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Mapping the production stage of a video game localization project with actor-network theory

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Dariush Robertson

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© John Benjamins Publishing Company.The video game localization industry has undergone rapid development and expansion, entailing newly emerging roles, and technologies. Academia has strived to keep up; however, due to industry restrictions, researchers and institutions lack an in-depth understanding of what occurs within the production stage of a project, and how the various professionals interact. This research delineates and contextualizes the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the production stage of localization projects. Actor-network theory (ANT) is utilized to map and trace the actions and relationships, between the human and non-human actors involved in a Chinese-to-English video game localization project. This involved observing four professional translation teams working on the same text and has enabled a clear delineation of the complex roles and responsibilities of the linguists and project managers. Furthermore, it highlights how different roles require different skillsets.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Robertson D

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Digital Translation: International Journal of Translation and Localization

Year: 2025

Volume: 12

Issue: 2

Pages: 150-178

Online publication date: 17/10/2025

Acceptance date: 01/10/2025

Date deposited: 24/11/2025

ISSN (print): 2949-6861

ISSN (electronic): 2949-6845

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company

URL: https://doi.org/10.1075/dt.25004.rob

DOI: 10.1075/dt.25004.rob

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