Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

Translation of Mobile Game Titles: Trends and Implications

Year 2023, Issue: 35, 66 - 82, 30.12.2023
https://doi.org/10.37599/ceviri.1361144

Abstract

This study tailors a classification for the translation strategies used for mobile game titles, based on classifications used in film title translation, with a focus on the Turkish mobile game publishers. The study found that the dominant strategy among the mobile game developers was no translation, followed by partial translation and no translation plus a catchy explanation. Also, the study proves that cooperation with another publisher and publishing year are major factors connected to the translation strategy employed. It has been understood that the translations of mobile game names need to be examined with a unique innovative perspective. The study suggests that a participant-oriented approach which includes agents active in the process is needed for further studies.

References

  • Alashban, A. A., Hayes, L. A., Zinkhan, G. M., & Balazs, A. L. (2002). International brand-name standardization/adaptation: Antecedents and consequences. Journal of International Marketing, 10(3), 22–48. https://doi.org/10.1509/jimk.10.3.22.19544
  • Bai, Z. (2018). On Translation strategies of English movie titles. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 9(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0901.15
  • Bernal-Merino, M. Á. (2014). Translation and localisation in video games: Making entertainment software global (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315752334
  • Chaume, F. (2020). Audiovisual translation: Dubbing (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003161660
  • Chuansheng, H., & Yunnan, X. (2003). Brand name translation in china: An overview of practice and theory. Babel. Revue Internationale de La Traduction / International Journal of Translation, 49(2), 131–148. https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.49.2.03chu
  • Davies, H., & Li, Z. (2020). Travel frog: Traversing cultural borders with mobile games. Convergence, 26(5–6), 1194–1210. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856519856619
  • Doğan, P. (2012). The production and reception of titles for Hollywood film imports in Turkey [Boğaziçi Üniversitesi]. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezDetay.jsp? id=GsP3V6at6rOh5bJcMQjTTw&no=o8xzK-FZDvmKRZKqk7EbTA
  • Ehrensberger-Dow, M., & Massey, G. (2013). Indicators of translation competence: Translators’ self-concepts and the translation of titles. Journal of Writing Research, 5(1), 103–131. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr- 2013.05.01.5
  • Even-Zohar, I. (2005). Polysystem theory (revised). Papers in Culture Research, 38-49.
  • Farghal, M., & Bazzi, H. (2017). Translation of English fiction titles into Arabic. The International Journal of Translation and Interpreting Research, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.12807/ti.109202.2017.a08
  • Fernández Costales, A. (2012). Exploring translation strategies in video game localization. Monti Monografías de Traducción e Interpretación, (4), 385–408. https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2012.4.16
  • Fernández Costales, A. (2014). Video game localisation: Adapting superheroes to different cultures. Quaderns: Revista de Traducció, 21, 0225–0239.
  • Ho, V. (2020). Localization in educational mobile games: Multiple case studies of educational mobile games in the emerging market, Vietnam. https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi:443/handle/123456789/44237
  • Khessina, O. M., & Reis, S. (2016). The limits of reflected glory: The beneficial and harmful effects of product name similarity in the U.S. network TV program industry, 1944–2003. Organization Science, 27(2), 411–427. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2015.1036
  • Kim, J. Y. (2022). Actors, Networks and Skopos of Mobile Game Localization [PhD Thesis]. University of Roehampton.
  • Mangiron, C. (2012). The localisation of Japanese video games: Striking the right balance. The Journal of Internationalization and Localization, 2(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1075/jial.2.01man
  • Mangiron, C. (2018). Game on! Burning issues in game localisation. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v1i1.48
  • Martí, R., & Zapater, M. (1993). Translation of titles of films. A critical approach. Sintagma: Revista de Lingüística, 81–87.
  • Newmark, P. (1988). A textbook of translation. Prentice-Hall International.
  • Nilsen, D. L. (1979). Language play in advertising: Linguistic invention in product naming. Language in Public Life, 137-143. Georgetown University Press.
  • Nord, C. (1995). Text-functions in translation: Titles and headings as a case in point. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies, 7(2), 261–284. https://doi.org/10.1075/target.7.2.05nor
  • Mangiron, C., & O’Hagan, M. (2006). Game localisation: unleashing imagination with ‘restricted’ translation. The Journal of Specialised Translation, 6(1), 10-21.
  • O’Hagan, M. Mangiron, C. (Ed.). (2013). Game localization: Translating for the global digital entertainment industry. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.106
  • O’Hagan, M., & Mangiron, C. (2004). Games localization: When Arigato gets lost in translation. New Zealand Game Developers Conference Proceedings, 57–62.
  • Peña-Cervel, M. S. (2016). Motivating film title translation: A cognitive analysis. Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 66, 31. http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/CLAC.52776
  • Pettini, S. (2021). The translation of realia and irrealia in game localization: Culture-specificity between realism and fictionality (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003001935
  • Purnomo, Sf. L. A., Purnama, Sf. L. S., & Untari, L. (2019). Prosthetic translation: Retranslations of video game remakes and remasters refute retranslation hypothesis. Humanus, 18(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.24036/humanus.v18i1.103507
  • Ricks, D. A. (1983). Big business blunders: Mistakes in multinational marketing. Dow Jones-Irwin. http://archive.org/details/bigbusinessblund0000rick
  • Ross, J. (2013). ‘No Revolutionary Roads please, we’re Turkish’: The translation of film titles as an object of translation research. Across Languages and Cultures, 14(2), 245–266. https://doi.org/10.1556/ACR.14.2013.2.6
  • Shi, H. (2017). Translation strategies from target culture perspective: An analysis of English and Chinese brands names. International Journal of English Language & Transltion Studies, 5(1), 15-22.
  • Shi, X. (2014). The English film title translation strategies. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5(3), 606–610. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.5.3.606-610
  • Verhaal, J. C., Khessina, O. M., & Dobrev, S. D. (2015). Oppositional product names, organizational identities, and product appeal. Organization Science, 26(5), 1466–1484. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2015.1000
  • Yin, L. (2009). On the translation of English movie titles. Asian Social Science, 5(3), 171–173.
  • Video Games Europe. (2023). Economic success. https://www.videogameseurope.eu/game-industry/economic- success/
  • Video Games Europe. (2022). Key facts 2021. https://www.videogameseurope.eu/data-key-facts/key-facts-from- 2021-europe-video-games-sector/
  • Entertainment Software Association. (2023). Impact of the video game industry. https://www.theesa.com/video-game-impact-map/
  • Gaming in Turkey. (2023). Türkiye oyun sektörü raporları. https://www.gaminginturkey.com/tr/turkiye-oyun-sektoru-raporlari/
  • European Union. (2023). Languages. https://european- union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/languages_en

