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image of Audio accessibility in Arabic game localization

Abstract

Abstract

This study explores audio accessibility in Arabic-localized video games by examining nonverbal subtitles for players who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing (NV-SDH) in the English game (2018). A multimodal bilingual corpus of screen recordings from the game was qualitatively analyzed using NVivo. A three-layered tagging framework was developed in NVivo to tag the corpus and classify the types of NV-SDH, their functions, and the translation strategies used to adapt them into Arabic. Findings revealed that NV-SDH were primarily used during gameplay and minimally used in cutscenes and the user interface. NV-SDH were translated into Arabic using three approaches — literal, word-for-word, and idiomatic translation, with varying accuracy. This study proposes a function-based framework for NV-SDH localization, categorizing them as immersion-based or action-based. It also suggests best practices for translating these elements into Arabic. The results offer valuable insights for game developers, localizers, and researchers.

Available under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
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/content/journals/10.1075/ts.24042.alb
2025-05-13
2025-06-24
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