Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Video game localization'

This thesis analyzes how the institutional environment of the Chinese market affects market entry by foreign PC video game developers. The thesis utilizes a qualitative, multiple case study of five independent PC video game developers from around the world. The results of the thesis finds that despite China’s strict rules regarding video game publishing by foreign developers, culture and language are stronger influences on market entry strategies than Chinese regulations for the PC platform. This is due to the prevalent use of Steam, not only by foreign developers, but also their Chinese partners who publish the game to bypass the approval process mandated by the State Administration of Press and Publication (SAPP). The study also finds that, despite being in a leveraged market position due to regulations, Chinese publishers provide host of services for the developer partners for a revenue share deemed within industry standards. Additionally, localization strategies are discussed by each of the cases and this thesis finds that, while a basic translation can have success in the Chinese market, utilizing native Chinese speakers has a significant impact on a game's success, regardless of the professional level of the translation. Finally, despite the notoriety of piracy in China, developers expressed indifference to the practice, however, several methods have been identified to help mitigate the activity.

Os videogames são hoje uma das formas de entretenimento mais populares em todo o mundo. Muito desse sucesso só foi possível graças à tradução, a qual, por meio de versões localizadas para os mais diversos idiomas, contribuiu decisivamente para que os videogames alcançassem um número cada vez maior de mercados e chegassem a milhões de lares ao redor do planeta. Esta dissertação, de caráter eminentemente historiográfico, tem por objetivo examinar a relação entre a tradução/localização e os videogames desde seu início até os dias de hoje. Além disso, pretende também, por meio da análise de alguns jogos, traçar um panorama acerca de como se dá esta relação sob o contexto brasileiro, abordando as características e especificidades que a localização de games tem apresentado no Brasil ao longo do tempo. A análise desses jogos está fundamentada sob duas perspectivas: a) uma perspectiva histórica, em que se buscará situar as épocas em que foram lançados às etapas de evolução dos videogames e sua relação com a tradução/localização em cada momento; e b) uma perspectiva descritiva, em que se realizará uma análise dos aspectos acerca da tradução/localização observados nesses jogos, fundamentada sob as bases teóricas utilizadas nesta dissertação: o conceito de domesticação/estrangeirização (Venuti, 1995), a teoria funcionalista do Skopos (Vermeer, 1986) e o conceito de Gameplay Experience (Souza, R.V.F., 2014).
Video games are today one of the most important forms of entertainment worldwide. Much of this success was only made possible due to translation, which, through localized versions into various languages, contributed decisively for video games to achieve a growing number of markets and reach millions of homes across the globe. This dissertation, of an eminently historiographical nature, aims to examine the relation between translation/localization and video games from their beginning until the present day. Furthermore, it also intends, through the analyses of a number of games, to provide an overview on how this relation works under the Brazilian context, addressing the characteristics and specificities that video game localization has been showing over time. The analysis of such games is founded upon two perspectives:a) a historical perspective, which will seek to situate the times when they were released to the stages of evolution of video games and their relation with translation/localization in each moment; and b) a descriptive perspective, which will undertake an analysis of translation/localization aspects observed in such games, founded upon the theorical basis utilized in this dissertation: the concept of domestication/foreignization (Venuti, 1995), the functionalist Skopos theory (Vermeer, 1986) and the concept of Gameplay Experience (Souza, R. V. F., 2014).

Regular online outrage about changed content in regional editions of video games has brought our attention to the concepts of censorship and localization. Game Rating Systems have their fair share of critics among those debating the details of localized content and prove to be in a peculiar position between developers and the end-user. The current state of the industry shows that alterations are made to regional versions of a game, especially with regards to sensitive topics such as violence, nudity, and sexualization. A survey to gauge end-users’ perception on these topics has been spread amongst residents of Japan and Western regions. Japanese respondents show to be more accepting of legislation surrounding video games whereas Western respondents tend to display a severe dislike for any sort of legislation, and often see not only censorship, but also localization in a negative context. Censorship, self-censorship, and localization are complicated and nuanced topics that turn out to be complexly intertwined with the practice of game production.

