PhD Candidate
adawsona@umich.edu
Education/Degree:
B.A., East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania, 2008
M.A., Media Arts and Studies, Ohio University, 2012
About
Amy Dawson-Andoh’s main research interests include video games, translation, fan cultures, and the affordances of digital media. She is currently interested in the localization of video games from Japanese to English-speaking markets. While sometimes used interchangeably with the term translation, localization requires far more than interpreting text from one language to another. Localization also addresses cultural differences, such as the positioning of games and game genres within the wider context of a target market's media environment.
Her research goals are twofold: First, she is examining how the complex nature of video games as digital texts affects the translation process. Video game translation involves not just text, but also programming code, interfaces, and audio/visual elements. Studying how localization teams successfully adapt a game to a foreign market provides a deeper understanding of how digital texts generate meaning. Her second research question focuses on the dynamics between dedicated consumers and industry professionals in the context of Japanese to English video game localization. Specifically, how the affordances of digital technology empower consumers to modify and distribute game texts to audiences not initially considered by developers and publishers.
Field(s) of Study
- Digital media and texts
- Fan/participatory cultures
- Translation/localization
- Video games
- Japanese popular culture
