Abstract

During the process of video game “localization,” text and audiovisual material is translated and recontextualized for a foreign audience. This article analyzes the localization process, beginning with a brief history of the video game and its current position in the global digital entertainment industry, before moving on to a discussion of the overarching idea behind localization. The various textual typologies (or text styles/genres) of video games are explored, followed by an exploration of several approaches to the localization process, including literal translation, “transcreation,” and “blending,” among other elements. The article then narrows its focus with a discussion of challenges that are specific to Japanese-to-English localization, including difficulties with cultural contexts, acceptability contexts, and orthographical character limits in game code. It concludes with a brief discussion of the best practices for game localization moving forward.

How to Cite:

Heemsbergen, D., (2016) “"Eat Your Hamburgers, Apollo": A Survey of Japanese Video Game Localization Methods and Challenges”, Arizona Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 5, 31-46.