The market of videogames has been growing more and more int the last years, reaching a revenue of more than 91 million dollars on a global scale. But while videogames enter the lives of more and more people, some companies choose to cut some languages from their internationalization projects. The project described in this dissertation analyses the case of Torment: Tides of Numenera, trying to discern the reasons that brought the developers to cut the Italian translation for the game, aiming to find how this choice has influenced the experience of Italian gamers. To this aim, the dissertation is organized in four main chapters. Chapter 2 examines the general characteristics of videogame localization, its polysemiotic nature and the added level of complexity given by the fragmentation typical of software syntax. Chapter 3 presents the details that compose the game’s identity: its genre, its predecessor and the world in which it is set. Chapter 4 contains the analysis of the actual localization project, including the technical, linguistic and textual issues faced during translation. Chapter 5 focuses instead on the reaction of the Italian public to the lack of a localization, both among the professionals of the sector and among the players. Finally, the project results are discussed, highlighting why the same reasons that bring a developer to cut the localization, also speak to the importance of a translation for the experience of Italian-speaking gamers.

West of Loathing è un gioco di ruolo in cui i personaggi sono figure stilizzate inserite in un ambiente di gioco simile a un Old West americano caricaturato. Nonostante per sua natura condivida caratteristiche con gli altri RPG, West of Loathing si discosta da essi e dal genere grazie alla sua carica umoristica, incalzante e coinvolgente. Disseminato di giochi di parole, modi di dire e battute, West of Loathing è un perfetto oggetto di studio dal punto di vista della transcreation. La sua traduzione supera la nozione di localizzazione in sé e per sé per lasciare spazio alla creatività e alla fantasia, delle quali si analizzeranno vari esempi nel presente lavoro di tesi. La tesi si compone di tre parti principali: dopo una breve introduzione (1) sui videogiochi in generale, la prima parte (contenuta nel capitolo 2) esamina in dettaglio il genere RPG e i motivi per cui West of Loathing vi appartiene, distanziandosi allo stesso tempo grazia alla sua comicità; la seconda parte (capitolo 3) esplora la teoria alla base della localizzazione e della transcreation, e il rapporto di dipendenza reciproca tra umorismo e videogiochi; la terza parte (4) è incentrata sugli estratti più importanti e umoristici della traduzione, la quale si trova in appendice.

The aim of this research lies in the study of how Japanese console videos games have been re-territorialized into Taiwan in Taiwanese context. Since making its debut in 1970s, video game industry has developed into a multi-billion dollar business in which Japanese console and game developers have been the pioneers. Academic studies on video games, however, had been largely focusing on the physical and mental affection of video game playing, and it is until recent years that video game has begun to be analyzed as a cultural product. Looking to fill the research space of how video games have been consumed and received under different geographical and social contexts, this research examine show Taiwanese, the former colonial subjects of Japan, localize Japanese console video games through measures during the process of production, re-production, circulation, and consumption in the context of Taiwanese society. Attention has been particularly paid to Taipei City Mall, where gamer gatherings of a Japanese video game had been regularly held. Through intensive participatory observation on the gathering and in-depth case studies on a few selected personalities, the author will show how a Japanese cultural good is being re-territorialized under an alien social context. The thesis then argues a new paradigm, in which the individual desire is considered as equally important with other mediation factors, should be adopted in conceptualizing the migration of a cultural good.
published_or_final_version
Modern Languages and Cultures
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

