UC San Diego
Department of Communication
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Stephen MandibergStephen Mandiberg

Email Address: smandiberg@ucsd.edu

Website: Stephen's Website

Education

  • Ph.D Candidate in Communication. University of California, San Diego.
  • M.A. in Media, Culture and Communication. New York University. 2008.
  • B.A. in Art History. Carleton College. 2003.

    Research Interests

    My dissertation research is about the practice and politics of video game localization between Japan and the United States. I study the way cultural elements and commodity history are obscured through the business oriented practice of rewriting a game for local sales. My work more broadly is about the translation, transference and repetition of cultural texts (including new media, cinema and gaming) between distinct, national/cultural entities and over time

    Publications

      • "Translation and/as Interface." Loading. (forthcoming 2013)
      • "Games, Localization, and Diaspora." in Fun for All: Translation and Accessibility Practices in Video Games and Virtual Worlds, edited by Carmen Mangiron, Minako O'Hagan, and P Orero. (forthcoming 2013)
      • "Obama and Shepard Fairey: The Copy and Political Iconography in the Age of the Demake" (with Lisa Cartwright). Journal of Visual Culture 8, no. 2 (2009): 172-6.

      Conference Presentations

        • “Treating Culture as Genre: Implications Stemming from the Practice of Video Game Localization.” Panel Presentation at the 10th Annual Cultural Studies Association Conference. Culture Matters. San Diego, California. March 2012.
        • “Money Isn’t Everything: On the Problems of Transcreating Games.” Paper presentation at Fun for All: II International Conference on Translation and Accessibility in Video Games and Virtual Worlds: Searching for Best Practices. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. March 2012.
        • "Translation and/as Interface." Paper presentation at the 5th Digital Games Research Association Conference. Think Design Play. Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands. September, 2011.
        • "Other Histories: The Remake and the Sweded Film." Paper presentation at the 4th Annual ZdC Graduate Student Conference. Spectrums. University of Southern California, Los Angeles. February 2010.
        • "Localization (is) Not Translation: Language in Gaming." Paper presentation at the 8th Digital Arts and Culture Conference. After Media: Embodiment and Context. University of California, Irvine. December, 2009.
        • “Kingdom Hearts, Territoriality and Flow” (with William Huber). Paper presentation at the 4th Digital Games Research Association Conference. Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory. Brunel University, West London, United Kingdom. September, 2009.
        • "The International Edition and National Exoticism." Paper presentation at Meaningful Play. Michigan State University, East Lansing. October, 2008.
        • "Translation as Appropriation: Subtitles/Dubs and Cultural Imperialism." Paper presentation at Intersections 2007. Ryerson University, Toronto. March, 2007.

          Invited Talk

            • “Localization.” Talk at University of California, San Diego for the course LTWR 124 Translation of Literary Texts Workshop. San Diego. November 16, 2011.
            • “Game Localization from Japan to the United States.” Talk at the Japanese Studies’ Naiman Workshop. San Diego, CA. May 23, 2011.
            • "Game Studies and Kingdom Hearts." Talk at Utrecht University for the course Game Analysis and History. Utrecht, Netherlands. September 14, 2009.

              Additional Work

                • “Gummi Ship: Kingdom Hearts, Territoriality, Flow” (with William Huber) <http://gumiship.blogspot.com/>. Website/Blog for the construction of a paper for the 4th Digital Games Research Association Conference. Summer, 2009.
                • "Remakes as Translation: Cultural Flow." Master's Thesis. Department of Media, Culture and Communication. New York University, 2008.

                  Teaching

                    • Adjunct Instructor. University of California, San Diego. 2011-present (COHI 175 Repetition and New Media, COCU 125 How to Read a Film, COSF 130 History of Electronic Media)
                    • Teaching Assistant. University of California, San Diego. 2009-present (COGN 21, COCU 100, COCU 125, COCU 177, COHI 100, COHI 123, COSF 186, COMT 105)
                    • Reader. University of California, San Diego. 2008-present (COHI 175 Mobile Communications, COSF 171a)
                    • Japanese Instructor. ABC Langauge Exchange. New York, NY. 2006-08.
                    • Assistant English Teacher. Kuki City Board of Education, Japan. 2003-05.

                      Awards

                        • Japan Foundation Dissertation Fellowship. 2012-2013.
                        • Joseph Naiman Fellowship in Japanese Studies. University of California, San Diego. 2011.
                        • UCSD Communication Department Research Grant. 2011.
                        • Joseph Naiman Fellowship in Japanese Studies. University of California, San Diego. 2010.
                        • Steinhardt Graduate Scholarship. 2006-2008.