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2022/2023

Multimedia and Videogame Localisation B-A

Code: 44384 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
4315982 Audiovisual Translation OB 0 1

Contact

Name:
Carme Mangiron
Email:
Carme.Mangiron@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)

Teachers

Miguel Ángel Oliva Zamora
Maria Elena Hernández García

Prerequisites

There are no previous requirements.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The module's objectives are the following:

-Become familiarised with multimedia translation.

-Learn the basic notions, concepts, processes, methodologies and tools of computer-assisted translation applied to multimedia location.

-Present a panoramic vision of the videogame industry (market, producers, platforms, etc.).

-Become familiarised with the localization of video games: special characteristics of this type of translation and description of the localization process, text typologies, etc.

-Apply the knowledge acquired by translating videogame and multimedia products.

Competences

  • Act in accordance with the code of ethics of the profession.
  • Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
  • Discern the different modes and textual genres of audiovisual translation and media accessibility and their characteristics.
  • Manage projects in audiovisual translation, accessibility, multimedia localisation, and translation of web pages and video games.
  • Master strategies for the correction, linguistic revision and post-edition of audiovisual products.
  • Recognise the translation problems specific to the different modes of audiovisual products and use the knowledge acquired to solve them.
  • Translate and make accessible audiovisual products, multimedia products, web pages, video games and software.
  • Use specific software to translate and make accessible audiovisual products, multimedia products and video games.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act in accordance with the code of ethics of the profession.
  2. Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
  3. Develop the skills needed to translate a video game or multimedia product without access to the original.
  4. Gain practice in the localisation processes for websites, multimedia products, video games, and applications for mobile phones and tablets.
  5. Identify and correct errors in localised products.
  6. Identify the different text types present in a video game and a multimedia product.
  7. Produce translations that fulfill the professional standards of the localisation industry.
  8. Recognise the economic and professional aspects of the localisation industry.
  9. Show familiarity with quality control for localised products.
  10. Show familiarity with the technical issues related to localisation.
  11. Solve problems related to the location of web pages, multimedia products, video games and applications for mobile phones and tablets.
  12. Use software to translate web pages, multimedia products, video games and computer applications.
  13. Work in and lead teams engaging in localisation, multimedia, web pages, video games and applications for mobile phones and tablets.
  14. different components video games, multimedia products, web pages applications mobile phone.

Content

1. Multimedia localization 

Introduction to multimedia localization 

Multimedia localization: characteristics, priorities, restrictions, localization process, models, tools, technical aspects, etc. 

Translation practice

 

2. Localization of video games 

Introduction to the game industry.

Videogame localization: characteristics, priorities, restrictions, localization process, models, tools, technical aspects, etc.

Translation practice of different textual components and typologies.

             

Methodology

An active methodology with activities of various types is used. The UAB Virtual Campus is used.

The didactic activities are organized in three blocks, according to the degree of autonomy required of the student:

- Directed activities: requires the direction of a teacher.

- Supervised activities: requires some supervision of a teacher.

- Autonomous activities: the student organizes time and effort autonomously (individually or in groups).

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Exercises, debates and discussions 8 0.32 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 8, 14, 11, 2, 12
Theoretical lectures 16 0.64 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 8, 14, 11, 2, 12
Translation activities 26 1.04 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 8, 14, 11, 2, 12
Type: Supervised      
Exercise preparation 19 0.76 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 8, 14, 11, 2, 12
Preparation of translations and assignments 64 2.56 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 8, 14, 11, 2, 12
Student's portfolio 3 0.12 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 14, 11, 2, 12
Type: Autonomous      
Expanding knowledge 14 0.56 2

Assessment

Related matters

The above information on assessment, assessment activities and their weighting is merely a guide. The subject's lecturer will provide full information when teaching begins.

Review

When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.

Missed/failed assessment activities

Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for.

The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities.

Classification as "not assessable"

In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as "not assessable" on their transcript.

Misconduct in assessment activities

Students who engage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the students involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject.

Students may not retake assessment activities in which they are found to have engaged in misconduct. Plagiarism is considered to mean presenting all or part of an author's work, whether published in print or in digital format, as one's own, i.e. without citing it. Copying is considered to mean reproducing all or a substantial part of another student's work. In cases of copying in which it is impossible to determine which of two students has copied the work of the other, both will be penalised.