Since the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980s, the video game industry has transformed itself to become very dependent of the transnational circulation and localization of its products. In this thesis, I take a look at this current trend of video game's transnationalization, analyze its processes and components as well as uncover its impact on both games and gamers. Through the analysis of video game localized both by the industry and by amateur translation groups, this thesis investigates how transnational circulation of Japanese video games from Japan to North America influences the definition of Japaneseness in this media as well as a binary and culturally determined interpretation of the video game global culture of circulation. This work focuses on the dynamics that drive different localization processes from both the industry and fan communities. It also sets to explore the conflicts that occur when certain translated titles do not blend in their new media environment or are rejected by certain fan communities. This thesis demonstrates that both those localization processes and reception conflicts shape the video game culture of circulation in a binary fashion, opposing notions of Japanese and Western video games. This thesis concludes by stating what is at stake in video game localization processes as well by explaning the risks entailed by relying to much on such as culturally determined interpretation of the media.
Depuis la mise en marché de la Nintendo Entertainment System en 1980, l'industrie du jeu vidéo s'est transformée pour devenir très dépendante de la localisation et de la circulation transnationale de ses produits. Dans ce mémoire, je porte un regard sur cette tendance actuelle de transnationalisation en analysant les processus et les éléments qui les composent tout en mettant à jour ses impacts à la fois sur les jeux et les joueurs. À travers l'analyse de produits localisés à la fois par l'industrie et par des groupes de traduction amateurs, cette étude porte sur la façon dont la circulation de jeux vidéo japonais en Amérique du Nord influence la définition de la notion de Japonité dans ce média ainsi qu'un perspective binaire de la culture de circulation du jeu vidéo définie par rapport à la culture de la provenance d'un produit. Ce travail fait la lumière sur les différentes dynamiques régissant la localisation de jeux vidéo à la fois dans l'industrie et dans certaines communautées de fan. Il explore aussi les formes de conflicts engendrés par l'importation de certains titres lorsqu'ils ne s'intègrent pas facilement à leur nouvel environment médiatique ou lorsqu'ils sont rejeté par certain communautées de fans. Cette thèse démontre que ces processus de localisation et les conflits entourant la réception de jeux vidéo localisés façonne la culture de circulation du media de façon binaire, opposant les notions de jeux vidéo Japonais et Occidentaux. Ce mémoire se conclu par une présentation des enjeux qui sont au coeur des différents processus de localisation de jeux vidéo ainsi que par une présentation des risques encourus lorsque notre négociation avec le media se repose trop sur une telle interprétation déterminée par l'origine culturelle des produits.

Тема: Перекладацькі особливості локалізації англомовних відеоігор (на матеріалі серії ігор “Subnautica”). Мета: визначення та аналіз основних стратегій для подолання перекладацьких труднощів локалізації відеоігор з англійської мови українською. Теоретичне значення: результати концептуального аналізу допоможуть краще зрозуміти функціонування текстів у відеоіграх та особливості їх перекладу. Магістерська робота присвячена аналізу перекладацьких аспектів локалізації відеоігор. Розглянуто історичні чинники виникнення локалізації та її зв’язок з перекладом. Визначено основні особливості відеоігрового дискурсу, види внутрішньоігрових текстів та cкладові локалізації відеоігор. У межах дослідження проведено перекладацький аналіз української локалізації серії ігор “Subnautica”. До основних труднощів віднесено переклад безеквівалентної лексики, передачу експресивності та інформативності у внутрішньоігрових текстах, а також технічно зумовлені складнощі. Запропоновано стратегії їх подолання. На основі аналізу було сформовано перелік компетентностей, якими має володіти фахівець у цій сфері. Створено комплекс вправ для навчання локалізації відеоігор студентів-перекладачів.
Тема: Переводческие особенности локализации англоязычных видеоигр (на материале серии игр “Subnautica”). Цель: определение и анализ основных стратегий для преодоления трудностей локализации видеоигр c английского языка на украинский. Теоретическое значение: результаты концептуального анализа помогут лучше понять функционирование текстов в видеоиграх и особенности их перевода. Магистерская работа посвящена анализу переводческих аспектов локализации видеоигр. Рассмотрены исторические факторы становления локализации и ее связь с переводом. Определены основные особенности видеоигрового дискурса, виды внутриигровых текстов и составляющие локализации видеоигр. В рамках исследования проведен переводческий анализ украинской локализации серии игр “Subnautica”. К основным трудностям отнесены перевод безэквивалентной лексики, передача экспрессивности и информативности во внутриигровых текстах, а также технически обусловленные сложности. Предложены стратегии их преодоления. На основе анализа был сформирован перечень компетентностей, которым должен владеть специалист в этой сфере. Создан комплекс упражнений для обучения локализации видеоигр студентов-переводчиков.
Title: Translation and Localization Features of English Video Games (based on the Subnautica franchise) Goal: to define and analyze the main strategies for solving translation difficulties in video game localization from English to Ukrainian. Theoretical meaning: the results of the conceptual analysis will help to understand the functions of video game texts and the features of translating them better. The master’s thesis deals with the translation and localization features of video games. The historical background of localization and its connection to the translation is studied. Main features of video game discourse, types of in-game texts, and assets in video game localization are distinguished. Within the research, the translation analysis of Ukrainian localization of the Subnautica game series was carried out. The main translation difficulties include the translation of equivalent-lacking words and different types of in-game texts as well as technical difficulties. The strategies for solving them are suggested. The competencies for specialists in this field were put forward based on the analysis. A set of exercises for teaching video game localization to translation students was created.

