Cultural and linguistic challenges of video games translation with some examples from Grey's Anatomy by Ubisoft

Abstract

The present article discusses cultural and linguistic challenges of video games translation. The starting point for these considerations is the nature of games as interactive software whose primary goal is to entertain. The cultural challenges touched upon are rooted in the fact that games not only reflect our existing cultures, but also become a foundation for new ones, which is best substantiated by online gamers’ communities. The linguistic challenges stem in particular from the specificity of games as stories co-created by the gamers, a fact which entails the fragmentary character of the translated text and the common localization malady of insufficient context. Despite these challenges the translators taking part in games localization projects are expected to provide a natural and attractive translation, which is focused on the target audience. It is argued that this cannot be achieved without a creative and enthusiastic approach to the task. The article concludes with a short analysis of a few problems identified in the Polish translation of the Grey’s Anatomy game.