Call for Proposals vol. 19 is. 1: Translation and Localization: New approaches and opportunities in the digital entertainment industries

Digital entertainment covers several different forms of media, such as streaming platforms, videogames, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and social networks, among many others. These technologies do not only redefine consumers’ experiences, but they also present challenges and opportunities in localization, cultural adaptation, and translation, which are key elements for the accessibility and global impact of these products (O’Hagan and Chandler, 2016). In that sense, the concept of paratranslation, created in the School of Vigo, becomes key, as it covers the production and adaptation of every semiotic, linguistic and extralinguistic element that surround a cultural product (Yuste Frías, 2014; Méndez González, 2022b). This approach is especially relevant in the area of digital entertainment, where user experience is heavily affected by design, marketing, and translation decisions.

In the digital era, tasks of multimodal translation raise unique challenges, as they include textual, paratextual and visual elements that must be integrated in a cohesive way in order to create meaning. Also, in addition to traditional media—associated with visual and sound formats—new forms of user interface have emerged, such as sensitivity, which appeared thanks to controllers which not only connect users and screens, but also have become a new tool for developers to convey the meaning in new ways. According to Yuste Frías and Ferreiro Vázquez (2024), paratranslation is a useful concept to approach multimodality, understood as the use of several semiotic codes (textual, visual and auditory) in order to create meaning in every cultural production. Through paratranslation translators can come to understand and recreate the semiotic and cultural structures from the original text, including non-verbal elements, which is vital in a market where multimodality is the norm and not the exception.

Likewise, the video game industry, as highlighted by González-Santamaría and Ferreiro Vázquez (2023), has become one of the most dynamic of the creative industries, offering many opportunities for the professional development of translators and interpreters. The specific needs of this industry, such as video game localization, interpreting in international expos, and e-sports events, created the need for new professional profiles that require a specialized education in technologies and linguistic strategies, as the video game industry uses a specialized language (Méndez González, 2022a). This opens even more professional opportunities and gives translators and interpreters an important role, as they actively contribute to the worldwide success of the products created for a multilingual public.

We should also take into account every audiovisual production that delivers original ideas in order to make good use of the possibilities of digital entertainment, such as TV-series or movies that emulate videogames (for example, the Bandersnatch chapter in the Black Mirror series), or any product that is directly based on electronic entertainment productions, in order for it to be adapted into a new medium and audience (with many series and movies based in video games, which are rapidly increasing their quality and success). These proposals are heavily linked to videogames, even if it is in another medium, and they are being researched academically as they are the future of this kind of entertainment. For this same reason, we should assess the possibilities and needs of localization in these new trends of digital entertainment. And we must not forget about how the video game industry is betting heavily on accessibility for every kind of user, with adaptative controllers, audio description, the use of sound for blind people, or interpreting in sign language during the video cutscenes of a game. All of these are experimental areas that require in-depth investigation in order to bridge academic research and the reality of the market for digital entertainment. Finally, we would like to highlight the relevance of studies examining the impact and challenges for environmental sustainability posed by technological advances associated with resource consumption and the extractivist logic underlying these advances (see, for instance, Cronin 2020).

The main goal of this issue is to bring together a wide array of studies addressing how the technological and cultural dynamics of the digital entertainment industries affect the professional development of translators and interpreters, localization and paratranslation processes, and cultural adaptation strategies.

References

DEV (2024). Libro blanco del Desarrollo Español de Videojuegos 2023. https://dev.org.es/es/publicaciones/libroblancodev2023

Bernal Merino, Miguel Ángel (2015). Translation and localisation in video games. Routledge.

Bernal Merino, Miguel Ángel (2018). Creativity and playability in the localization of video games. The Journal of Internationalization and Localization, 5(1), 74–93. https://doi.org/10.1075/jial.00011.ber?locatt=mode:legacy

Chandler, Heather (2005). The game localization handbook. Charles River Media Inc.

Cronin, Michael (2020). Translation, technology and climate change. In Minako O’Hagan, (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of translation and technology (pp. 516–530). Routledge.

Dietz, Frank (2006). Issues in localizing computer games. En Keiran J. Dunne (Ed.), Perspectives on localization (pp. 121–134). John Benjamins.

Esselink, Bert (2000). A practical guide to localization. John Benjamins.

Frasca, Gonzalo (2001). Videogames of the oppressed: Videogames as a means for critical thinking and debate. Georgia Institute of Technology.

