Matilda Lailey, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Localising video games

Video games are an increasingly global industry, with excellent titles being lovingly crafted by developers all over the world. As fans continue to enjoy works that were originally created on the other side of the planet, the need for talented localisers grows. You may not have heard of video game localisers before, but you've almost definitely benefited from their work! They translate and adapt video games from one cultural and linguistic context to another. It may seem like the same kind of translation as translating a novel, for example, but as interactive pieces of audiovisual art, video games come with their own unique set of challenges. I'll be explaining the localisation process, why it's important, and how it differs from other forms of translation. Above all, I want to shine the light on the hard work of localisers: the all too often unsung heroes of game development.

BA French & Russian, Final Year (she/her)
I'm a final year student of French and Russian who has loved video games ever since I was a child. Having the opportunity to combine my love of languages and my interest in game development by doing my final year project on game localisation has been fantastic, and now I'm so excited to share some of my research with others, as well as to see the interesting things everyone else has been working on! 🙂