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercice 1 - Multimedia 21.25 % 0 0 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 14, 11, 2, 12
Exercice 1 - Video games 12.5 % 0 0 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 14, 11, 2, 12
Exercice 2 - Multimedia 21.25 % 0 0 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 14, 11, 2, 12
Exercice 2 - Video games 12.5 % 0 0 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 14, 11, 2, 12
Exercice 3 - Video games 12.5 % 0 0 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 8, 14, 11, 2, 12
Participation in forums 15 % 0 0 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 8, 14, 11, 2, 12
Student's portfolio 5 % 0 0 4, 1, 3, 9, 10, 7, 5, 6, 14, 11, 2, 12

Bibliography

Multimedia localization

AUSTERMÜHL, Frank. 2001. Electronic tools for translators. Manchester/Northampton: St. Jerome

CORTE, Noelia. "Localización e internacionalización de sitios web". http://www.fti.uab.es/tradumatica/revista/articles/ncorte/art.htm

DR. INTERNATIONAL. 2003. Developing international software. 2nd edition. Redmond: Microsoft Press

ESSELINK, Bert. 2003. A Practical Guide to Localization. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins

SOMERS, Harold (ed.). 2003. Computers and Translation. A translator's guide. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins

YUNKER, John. 2002. Beyond Borders: Web Localization Strategies. Los Angeles: New Riders Press

 

Game localisation

Bernal, Miguel. (2014) Translation and Localisation in Video Games. London: Routledge.

Bernal, Miguel. (2014) Translation and Localisation in Video Games. London: Routledge.

Bernal, Miguel. (2011) (ed.) “VideoGames Localisation”. TRANS: Revista deTraductología. Nº. 15. Disponible en: http://www.trans.uma.es/trans_15.html

Bernal, Miguel. (2006) “On the Translation of Video Games”. The Journal of Specialised Translation. Disponible en: http://www.jostrans.org/issue06/art_bernal.php

Bernal, Miguel. (2007)“Challenges in the Translation of Videogames”. Revista Tradumàtica. Núm. 5: “La localització de videojocs”. <http://www.fti.uab.es/tradumatica/revista/num5/articles/02/02art.htm>

Chandler, Heather y O'Malley Deming, Stephanie. (2011) The Game Localization Handbook. Massachusetts: Charles River Media.

Dietz, Frank. (2007) How Difficult Can that be? TheWork of Computer and Video Game Localisation. Revista Tradumàtica. Núm. 5: “La localització de videojocs”. http://www.fti.uab.es/tradumatica/revista/num5/articles/04/04art.htm

Di Marco, Frank (2007) “Cultural Localisation: Orientation and Disorientation in Japanese Video Games”. Revista Tradumàtica. Núm. 5: “La localització de videojocs”. http://www.fti.uab.es/tradumatica/revista/num5/articles/08/08art.htm

Dong, Luo; Mangiron, Carme. (2018). "Journey to the East: Cultural adaptation of video games for the Chinese market". JoSTRans, 29, 149-168. http://www.jostrans.org/issue29/art_dong.pdf

Granell, Ximo; Mangiron, Carme &Vidal, Núria. (2017). La traducción de videojuegos. Sevilla: Bienza.

Mangiron, Carme. (2006) “Video Games Localisation: Posing New Challenges to the Translator”. Perspectives: Studies in Translatology, Vol. 14:4.

Mangiron, Carme.  (2012) “The Localisation of Japanese Video Games: Striking the Right Balance”. The Journal of Internationalisation and Localisation, II, 1-21. ç

Mangiron, Carme.  (2013) “Subtitling in Game Localisation: A Descriptive Study”. Perspectives: Studies in Translatology, 21 (1), 42-56.

Mangiron, Carme.  (2016). "Games Without Frontiers: The Cultural Dimension Of Game Localization". Hermeneus.18, 187-208.

Mangiron, Carme. (2017). "Research in game localisation:An overview". The Journal of Internationalization and Localization4:2, 74-99. DO 10.1075/jial.00003.man

Mangiron, Carme.  (2018). "Game on! Burning issues in game localisation". Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), 122-138. http://www.jatjournal.org/index.php/jat/article/view/48.

Mangiron, Carme. (2021). Found in Translation: Evolving Approaches for the Localization of Japanese Video Games. Arts 10, no. 1: 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts10010009

Mangiron, Carme, O’Hagan, Minako (2006). "Game Localisation: Unleashing Imagination with 'Restricted' Translation". The Journal of Specialised Translation. Disponible en: http://www.jostrans.org/issue06/art_ohagan.php

Mangiron, Carme, Orero, Pilar & O’Hagan, Minako (ed.) (2014) Fun for All: Translation and Accessibility Practices in Video Games. Bern: Peter Lang.

Muñoz, Pablo. (2017). Manual de localización de videojuegos.Madrid: Editorial Síntesis.

O’Hagan, Minako; Mangiron, Carme. (2013) Game Localization: Translating for the Global Digital Entertainment Industry. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Software

SDL Trados

memoQ

Memsource

Photoshop