Abstract
Because Arabic video game localization is a relatively new area of study, little in-depth research has been done on the topic within Arabic translation studies. The few articles that address video game localization in Arabic remain limited, either due to examining a single video game and its various localization issues, or examining various games but considering the transfer of their linguistic assets only. This paper aims to address the existing gaps in Arabic video game localization studies by delving into multiple video games localized into Arabic, and analysing the technical, linguistic, and cultural issues found within them. Technical issues are related to the Arabic script, video game variables, and subtitling conventions. Linguistic issues, on the other hand, include Arabic video game terminology and acronyms as well as the translation of proper names and NPCs’ titles into Arabic. Lastly, the paper discusses cultural challenges that arise when localizing video games into Arabic, such as how to navigate nudity, profanity, and alcohol. The paper concludes by calling for more research into the area of video game localization. Such research should not only flag linguistic, cultural, and technical issues but also establish a body of literature that would help practitioners and video game developers provide a more authentic, unique gaming experience for Arab gamers.
Highlights
Due to the expansion of the Arabic video games market, several video game developers are capitalizing on this growth by providing Arabic localization of their video games
This initial effort is not considered an official localization attempt, as Rinco was not the official developer of the game; rather, it can be considered more of a ROM-hacking attempt, which entails the process by which gamers or fans hack the ROM data “(Read-Only Memory not meant to be changed by the user) of a video game to alter various aspects of the game, including the game’s language” (O’Hagan & Mangiron, 2013, p. 10)
The linguistic and technical issues discussed in the present paper negatively impact the playability of video games localized into Arabic, and negatively affect the gaming experience of Arab players
Summary
Due to the expansion of the Arabic video games market, several video game developers are capitalizing on this growth by providing Arabic localization of their video games. The first attempts to provide Arab gamers with localized video games came in the mid-1990s when an Arab fan, named Adnan, collaborated with Rinco (Ramar International), a Taiwanese distributor and developer of Nintendo games, on the translation of Captain Majed (1995), known as Captain Tsubasa II (1990) on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (Al-Batineh and Alawneh, in press). This initial effort is not considered an official localization attempt, as Rinco was not the official developer of the game; rather, it can be considered more of a ROM-hacking attempt, which entails the process by which gamers or fans hack the ROM data “(Read-Only Memory not meant to be changed by the user) of a video game to alter various aspects of the game, including the game’s language” The Arab video games market relied on bootlegged copies and pirated PlayStation and PC games
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