Diapositiva 1

Translating, Adapting and Remaking in Video GamesThe Role of Gameplay in Cultural LocalizationOrnella LepreImperial College LondonMotivation and objectivesVideo Games Increasingly Global Market

Growing importance of localizationFocus on gameplay

2Culture-specific elements(Theme Hospital, 1997)

e.g. Cultural references (the King syndrome)3Culture-specific elementse.g. Cultural references (the King syndrome) Intertextuality (dr Jeckyll to psychiatry) (Theme Hospital, 1997)

For those of you who are not familiar with the medium, video games often contain culture specific references often inserted for humorous purposes. 4Intertextuality - IIThe Witcher 2, 2011

Assassins Creed,2007Intertextuality - IIIMonty Pythonand the Holy Grail (1974)

Worms series (1997 - 2011)

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

9Mangiron (2010): Transcreation of humour Substitute jokes and obscure cultural references Add new jokes and cultural references (e.g. by including dialects and accents absent in the original, or add new puns and play-on-words)What if we dont get the reference?10but this is not always possible

(Day of the Tentacle, 1993)11

12

Words and consequences

Lets see, I was in the Chantry before. I trained for many years to become a Templar, in fact.Thats where I learned most of my skills.

Possible replies:You dont seem like the religious sort.So you mentioned before.And what skills might those be?Dragon Age: Origins, 2010

and their translation:Non mi sembrate un tipo religioso.Come avete gi detto in precedenza.Di quali abilit si tratta? [What skills are they?]

Possible replies:You dont seem like the religious sort.So you mentioned before.And what skills might those be?

Alistair disapproves! (Oops!)

Japanese version

Game released in US and EuropeOsu! Tatakae! Ouendan!Elite Beat AgentsRemake localize everything!19

Japanese gameUS game20Japanese gameUS game

newstories21

US versionItalian versionFewer cultural barriers,fewer changesText embedded in graphics 22Japanese gameUS/UK version

Despite all the changes,similar experience23Central roleof gameplayMore freedom to the translators, heavy adaptation?Stricter constraints,less freedom? Conclusions24Central roleof gameplayMore freedom to the translators, heavy adaptation?Stricter constraints,less freedom? Both!Conclusions25