Translation strategies for game localization in relation to China's censorship mechanism

• Main Author: Pay, Sherlyn Pei Jie
• Other Authors: Cui Feng
• Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Humanities::Language
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148821
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The relationship between censorship and game localization is a topic that has received substantial attention in the academic field and media in recent years. While many of the research papers have examined this relationship, the focus however has always been on censorship and game localization in the West – censorship on games in China has yet to be fully examined in translation studies. This paper aims to fill the gap by examining the censorship mechanism in China and how it affects game localization. It will provide an overview of censorship in China and how it affects game localization, the reviewing criteria, including the regulations of game content, and possible translation strategies. Examples are provided to illustrate these, and how it affects the success of publishing a foreign game in the China market. The findings indicate that with vague guidelines from authorities, game studios and translators practice over-censorship and self-censorship, which could result in translations appearing more stringent than what the authorities required, in order for their games to be licensed legally in China. The paper concludes by highlighting the difficulties of game localization while abiding to censorship rules and the advantages and shortcomings of the rigid censorship in China.