Jemma Stafford

Jemma Stafford is an early-career researcher working at the intersection of translation studies, game studies and sociolinguistics. Her PhD at the University of Leeds, Crouching Button, Hidden Typo: The Reception of Localised Chinese-Developed Videogames, examined how English-speaking players interpret localised Chinese games and how localisation shapes perceptions of characters, cultures and fictional worlds. Jemma's current research develops the concept of “vocal worldbuilding”, exploring how localised voices construct cultural place and identity. She is particularly interested in the representation and translation of dialects, sociolects and stylised speech in Chinese videogames, and how these features are transformed through localisation. More broadly, her work examines the relationship between translation, language, culture, and player experience in digital media.

As a LAHRI Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow, Jemma will be focusing on her project, “Made in China, heard elsewhere”, investigating how the English localisation of the Chinese-developed videogame Eastward (Pixpil, 2021) constructs perceptions of cultural and geographical place. It examines how localisation can make a game appear culturally associated with locations beyond its country of origin, thereby shaping the cultural positioning of fictional voices and settings. The project employs a qualitative, comparative methodology based on close reading of selected scenes from the official Chinese and English versions of Eastward. Drawing on localisation studies, sociolinguistics and multimodality, it compares features such as lexical choice, register, forms of address and stylised speech, alongside visual and narrative elements including character design and environmental storytelling. The project aims to develop a conceptual framework explaining how localisation contributes to the construction of cultural place, serving as the groundwork for a wider concept, “vocal worldbuilding”.

Publications:

Journal article 

Stafford, J.L. (2025). Janky or non-fluent? A small-scale practitioner survey on Chinese-English videogame localisation approaches. Digital Translation, 11(2), pp. 140–161. DOI: 10.1075/dt.22015.sta.

Stafford, J.L. (2025). Localization playability: Users’ perception in the English translation of the Chinese game “Depersonalization”. L10N Journal, 2(4), pp. 29–54. Available from: https://l10njournal.net/index.php/home/article/view/65/54 

Reviews 

Stafford, J. [Accepted, forthcoming]. Review of User-Centric Studies in Game Translation and Accessibility, edited by Mikołaj Deckert and Krzysztof W. Hejduk. Journal of Translation Studies. 

Conferences and presentations:

“Do words matter? The influence of translated text in Chinese videogames on player reception.” 

 Fun for All VII, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 30–31 January 2025. 

“Crouching Button, Hidden Typo: Updated” 

 Bristol Digital Game Lab, University of Bristol, 23 February 2024. 

“Crouching Button, Hidden Typo: The Impact of Localisation on Player Reception in ZH–EN RPG Titles.” 

 Bristol Digital Game Lab, University of Bristol, 30 January 2023. 

“Jank or Agenda?” 

 Fun for All VI, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2–3 February 2023. 

“Localisation and Reception: How Translation Choices Shape Player Experience in Chinese RPGs.” 

 World Translation Day, ProZ.com/TV Event (online), 30 September 2022. 

Qualifications:

• PhD in Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds (2022–2026), Pass. Thesis: Crouching button, hidden typo: The reception of localised Chinese-developed videogames. 
• MA Chinese/English Translation, University of Bristol (2020–2021), Merit. 
• BA Chinese Classical & Modern, SOAS, University of London (2016–2020), 2:1. 
• Language & Culture Modules, Open University (2014–2016), Pass. 

Professional memberships:

• Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) – Member (2023–Present). 
• European Society for Translation Studies (EST) – Member (2022–Present). 
• Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) – Member (2019–Present). 
• Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) – Member (2019–Present).