Thesis on game localisation - please help!
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Thesis on game localisation - please help!
Hello everyone.
I am studying for a Master's degree in Multilingual Information Management at the University of Sheffield. I would be extremely grateful for your help in collecting data for my thesis. I provide below a series of questions, and information to ensure your informed consent.
As well as answering the questions below, please feel free to write anything else you think might be useful!
I would be particularly interested in responses from translators into Spanish, but any translators' input would be welcome, as would input from general users of the game. I can post a copy of this post in Spanish if it would help.
Thank you very much in advance.
~
Dear Participant
I would like to ask you to participate in the data collection for a study on video game localisation strategies and challenges conducted for my MA dissertation at Sheffield University. I am studying the Spanish localisation of The Battle for Wesnoth and would appreciate your help.
I hope better to understand the following issues:
• What strategies are used when localising video games?
• What challenges might be faced, and how are they overcome?
• How successful has the localisation of the game been?
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You may decide not to answer any of the questions if you wish. You may also decide to withdraw from this study at any time by advising me via email at jtcooper1@sheffield.ac.uk.
I may ask for clarification of issues raised in your answers, but you will not be obliged in any way to clarify or participate further.
The research has been approved through the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages and Cultures Research Ethics procedures. It is being conducted by me, Jonathan Cooper, as part of my MA in Multilingual Information Management, and is supervised by Marta Pahisa (m.pahisa@sheffield.ac.uk).
The only identifying information associated with your responses will be your username.
The information gained from this survey will only be used for the above objectives, will not be used for any other purpose and will not be recorded in excess of what is required for the research.
The information you provide is confidential. Only my supervisor, any university or external examiners, and I will have access to your response data. There are no known or anticipated risks to you as a participant in this study.
I hope you will take a few minutes to complete this questionnaire. If you have any questions regarding this study or would like additional information please reply below or contact me at jtcooper1@sheffield.ac.uk.
For localisers:
1. When localising, is your aim to faithfully replicate the source text or to modify it as necessary for the target audience - or do you have some other strategy?
2. What were the three most difficult aspects of localising your contribution to the game?
3. How did you deal with the most challenging of these three aspects? (The more detail you can give, the better!)
4. To what degree were you asked to follow particular style guidelines, and how much creative freedom were you given to devise your own strategy?
5. Were you allowed to modify (not just translate) aspects of the game as necessary? If the latter, which aspects, if any, did you find necessary to change?
6. Which has more importance for the localiser in order to achieve an appropriate atmosphere, in your opinion: translating the language suitably or modifying other aspects of the game? Or are they equally important? Why?
For users:
1. Is it apparent that this game has been translated, from in-game evidence only? How can you tell?
2. Did you spot any translation errors, poor interpretations or any other way the game could have been translated better?
I am studying for a Master's degree in Multilingual Information Management at the University of Sheffield. I would be extremely grateful for your help in collecting data for my thesis. I provide below a series of questions, and information to ensure your informed consent.
As well as answering the questions below, please feel free to write anything else you think might be useful!
I would be particularly interested in responses from translators into Spanish, but any translators' input would be welcome, as would input from general users of the game. I can post a copy of this post in Spanish if it would help.
Thank you very much in advance.
~
Dear Participant
I would like to ask you to participate in the data collection for a study on video game localisation strategies and challenges conducted for my MA dissertation at Sheffield University. I am studying the Spanish localisation of The Battle for Wesnoth and would appreciate your help.
I hope better to understand the following issues:
• What strategies are used when localising video games?
• What challenges might be faced, and how are they overcome?
• How successful has the localisation of the game been?
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You may decide not to answer any of the questions if you wish. You may also decide to withdraw from this study at any time by advising me via email at jtcooper1@sheffield.ac.uk.
I may ask for clarification of issues raised in your answers, but you will not be obliged in any way to clarify or participate further.
The research has been approved through the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages and Cultures Research Ethics procedures. It is being conducted by me, Jonathan Cooper, as part of my MA in Multilingual Information Management, and is supervised by Marta Pahisa (m.pahisa@sheffield.ac.uk).
The only identifying information associated with your responses will be your username.
The information gained from this survey will only be used for the above objectives, will not be used for any other purpose and will not be recorded in excess of what is required for the research.
The information you provide is confidential. Only my supervisor, any university or external examiners, and I will have access to your response data. There are no known or anticipated risks to you as a participant in this study.
I hope you will take a few minutes to complete this questionnaire. If you have any questions regarding this study or would like additional information please reply below or contact me at jtcooper1@sheffield.ac.uk.
For localisers:
1. When localising, is your aim to faithfully replicate the source text or to modify it as necessary for the target audience - or do you have some other strategy?
2. What were the three most difficult aspects of localising your contribution to the game?
3. How did you deal with the most challenging of these three aspects? (The more detail you can give, the better!)
4. To what degree were you asked to follow particular style guidelines, and how much creative freedom were you given to devise your own strategy?
5. Were you allowed to modify (not just translate) aspects of the game as necessary? If the latter, which aspects, if any, did you find necessary to change?
6. Which has more importance for the localiser in order to achieve an appropriate atmosphere, in your opinion: translating the language suitably or modifying other aspects of the game? Or are they equally important? Why?
For users:
1. Is it apparent that this game has been translated, from in-game evidence only? How can you tell?
2. Did you spot any translation errors, poor interpretations or any other way the game could have been translated better?
Re: Thesis on game localisation - please help!
Thank you very much for your helpful response! 