Fun for All: Translation and Accessibility Practices in Video Games and Virtual Worlds (provisional title)

Mangiron, C.; O’Hagan, M; Orero, P. (Eds.)

 

The widespread use of technologies characteristic of the digital area has dramatically changed our lives, shaping the way we communicate, access information, learn, work and entertain ourselves. Due to their interactive nature, new media have played a key role in the establishment of global virtual communities and social networks transcending national boundaries, posing new questions that need to be addressed. How do we interact with this new media? How have they affected the way we interact with each other? What is the role of translation in an increasingly globalised world? How can we ensure that new media are accessible to all and avoid the digital divide?  

Issues such as globalisation, intercultural communication, video game and audiovisual production, audiovisual translation and media accessibility are well-established research areas. However, there is still a considerable knowledge gap in the areas of game localization and accessibility, as well as accessibility to virtual worlds, also known as metaverses, and the role translation plays in them.

To date, academic studies focusing on game localization and accessibility of games and virtual worlds are few and far between, despite the fact that further research in localization and accessibility is beneficial to all. The industry can benefit by reaching the broadest possible audience, while the audience can benefit from having improved access to games and virtual worlds. “Access” is used in this context in a broad sense, to refer not only to users with functional diversity, but also to those who due to age or skill are not able to play a game successfully, those who do not speak the original language of the metaverse or game, and those who due to socioeconomic conditions cannot access games and virtual platforms. Improving access to games and virtual worlds will foster the inclusion of different type of users, from language learners to the aged, including those with sensorial, motor or mental diversity and users deprived from access to new technologies because of socioeconomic limitations.

A more systematic and interdisciplinary approach bringing together academics from different disciplines with various research backgrounds and methodologies, such as translation studies, media studies, psychology, usability, engineering and computing, human rights, is required to promote further advances in these areas of study. The I International Conference on Translation and Accessibility in Video Games and Virtual Worlds aimed to be an interdisciplinary meeting point for all those interested in the fields of game localisation and accessibility, as well as accessibility and the role of translation in virtual worlds. This pioneering conference aims at laying the foundations for future studies in these areas, become a discussion forum where industry and academia meet and promote interdisciplinary research.

For the publication of a book dealing with the issues raised and discussed at the I International Conference on Translation and Accessibility in Video Games and Virtual Worlds, but not limited to papers presented at the conference, we are welcoming contributions dealing with the following conference themes, although related themes may also be considered for inclusion in the book:

 

·         Game localisation process

·         Standardisation

·         Quality issues

·         Development and use of specialised tools

·         Internationalisation process

·         Cultural adaptation in games

·         Localization of online games

·         Localization of mobile games

·         Localization of social games

·         Training in game localisation

·         The role of translation in virtual worlds

·         Fan translations

·         Crowdsourcing

·         Game accessibility 

·         Accessible game design

·         Accessibility to virtual-reality platforms

·         Game audio design

·         Training for accessible game design

·         Case studies

 

Manuscripts must be between 5000 and 7000 words, bibliography and endnotes included. Please make sure that the endnotes precede the references and that the reference section includes only works cited in the body of the text. All the papers we receive will be peer reviewed anonymously. Upon acceptance the authors may be asked to adapt their texts to a specific style sheet, to be communicated later. The text submitted for peer reviewing should be submitted as plain text.

The language of the publication will be English. Please have your text read and corrected by a native speaker of English if English is not your mother tongue. We will not accept articles that do not meet academic writing standards and require extensive rewriting.

Deadline for submissions:  Thursday 21st March 2011

All articles must be sent to VG.VW.translation.accessibility@gmail.com