The rapid advances of technology brought forth significant transformations in the world, including at the level of society, changing how people communicate with each other. Computers and mobile devices already have a well-established place in our lives, not only as means of keeping in touch, but also as instruments able to provide something for which humans have always had a craving: entertainment The present dissertation is concerned with probably one of the most popular forms of entertainment available worldwide, namely video games, and with the linguistic processes that contributed to their transformation into the global phenomenon they are today: language translation and localization, with a particular focus on wordplay, one of the most frequently encountered challenges in translation.

This paper analyzes the appropriateness of the localization practices utilized in the Japanese video game series Final Fantasy and Pokémon. Its argument is informed by survey responses from players of both series. Immersion, the ability of the player to remain in the game-world without distraction, is believed to be an important goal for successful localization. In this paper, the appropriateness of the localization of the Final Fantasy series is judged based on player immersion and enjoyment. This study finds that immersion is not essential to player enjoyment and therefore is not essential for a successful localization. In regard to the Pokémon series, the appropriateness of the heavy alteration and censorship of elements in the American localization is analyzed via player response to the changes. This localization practice proves to be appropriate and an effective model for future localization of Japanese video games targeted toward children in America. In addition, this paper explores immersion in Pokémon strategy guides released in America and Japan. The aim of this thesis is to expand the dialogue on Japanese video game localization for America and to display successful, creative localization practices which can also be utilized in other media.

This paper looks at the practice and history of video game translation, with the goal of expanding the definition of translation. Video game translation is a complex process that incorporates a number of aspects from other types of translation, such as literary, audiovisual, and software translation, to form a dynamic whole. As a new medium, video games also present their own challenges to translation in the form of interactivity, technology, non-textual and extra-textual elements, audience involvement, and new business practices. Even though video games are a relatively new medium, the practice of translating them has undergone drastic transformations over the years. A case study of the various official translations of Final Fantasy IV provides a brief overview of this development to help the reader get a complete understanding of the video game translation process. The paper concludes by arguing that the different sign systems present in video games are integral to the player’s understanding of the game, and should be considered as aspects that can be translated. Parallels are also drawn between the translation process and the medium of the video game, to show that different approaches to translation can provide the audience with a more holistic view of a work.

