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Every haiku must contain a kigo, a word associated with a particular season. In Japanese culture beauty lies in the things left unsaid, and it was the love of brevity that gave birth to this type of “miniature literature.” Haiku are traditionally printed in a single vertical line while haiku in English often appear in three lines to parallel the three phrases of Japanese haiku.

Previously called hokku, haiku was given its current name by the writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century. It used to be the opening stanza of an orthodox collaborative linked poem called renga. Haiku was elevated to an art form in the 17th century by the poet Matsuo Basho, whose works have been translated into many languages and have received international acclaim.

Video game localisation is the preparation of video games for other countries, which is more than just the translation of the language used in the game. The game industry is making as much if not more money than the film industry, so game internationalisation and localisation is becoming an integral part of development for many game studios. There are many different areas to take into account, such as linguistic, cultural, hardware and software, legal differences, graphics identity and music.

Video games, unlike any other entertainment products, aim at motivating and challenging players at their own level and pace. They do this by various means, such as customisable avatars and difficulty levels. When dealing with violence, historical events, foul language or sex, the target language may influence the game itself, since different cultures are more sensitive than others to these matters. The audio of a game is of great importance as well, which is why developers employ professional composers to give a signature sound to their creations.

In some cases, the translation will be almost an actual recreation, or, to put it in the words of Mangiron & O’Hagan (2006), a transcreation, where translators will be expected to produce a text with the right ‘feel’ for the target market.