Mobil Oyun İsimlerinin Çevirisi: Eğilimler ve Çıkarımlar

Year 2023, Issue: 35, 66 - 82, 30.12.2023
https://doi.org/10.37599/ceviri.1361144

Abstract

Bu çalışma, film ismi çevirileri için kullanılan sınıflandırmalardan faydalanarak Türk mobil oyun yayıncıları tarafından yayınlanan oyun isimlerinin çevirilerinde kullanılan stratejiler için bir sınıflandırma oluşturmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bulgular, mobil oyun geliştiricileri arasında baskın stratejinin çeviri yapılmaması olduğunu, ardından kısmi çeviri ve çeviri yapılmamasıyla beraber akılda kalıcı bir açıklama eklenmesinin geldiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca çalışmamız başka bir yayıncı ile iş birliği ve yayın yılı gibi değişkenlerin çeviri stratejisi ile bağlantılı olan ana faktörler olduğunu göstermektedir. Mobil oyun isimlerinin çevirilerinin kendine has yenilikçi bir bakış açısıyla incelenmesi gerektiği anlaşılmıştır. Gelecek çalışmalar için sürece aktif olarak dahil olan eyleyicileri içeren katılımcı odaklı bir yaklaşımın gerekli olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.

References

  • Alashban, A. A., Hayes, L. A., Zinkhan, G. M., & Balazs, A. L. (2002). International brand-name standardization/adaptation: Antecedents and consequences. Journal of International Marketing, 10(3), 22–48. https://doi.org/10.1509/jimk.10.3.22.19544
  • Bai, Z. (2018). On Translation strategies of English movie titles. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 9(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0901.15
  • Bernal-Merino, M. Á. (2014). Translation and localisation in video games: Making entertainment software global (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315752334
  • Chaume, F. (2020). Audiovisual translation: Dubbing (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003161660
  • Chuansheng, H., & Yunnan, X. (2003). Brand name translation in china: An overview of practice and theory. Babel. Revue Internationale de La Traduction / International Journal of Translation, 49(2), 131–148. https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.49.2.03chu
  • Davies, H., & Li, Z. (2020). Travel frog: Traversing cultural borders with mobile games. Convergence, 26(5–6), 1194–1210. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856519856619
  • Doğan, P. (2012). The production and reception of titles for Hollywood film imports in Turkey [Boğaziçi Üniversitesi]. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezDetay.jsp? id=GsP3V6at6rOh5bJcMQjTTw&no=o8xzK-FZDvmKRZKqk7EbTA
  • Ehrensberger-Dow, M., & Massey, G. (2013). Indicators of translation competence: Translators’ self-concepts and the translation of titles. Journal of Writing Research, 5(1), 103–131. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr- 2013.05.01.5
  • Even-Zohar, I. (2005). Polysystem theory (revised). Papers in Culture Research, 38-49.
  • Farghal, M., & Bazzi, H. (2017). Translation of English fiction titles into Arabic. The International Journal of Translation and Interpreting Research, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.12807/ti.109202.2017.a08
  • Fernández Costales, A. (2012). Exploring translation strategies in video game localization. Monti Monografías de Traducción e Interpretación, (4), 385–408. https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2012.4.16
  • Fernández Costales, A. (2014). Video game localisation: Adapting superheroes to different cultures. Quaderns: Revista de Traducció, 21, 0225–0239.
  • Ho, V. (2020). Localization in educational mobile games: Multiple case studies of educational mobile games in the emerging market, Vietnam. https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi:443/handle/123456789/44237
  • Khessina, O. M., & Reis, S. (2016). The limits of reflected glory: The beneficial and harmful effects of product name similarity in the U.S. network TV program industry, 1944–2003. Organization Science, 27(2), 411–427. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2015.1036
  • Kim, J. Y. (2022). Actors, Networks and Skopos of Mobile Game Localization [PhD Thesis]. University of Roehampton.