Master of Arts
Department of Modern Languages
Melinda Cro
Many recent video games feature complex narratives that contain increasing amounts of written and spoken language. There has thus been growing need for them to be localized into other languages; that is, translated and adapted for markets where languages other than the video game’s language of development are spoken. While the localization process shares many similarities with other projects of translation, because the primary goal of a video game is to be entertaining, video game localization teams are allowed certain creative liberties in translating video games in order to maximize entertainment for players in target markets. Non-literal translation techniques, including transposition, modulation, equivalence, and adaptation, are used to avoid mistranslating in-game language. However, Mangiron and O’Hagan identify in their 2006 analysis of the English localization of Final Fantasy X certain “transcreation” techniques that are used by localization teams in order to make video games more entertaining for players in other markets. These transcreation techniques include the addition of linguistic variation, the re-naming of in-game terminology, the re-creation of wordplay, “contextualization by addition”, and the deliberate use of regional expressions. These transcreation techniques not only serve to make the localized version of a video game more entertaining for a target market, but also make the gameplay experience more original for players in these markets. This study will analyze non-literal translation techniques and “transcreation” techniques in the French localization of BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode 2 to determine how these translation techniques may be used to maximize entertainment and to create a more original gameplay experience for francophone players, followed by a discussion of how video game localizations may be implemented in second language acquisition contexts for the purposes of exploring certain L2 linguistic and cultural phenomena.

Celem niniejszej rozprawy była próba porównania odbioru wzrokowego pełnej i częściowej lokalizacji językowej wybranej komputerowej przygodowej gry akcji z odbiorem oryginalnej wersji językowej tej gry. Celem rozprawy była także próba przedstawienia wyników krytycznej analizy dotychczasowych rozważań i badań nad lokalizacją językową gier wideo, w szczególności gier komputerowych, jakie zostały przeprowadzone na gruncie translatoryki, a także uwag pochodzących z praktyki translacyjnej. Wyniki krytycznego oglądu literatury przedmiotu uzupełniłem o wyniki własnych badań eksperymentalnych wykorzystujących metodologię okulograficzną. Translatoryka podjęła kwestie związane z procesem tworzenia nowych wersji językowych gier wideo na początku XXI wieku. W tym samym czasie wprowadziła ona też do swoich metod badawczych metodę okulograficzną. Jak wynika z przeprowadzonej analizy dostępnych publikacji naukowych, nie wykonano jednak dotąd udanej próby połączenia tych dwóch zagadnień w ramach jednego projektu badawczego. Zrealizowany przeze mnie projekt badawczy, w ramach którego przeprowadzono eksperyment okulograficzny miał na celu analizę uwagi wzrokowej na obszarze napisów dialogowych, nakładek oraz ekranów dodatkowych w pełnej angielskiej, częściowej polskiej oraz pełnej polskiej wersji językowej gry Shadow of the Tomb Raider u osób mających duże lub bardzo duże doświadczenie z grami wideo, ale różniących się między sobą poziomem kompetencji translacyjnych i translatorycznych.
The present thesis is aimed at comparing visual perception of full and partial language localization of an action adventure computer game juxtaposed with the perception of its original language version. Another objective of the thesis is trying to critically analyse the results of theoretical considerations and experiments addressing language localization of video games, especially computer games, by translation-studies scholars and remarks by translation practitioners. The results of this critical analysis of the literature on the subject have been supplemented with the results of the experiments utilising eye tracking methodology carried out by the author of the thesis. Translation scholars raised the questions regarding the process of creating new language versions of video games at the beginning of 21st century. At the same time, eye tracking methodology was added to the spectrum of translation-studies methods. As it has been discovered while analysing the available scientific publications, no successful trial of combining the two issues within one research project has been conducted to date. Consequently, the research project described here included carrying out an eye tracking experiment and has been aimed at analysing visual attention at the area of dialogue subtitles, overlays and additional screens in the full English, as well as partial and full Polish language versions of the Shadow of the Tomb Raider game among subjects having vast and very vast experience with video games, who differed from one another with the levels of translation competence and formal university translation training