González-Santamaría, Pedro & Ferreiro-Vázquez, Óscar (2023). Desarrollo profesional en el sector de la traducción y la interpretación relacionado con el ámbito de los videojuegos. In Sara Torres-Outón & Ramón Méndez González (Eds.), Realidades y desafíos de la tecnología aplicada a la traducción e interpretación (Col. Lengua, Literatura, translation directed by María del Carmen Balbuena Torezano, Miguel Ángel García Peinado & Gerd Wotjak, vol. 5, pp. 13–26). Peter Lang. https://doi.org/10.3726/b20589

Gros Salvat, Begoña (2008). Videojuegos y aprendizaje. Editorial Graó.

López Redondo, Isaac (2014). ¿Qué es un videojuego? Ediciones Arcade.

Malliet, Steven & De Meyer, Gust (2005). The history of the video game. In Joost Raessens & Jeffrey Golsdtein (Eds.), Handbook of computer game studies (pp. 23–45). The MIT Press.

Mejías Climent, Laura (2021). La recepción de los productos accesibles y la formación de subtituladores: personas sordas en el aula de SPS. Quaderns: Revista de traducción, 28, 255–270. https://revistes.uab.cat/quaderns/article/view/v28-mejias/43-pdf-es

Mejías Climent, Laura (2022). Una perspectiva diacrónica del doblaje en videojuegos: evolución de la práctica profesional. Hermeneus: Revista de la Facultad de Traducción e Interpretación de Soria, 24, 157–190. https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/59394

Méndez González, Ramón (2022a). La interpretación en el ámbito de los videojuegos. Peter Lang.

Méndez González, Ramón (2022b). Perspectivas de la localización de videojuegos: complejidades y problemáticas traductológicas del siglo XXI. Quaderns de Filologia: Estudis Lingüístics, 27, 153–170. https://doi.org/10.7203/qf.0.24663

Newman, James (2005). Videogames. Routledge.

O'Hagan, Minako & Chandler, Heather (2016). Game localization research and translation studies: Translation studies and other disciplines. John Benjamins.

Yuste Frías, José & Ferreiro Vázquez, Óscar. (2024). Paratraducción: la noción clave para traducir la multimodalidad. ELUA: Estudios de Lingüística. Universidad de Alicante, (42), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.14198/ELUA.26952

Yuste Frías, José (2014). Traducción y paratraducción en la localización de videojuegos. Scientia Traductionis, 15, 61–76. https://www.joseyustefrias.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/JoseYusteFrias_2014_ScientiaTraductionis_Videojuegos.pdf

Suggested research lines:

The following research lines are not restrictive. We encourage every author to send their proposals even in other areas, as long as they offer innovative approaches or interdisciplinary perspectives about the processes of translation, interpreting and cultural adaptation in the context of digital entertainment.

Translation and paratranslation in the digital entertainment market: Analyze the approach of the School of Vigo applied to videogame localization, subtitling, dubbing and translation of multimodal elements, such as user interfaces and promotional materials.

Professional training in translation and interpreting: New competences required to work in localization and cultural adaptation of digital products.

Cultural adaptation in digital products: Translation strategies to ensure the linguistic and cultural relevance in different markets.

Accessibility in digital entertainment: Translation and adaptation for people with special needs, such as audio description and closed captions.

Interpreting for the video game industry: Researches about interpreting of videogame expos, e-sports competitions, and any other international event related to videogames.

Linguistic sustainability: The role of digital industries in preserving and revitalizing minoritized languages.

Gamification and learning of languages: Use of videogame design and interactive platforms for teaching and learning languages.

Artificial intelligences and automatic translation: The impact of advanced technologies on the translation of videogames and audiovisual contents.

Translation and the environmental impact of digital entertainment industries: The impact of translation and digital entertainment industries on environmental sustainability and strategies for using technology from an ethical perspective.

Languages of publication: Spanish, English

Specifications for the proposals:

All proposals should:

• Not exceed 400 words, including references.
• Include title, authors’ names, affiliation, and e-mail.
• Be written in Spanish or English.
• Specify your chosen category and research area.
• Include a detailed description of the content of the article, including the problem that will be researched, setting, participants, method, findings, and implications.
• Include bibliographic references.
• Be clear, precise, coherent, and to the point.

Submissions:

Please submit your proposals to the journal’s e-mail address: rvmutatismutandis.id@udea.edu.co

Please use the subject: Proposal of the monographic New approaches and opportunities for translation in digital entertainment industries.

Timeline:

Launch of Call for Papers	February 10, 2025
Submission of proposals	February 10-Abril 10, 2025
Notification of acceptance or dismissal of the proposal:	May 10, 2025
Submission of the finished manuscript through Mutatis Mutandis journal system	September 15, 2025
Peer-review process	September 15 – October 15, 2025
Revision and coyediting	November 15 – December 1, 2025
Layout and proof revision	December 1 – January 1, 2026
Publication	January, 2026