Localization as Adaptation in the Wolfenstein Franchise

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  • Werner Schäfke
In a globalized market, media products are adapted to fit the constraints of specific markets and appeal to their preferred tastes. As the Wolfenstein franchise is set before the backdrop of the Second World War, it has to address cultural memory in a preferred way. The franchise constructs memory of the Second World War, and the holocaust differently, dependent on the intended audience. “Family friendly” versions exist, tailored for branded platforms such as NES and iOS, as well as “sanitized” versions for the German market, where legal provision pose constraints on depictions of Nazism. The resulting corporate adaptation of Wolfenstein games are shown to contradict the intention of legal statues regarding cultural memory, and lead to further mythization of Nazism.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdaptation in the Age of Media Convergence
EditorsJohannes Fehrle, Werner Schäfke
Number of pages26
PublisherAmsterdam University Press
Publication dateOct 2019
Pages203-228
Chapter9
ISBN (Print)9789462983663
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2019
SeriesTransmedia
Volume6

ID: 194976225