How Japanese is Wii? The Reception and Localization of Japanese Video Games in America
Issue Date
2009-06-12Author
Huang, Xiangyi
Publisher
University of Kansas
Format
101 pages
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
M.A.
Discipline
American Studies
Rights
This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
With control over both store shelves and consumers' consciousness, Japanese video games have dominated the U.S. and global game markets over the past two decades and continue to prosper today. This thesis positions Japanese video games' popularity in America in the global flows of pop culture, and argues that the "Japanization" of pop culture, represented by the "Japanization" of video games, has challenged the cultural globalization process that is taken for granted as hegemonized by the Western, especially American, cultural imperialism. In this thesis I examine the cultural localization process (beyond technical and linguistic localization) of Japanese video games for the U.S. releases, to further demonstrate the transnationality of Japanese pop culture. Meanwhile, I investigate the American fan base for Japanese video games and identify the differences between American and Japanese game players, in terms of cultural preferences of game genres and game play.
Collections
- American Studies Dissertations and Theses [52]
- Theses [3772]
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