The Name of the Game
Exploring the Impact of Generative AI in Videogame Localisation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.163989Avainsanat:
video game localisation, quality assurance, machine translation, generative AI, AI translationAbstrakti
Through the increased digitisation of society, videogames have gained newfound relevance, permeating the fabric of everyday life (Muriel & Crawford 2018). However, the relatively limited research on videogame localisation and gaming experiences across cultural contexts seems to focus on languages of greater diffusion, leaving certain languages – such as Greek – almost entirely unexplored (Mangiron 2018). Meanwhile, the emergence of AI-powered localisation technologies has ushered in a shift within the translation industry, as language service providers are striving to introduce them into their workflows, reducing human oversight and, consequently, expenses (MultiLingual 2023). Despite the extensive use of AI in processes like translation, post-editing, and quality assurance, research on its effective implementation remains insufficient (Hansen & Houlmont 2022). This paper seeks to examine the impact of AI-powered machine translation (AIT) and localisation quality assurance (LQA) on videogame localisation through a comparative translation quality assessment of Greek videogame texts. In particular, it aims to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to the usage of AIT in videogame localisation – focusing primarily on translation quality – and reflect on its potential impact on user reception.
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