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
翻譯研究所
104
Video games have come a long way since the first electronic game‭ ‬"Spacewar‭!‬‭" ‬was invented at MIT in 1962‭. ‬With amazing animation‭, ‬sophisticated storylines and wild fantasy worlds for players to freely explore‭, ‬modern video games are no longer just entertainment‭, ‬but a cultural phenomenon‭, ‬exerting influence on literature‭, ‬movies‭, ‬music and other areas‭. ‬In a globalized society‭, ‬video games are not only sold in their country of origin‭, ‬but the world over as well‭, ‬creating the need for localization‭. ‬Game localization has existed since the 1980s‭, ‬but was not a focus of translation theorists until the year 2000‭. ‬While many related articles and books have been published in English since then‭, ‬Taiwan has yet seen academic research on this topic‭. ‬This thesis first analyzes game texts through case study and discusses text types and translation strategies through functionalist approaches‭. ‬Moreover‭, ‬a case study of‭ ‬a‭ ‬game localization center is used to introduce the game localization industry in Taiwan and is the basis for discussion on Taiwan’s role in the Asian and world markets‭.‬

The goal of this thesis is to examine the changing influence and role of the audience in the localization of Japanese video games. I examine the history of Japanese video game translation, honing in on Japanese Role-Playing Games, including the influence of Nintendo of America’s polices and how they shifted from translating games to localizing games. I also explore the shift in which the internet and social media has allowed for increased interaction between localizers and fan bases. This can allow for localizers to have a more in-depth knowledge of the expectations of the intended audience of the video game, but has also further fueled the debate of whether or not localization constitutes censorship. Lastly, I do a close analysis of two long running game series and how they are adapting to the new changes with the introduction of social media.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Tradução apresentada à Faculdade de Letras
Este trabalho elencou e analisou as diferentes maneiras de manifestar identidade(s) e qual a sua relevância e o seu uso na localização de jogos. O estudo tem dois objetivos principais: (i) refletir acerca das ‘novas’ formas de manifestar identidades locais em virtude da revolução tecnológica da década de 90; (ii) analisar o uso destas ‘novas’ formas de manifestar identidades, na escolha vocabular, durante o processo de localização de jogos. Para tal, foi feita uma pesquisa que contou com leituras atualizadas acerca da localização, enquanto processo tradutivo, e das identidades no âmbito das tecnologias e dos videogames. Foram feitas, também, entrevistas a profissionais atuantes na área da localização de jogos e a gamers. Por fim foi feita uma análise sucinta da localização de dois jogos com a finalidade de ratificar as análises feitas em teoria. Observou-se que o processo de localização, no âmbito dos videogames, é executado para adequar o conteúdo de jogos para um determinado público-alvo e o uso consciente das identidades, como recurso na localização de jogos, melhora a jogabilidade e aumenta a imersão do jogador. O que pôde ser inferido desta pesquisa é que o conhecimento das manifestações identitárias linguísticas e linguísticas digitais e, consequentemente, o seu uso são expedientes necessários para uma localização de jogos que atinja o seu objetivo. Conclui-se, portanto que as manifestações identitárias são utilizadas no processo de localização de jogos para gerar acessibilidade, identificação e representatividade entre jogo e jogador.
The present study aimed to list and analyze the different possibilities of expressing identity (ies) and what are its relevance and its use in games localization. The study have two main objectives: (i) reflect on the 'new' ways of manifesting local identities due to the technological revolution of the 1990s; (ii) analyze the use of these 'new' ways of manifesting identities, in vocabulary choice, during the process of game localization. In order to do this, a research was conducted that relied on updated readings about localization, as a translation process, and about identities in the context of technology and videogames. Interviews were also conducted with professionals working in the field of game localization and gamers. Finally, a succinct assessment of the location of two games was carried out in order to confirm the analyses made in theory. We have observed that the localization process, within video games, is executed to tailor game content to a certain target audience and the conscious use of identities, as a resource in game localization, enhances gameplay and increases player immersion. What could be deduced from this research is that knowledge of linguistic and digital linguistic identity manifestations, and consequently their use, are necessary expedients for a game localization that achieves its goal. In conclusion, therefore, identity manifestations are used in the game localization process to generate accessibility, identification, and representativeness between game and player.