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Article published In: Digital Translation
Vol. 12:2 (2025) ► pp.150–178

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

ORCiD logo with link | Newcastle University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with Newcastle University.

Published online: 17 October 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dt.25004.rob
Abstract
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.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Networks of interaction in video game localization
    • 1.2Actor network theory (ANT)
      • 1.2.1Visual representation of ANT maps
    • 1.3Roles and responsibilities of the production stage of a localization project
      • 1.3.1Reviewers
      • 1.3.2Project managers
      • 1.3.3Localization engineers
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Background: The quasi experiment
    • 2.2Actors of the production stage of a localization project
      • 2.2.1Human actors
      • 2.2.2Non-human actors
    • 2.3Construction of ANT maps
    • 2.4Inclusion of ethnographic methods
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Team One ANT map
    • 3.2Team Two ANT map
    • 3.3Team Three ANT map
    • 3.4Team Four ANT map
    • 3.5Interview data
      • 3.5.1Translators
      • 3.5.2Reviewers
      • 3.5.3Project managers
  • 4.Discussion
    • 4.1Translators
    • 4.2Reviewers
    • 4.3Project managers
    • 4.4Differentiating the roles and responsibilities
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Resources
References (34)
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