Miscellaneous published in:
Audiovisual Translation in Applied Linguistics: Educational perspectivesEdited by Laura Incalcaterra McLoughlin, Jennifer Lertola and Noa Talaván
[Benjamins Current Topics 111] 2020
► pp. 154–180
Why is that creature grunting?
The use of SDH subtitles in video games from an accessibility perspective
Tomás Costal | Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)
Video games today are highly complex audiovisual products. Their nature is not
only multisemiotic but also interactive. Their potential audience has certain
expectations and, especially in the case of digital blockbusters, final users
need the advantage of knowledge and the force of numbers. A faux
pas in design, continuity or playability will most likely be
conducive to social media outrage, and will see official apologies be released
presently. Conversely, accessibility shortcomings rarely or never have the same
impact.The present study puts forward the advantages of including Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) in
popular video games and offers an in-depth analysis of a selection of recent
multimedia titles. Drawing on the work of Bernal Merino (2015), O’Hagan
and Mangiron (2013) and Trabattoni (2014) on the special characteristics of video games, the
main elements around which they are structured and the aspects that determine
their success or failure, the author will endeavour to advance a convincing
argument in favour of the introduction of SDH subtitling conventions.
Keywords: subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, localisation, video games, accessibility, subtitling norms
Published online: 12 November 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/bct.111.ttmc.00008.cos
https://doi.org/10.1075/bct.111.ttmc.00008.cos
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Video game corpus
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (Mercury Steam 2014).
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Street Fighter V (Capcom and Dimps 2016).