School of Arts and Creative Technologies
Yucheng Deng
PhD by research
Thesis
Thesis
Cultural Harmonies: Study of Soundscapes Localisation in Role-Playing Games (RPGs)
- Supervisor: Mariana Lopez
This study focuses on the localisation practices of soundscapes in role-playing games (RPGs), exploring how cultural adaptation of sound can enhance player’ immersive experience in different cultural backgrounds. The core objective of the research is to understand and elucidate the importance of soundscape localisation in the overall game localisation process, identify key factors influencing its effectiveness, and investigate how soundscapes in games enhance players' understanding of specific cultures. Role-playing games are beloved by players for their rich storytelling, complex characters, and immersive worldviews. Soundscapes in this genre of games serves not only as an environmental backdrop and auxiliary function for feedback but also tightly intertwines with narrative storytelling, character depth, and cultural content. The study will analyse the aesthetic elements of soundscapes in different cultures and how they influence players' interpretations of the game. Additionally, existing localisation strategies will be assessed to understand how these approaches fully utilize soundscapes to enhance player experiences in specific cultures.
Biography
Biography
I am a recent graduate from the Academy of Art University, majoring in Sound Design. The projects I have been exposed to in my Masters are all related to sound design. These projects cover a wide range of areas, including experimental sound synthesis and design, film and game sound design, music editing and production, etc., whichopened my eyes to a broad range of research in sound design and motivated me to undertake further study through a Ph.D. program. I am particularly interested in game sound design, mainly concerning how cross-cultural sound design enhances the player's game immersion experience versus shaping the player's cultural awareness, and the impact of these sound factors on the cross-cultural game market. But I am open to trying new ideas as well.
Research
Research
Sound landscape, localization of game sound, sound design, game culture
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