  • Mangiron, C. (2012). The localisation of Japanese video games: Striking the right balance. The Journal of Internationalization and Localization, 2(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1075/jial.2.01man
  • Mangiron, C. (2018). Game on! Burning issues in game localisation. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v1i1.48
  • Martí, R., & Zapater, M. (1993). Translation of titles of films. A critical approach. Sintagma: Revista de Lingüística, 81–87.
  • Newmark, P. (1988). A textbook of translation. Prentice-Hall International.
  • Nilsen, D. L. (1979). Language play in advertising: Linguistic invention in product naming. Language in Public Life, 137-143. Georgetown University Press.
  • Nord, C. (1995). Text-functions in translation: Titles and headings as a case in point. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies, 7(2), 261–284. https://doi.org/10.1075/target.7.2.05nor
  • Mangiron, C., & O’Hagan, M. (2006). Game localisation: unleashing imagination with ‘restricted’ translation. The Journal of Specialised Translation, 6(1), 10-21.
  • O’Hagan, M. Mangiron, C. (Ed.). (2013). Game localization: Translating for the global digital entertainment industry. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.106
  • O’Hagan, M., & Mangiron, C. (2004). Games localization: When Arigato gets lost in translation. New Zealand Game Developers Conference Proceedings, 57–62.
  • Peña-Cervel, M. S. (2016). Motivating film title translation: A cognitive analysis. Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 66, 31. http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/CLAC.52776
  • Pettini, S. (2021). The translation of realia and irrealia in game localization: Culture-specificity between realism and fictionality (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003001935
  • Purnomo, Sf. L. A., Purnama, Sf. L. S., & Untari, L. (2019). Prosthetic translation: Retranslations of video game remakes and remasters refute retranslation hypothesis. Humanus, 18(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.24036/humanus.v18i1.103507
  • Ricks, D. A. (1983). Big business blunders: Mistakes in multinational marketing. Dow Jones-Irwin. http://archive.org/details/bigbusinessblund0000rick
  • Ross, J. (2013). ‘No Revolutionary Roads please, we’re Turkish’: The translation of film titles as an object of translation research. Across Languages and Cultures, 14(2), 245–266. https://doi.org/10.1556/ACR.14.2013.2.6
  • Shi, H. (2017). Translation strategies from target culture perspective: An analysis of English and Chinese brands names. International Journal of English Language & Transltion Studies, 5(1), 15-22.
  • Shi, X. (2014). The English film title translation strategies. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5(3), 606–610. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.5.3.606-610
  • Verhaal, J. C., Khessina, O. M., & Dobrev, S. D. (2015). Oppositional product names, organizational identities, and product appeal. Organization Science, 26(5), 1466–1484. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2015.1000
  • Yin, L. (2009). On the translation of English movie titles. Asian Social Science, 5(3), 171–173.
  • Video Games Europe. (2023). Economic success. https://www.videogameseurope.eu/game-industry/economic- success/
  • Video Games Europe. (2022). Key facts 2021. https://www.videogameseurope.eu/data-key-facts/key-facts-from- 2021-europe-video-games-sector/
  • Entertainment Software Association. (2023). Impact of the video game industry. https://www.theesa.com/video-game-impact-map/
  • Gaming in Turkey. (2023). Türkiye oyun sektörü raporları. https://www.gaminginturkey.com/tr/turkiye-oyun-sektoru-raporlari/
  • European Union. (2023). Languages. https://european- union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/languages_en
There are 38 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Translation and Interpretation Studies
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Seyfullah Koçak 0000-0002-8611-7132

Publication Date December 30, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Issue: 35

Cite

APA Koçak, S. (2023). Translation of Mobile Game Titles: Trends and Implications. Çeviribilim Ve Uygulamaları Dergisi(35), 66-82. https://doi.org/10.37599/ceviri.1361144