GLOBALIZATION AND LOCALIZATION OF CULTURE IN VIDEO GAMES AS FACTORS IN INTERCULTURAL ADAPTATION AND THE REPRESENTATION OF CULTURAL IDENTITY

Abstract

The current article investigates globalization and localization in video games through the prism of intercultural
adaptation processes. Specifically, video games as a medium for global cultural trends vs. local identity codes are
analyzed, and the main types of cultural adaptation and cultural code transmission within gaming are discussed. The
methodology involves comparative analysis of four video game projects featuring distinct approaches to intercultural
adaptation: Ghost of Tsushima (external authenticity), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (cultural export), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2:
Heart of Chornobyl (national representation), and NieR: Automata (philosophical narrative). In addition, semiotic
analysis of visual and verbal signs of video games is performed.
As a result, the research provides a typology of approaches to cultural adaptation in video games, discusses the
peculiarities of localization vs. culturalization in the gaming industry, and explores the process of cultural code
transmission via games in terms of the authenticity of language, visual aesthetic, and storylines. Special attention is paid
to the case of Ukraine and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl as an example of the formation and transmission of
national cultural identity in gaming during full-scale war. The findings prove that video games serve as soft power tools
to use cultural identity (including language, visuals, and music) as a competitive advantage in the international gaming
market. In turn, the findings confirm the legitimacy of video games as a topic for cultural studies and explain the unique
nature of globalization and localization in the industry due to the interactive and active nature of gaming.