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Ornella Lepre Imperial College London. Translating, Adapting and Remaking in Video Games. The Role of Gameplay in Cultural Localization. Motivation and objectives. Video Games – Increasingly Global Market. Growing importance of localization. Focus on gameplay.
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Ornella Lepre Imperial College London Translating, Adapting and Remaking in Video Games The Role of Gameplay in Cultural Localization
Motivation and objectives Video Games – Increasingly Global Market Growingimportanceoflocalization Focus on gameplay
Culture-specificelements (Theme Hospital, 1997) • e.g. • Cultural references (the ‘King syndrome’)
Culture-specificelements (Theme Hospital, 1997) • e.g. • Cultural references (the ‘King syndrome’) • Intertextuality (“dr Jeckylltopsychiatry…”)
Intertextuality - II Assassin’s Creed, 2007 The Witcher 2, 2011
Intertextuality - III MontyPython and the HolyGrail(1974)…
Whatifwe don’t get the reference? • Mangiron (2010): ‘Transcreation’ of humour • Substitutejokes and obscure cultural references • Addnewjokes and cultural references • (e.g. byincludingdialects and accentsabsent in the original, • or addnewpuns and play-on-words)
…butthisisnotalwayspossible (Dayof the Tentacle, 1993)
Let’s see, I was in the Chantrybefore. I trainedformanyyearstobecome a Templar, in fact. That’s where I learnedmostofmyskills. Possiblereplies: You don’t seemlike the religioussort. So youmentionedbefore. And whatskillsmightthosebe? Dragon Age: Origins, 2010
Possiblereplies: You don’t seemlike the religioussort. So youmentionedbefore. And whatskillsmightthosebe? …andtheirtranslation: Non mi sembrate un tipo religioso. Come avete già detto in precedenza. Di quali abilità si tratta? [Whatskills are they?]
Remake – localizeeverything! Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! Elite Beat Agents Game released in US and Europe Japanese version
Japanesegame US game
Japanesegame …new stories… US game
Fewer cultural barriers, fewerchanges Italianversion US version
Despiteall the changes, similarexperience Japanesegame US/UK version
Conclusions More freedomto the translators, heavyadaptation? Centralrole of gameplay Stricterconstraints, lessfreedom?
Conclusions More freedomto the translators, heavyadaptation? Centralrole of gameplay Stricterconstraints, lessfreedom? …Both!