7 June 2021

The School of Translation and Foreign Languages (STFL) is staging the “STFL Online Workshop Series on Game Localisation and Digital Entertainment 2021”. The first workshop, entitled Game Localisation: New Translation Studies Challenges and New Job Profiles, was conducted on 7 June 2021. Dr Miguel Á Bernal-Merino, Lecturer of University of Roehampton of UK, was the guest speaker, and Dr Sai-yau Siu, Assistant Professor of STFL, was the moderator.

The game localisation industry has been rapidly expanding in just a few short decades. Dr Bernal-Merino kick-started his talk by introducing what video games localisation and Multimedia Interactive Entertainment Software (MIES) are. He then highlighted the translation challenges faced in game localisation when compared with other types of translation and the differences therein. Some examples of games containing a variety of texts stylistically different were also given.

Dr Bernal-Merino elaborated the eight possible layers of semiosis in MIES, namely the written language, spoken language, image, music, sound, touch, proprioception and equilibrioception. He then moved on to explain how cohesiveness enables pragmatic elicitation in the above-mentioned eight possible layers. He concluded the talk by highlighting new research possibilities and career prospects of game localisation, which is promising in the light of the rapid growth of this industry.