Have you thought about enriching your brand with a gamer dictionary? If you work professionally in the field of video games and want your brand to be recognized, you need to move smoothly and naturally in this world and use gamer vocabulary throughout the development of your business strategy to attract the audience you’re interested in.
Video games–and everything related to them–is a rapidly growing market that knows no boundaries. Games are played all over the world, all the time, on all kinds of devices, so familiarity with the contents of a video game dictionary is essential in this sector.
The importance of gamer vocabulary
Understanding and using gamer vocabulary is crucial for several reasons:
- Building Trust: When brands communicate using industry-specific terms, they demonstrate familiarity and authenticity. Gamers are more likely to engage with brands that speak their language, as it shows an understanding of their culture and community.
- Effective Communication: Gamer terminology often conveys complex ideas succinctly. Using the correct vocabulary allows brands to communicate effectively, whether they’re marketing a product, engaging with fans, or building community relationships.
- Enhancing User Experience: For companies developing games or gaming-related products, employing gamer vocabulary in user interfaces, marketing materials, and customer support can enhance the overall user experience. This contributes to a smoother interaction that resonates with gamers.
Here are all the terms you need to know
As specialists in the video game sector, Linguaserve deals with a great many words from the Gaming dictionary every day, and we’ve compiled a list so that you don’t miss a single one.
Entertainment software rating board (ESRB)
Let’s start with the rankings of the ESRB or Entertainment Software Rating Board, a non-profit organization that rates electronic games and applications to provide consumers with information on content and subject matter.
- Early Childhood
- Everyone
- Everyone 10 and up
- Ten
- Mature (17+)
- Adults Only (18+)
- Rating Pending
The dashboard also includes content descriptors that expand on the information.
Genres
These are some of the most common acronyms for classifying video game themes in a gamers’ dictionary.
- BR (Battle Royale). There can be only one. Example: Fortnite.
- DLC: Downloadable content.
- FPS: First-person shooter. Example: Call of Duty.
- MOBA: Multiplayer online battle arena. Example: League of Legends.
- MMO: Massively Multiplayer Online. Example: World of Warcraft.
- RPG: Role-playing game. Example: Skyrim.
- RTS: Real-time strategy. Example: Total War:Three Kingdoms.
- TBS: Turn-based strategy. Example: XCOM 2.
- TCG: Trading card game. Example: Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links.
- TPS: Third-person shooter. Example: Gears of War.
Chat terms
We have also compiled some common chat expressions and acronyms.
- AFK: Away From Keyboard. The player is absent and their character remains still.
- BUFF/BUFFING: Increasing the stats of a game element, whether a character, a weapon, a skill…
- EARLY GAME: Early play. In e-sports and other competitive video games, matches are divided into early, mid and late game or the final phase.
- FARMING: Performing repetitive actions to gain something, such as experience or rewards.
- GLHF: Good luck, have fun. Greeting at the start of the game.
- GG/GG WP: Good Game, Well Played.
- Kappa: Expression that conveys sarcasm.
- NERF/NERFING: Lowering the stats of a game element.
- OP: When an item is OP, it’s too good. It is normally nerfed by the developers to keep from detracting too much from the game.
These are just a few of the many words that make up our gamer dictionary. When we translate and localize a video game, we provide you with the best specialists in this service to ensure a gamer-tested result.
Expanding your gamer dictionary
While the terms listed above are essential, the gaming lexicon is vast and continually evolving. Here are additional areas to consider when expanding your gamer dictionary:
- Emerging Trends: Keep an eye on new gaming trends, genres, and terms that emerge. For example, terms like “loot boxes,” “microtransactions,” and “streaming” have become prominent in recent years.
- Cultural Variations: Different regions may have their own unique gaming slang. Understanding these nuances can help brands reach specific demographics more effectively.
- Community Engagement: Engaging with gaming communities, forums, and social media can provide real-time insights into popular terminology. Participating in discussions allows brands to stay current and understand the evolving language of gamers.
