Game localization research and translation studies
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Minako O’Hagan
Abstract
Game localization has been largely ignored in game studies and constitutes a relatively new area of research in translation studies. It is a specialized translation practice requiring technical, cultural and business considerations specific to games with multiple stakeholders involved. Addressing a general lack of dialog between these parties, the chapter brings together perspectives of a game producer and a translation scholar under the key theme of “loss and gain” with the third voice of a game localization practitioner enriching the final synthesis. Our tri-party views confirm that games as interactive entertainment designed to maximally engage the player call for deeper and more trustful partnership between the stakeholders in game localization than is the case today. Further changes in the dynamic game industry are evident in the application of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing of translation. In such a climate this chapter demonstrates the value of combined perspectives in further advancing game localization as practices that must be built on mutual understanding of parties serving different roles in delivering compelling gameplay experience across languages and cultures.
Abstract
Game localization has been largely ignored in game studies and constitutes a relatively new area of research in translation studies. It is a specialized translation practice requiring technical, cultural and business considerations specific to games with multiple stakeholders involved. Addressing a general lack of dialog between these parties, the chapter brings together perspectives of a game producer and a translation scholar under the key theme of “loss and gain” with the third voice of a game localization practitioner enriching the final synthesis. Our tri-party views confirm that games as interactive entertainment designed to maximally engage the player call for deeper and more trustful partnership between the stakeholders in game localization than is the case today. Further changes in the dynamic game industry are evident in the application of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing of translation. In such a climate this chapter demonstrates the value of combined perspectives in further advancing game localization as practices that must be built on mutual understanding of parties serving different roles in delivering compelling gameplay experience across languages and cultures.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Authors’ bio notes vii
- Disciplinary dialogues with translation studies 1
- History and translation 23
- Military history and translation studies 49
- Information science, terminology and translation Studies 73
- Communication studies and translation studies 97
- Sociology and translation studies 117
- Cognitive neurosciences and cognitive translation studies 141
- Biosemiotics and translation studies 169
- Adaptation studies and translation studies 189
- Computer science and translation 205
- Computational linguistics and translation studies 225
- International business, marketing and translation studies 245
- Multilingualism studies and translation studies 263
- Comparative literature and translation 287
- Game localization research and translation studies 309
- Language pedagogy and translation studies 331
- Gender studies and translation studies 349
- Name index 375
- Subject index 377
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Authors’ bio notes vii
- Disciplinary dialogues with translation studies 1
- History and translation 23
- Military history and translation studies 49
- Information science, terminology and translation Studies 73
- Communication studies and translation studies 97
- Sociology and translation studies 117
- Cognitive neurosciences and cognitive translation studies 141
- Biosemiotics and translation studies 169
- Adaptation studies and translation studies 189
- Computer science and translation 205
- Computational linguistics and translation studies 225
- International business, marketing and translation studies 245
- Multilingualism studies and translation studies 263
- Comparative literature and translation 287
- Game localization research and translation studies 309
- Language pedagogy and translation studies 331
- Gender studies and translation studies 349
- Name index 375
- Subject index 377