Video Game Localization: the Analysis of In-Game Texts

Abstract

Globalisation acts as a driving force to present a variety of commercial products, including games, in different languages simultaneously so that they could reach auditoria and be enjoyed around the globe at the same time. Being the member of the European Union, Lithuania is not an exception in the process of globalisation. With the help of localisation various types of documents, software and products are adapted to the Lithuanian culture and market. However, the industry of game localisation of high or at least acceptable quality is still lagging behind.

The aim of the paper is to analyse the application of different translation theories as well as Chroust’s localisation pyramid in localisation of video games and to accomplish the empirical research related to localization of the video game Magic Encyclopedia: the First Story.

The theoretical part deals with the layers of localisation and the source-orientated and target-orientated ap­proaches to translation. The empirical research analyses the cases of application of source-orientated and target-orientated approaches in the process of the chosen game localisation. The research has revealed that the Skopos theory would be the most suitable tool to be used for game localisation, though the analysis of the translation of in-game lexis of Magic Encyclopedia: First Story mainly relies on Recker’s theory of Regular Correspondences.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.19.945