but is even perceived as authentic and preferred.
German language version - A look into the future
These three reasons mean that not only small studios, but also large publishers do without the German soundtrack. Prominent examples include Read Dead Redemption 2, The Outer Worlds, Dying Light 2 and the already mentioned GTA 5.
This trend is likely to continue in the next few years. However, there is no need for panic. Most video games still rely on subtitles so that everyone can at least follow the plot. And maybe this development can also be seen in a positive light. Languages are best learned playfully. What could be more suitable for this than the medium of video games.
