#017: Culturalization in the Gaming Industry with Kate Edwards [Part 1]

The Native Experience Podcast: Translation, localization and multicultural marketing discussions

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On this episode of The Native Experience Podcast, we welcome Kate Edwards, CEO and principal consultant of Geogrify, as well as CXO and Co-Founder of SetJetters.
With an impressive 30-year career in the gaming industry, Kate delves into the intricate world of culturalization, highlighting its significance in creating culturally appropriate games. She emphasizes the importance of considering various aspects such as character design, dancing animations, symbols, and narratives to avoid unintentional messages.
Kate shares some eye-opening experiences, such as the story of the game Kakuto Chojin when one audio file led to a massive PR backlash and her having to apologize to the Saudi Arabian government on behalf of Microsoft, back in 2004.
Kate also shares her passion project, SetJetters, an app she co-founded to help fans visit filming locations from movies and shows. The app provides detailed information about locations, the ability to recreate shots, and gamification through badges.
Our conversation with Kate was incredibly interesting and insightful. She enables a native experience for so many gamers, among others, around the world due to her passion and dedication to culturalization.
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ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Kate Edwards is the CEO and principal consultant of Geogrify, a consultancy which innovated content culturalization, as well as the CXO and Co-Founder of SetJetters, an app focused on connecting tourists to filming locations.
She is also the former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association from 2012 to 2017 and the Global Game Jam from 2019 to 2022. In addition to serving in several board and advisory roles, she is a geographer, writer, and corporate strategist.
Following 13 years at Microsoft, she has consulted for EA/BioWare, Google, Amazon, Facebook, LEGO, Ubisoft, and many other companies.
As an award-winning 30+ year veteran of the game industry, in 2021 she was included in the Forbes' "50 Over 50" Vision List as one of 50 veteran women selected from a wide variety of industries, and in the same year was inducted into the Women in Games Hall of Fame.
ABOUT THE NATIVE EXPERIENCE:

In each episode, we invite professionals who have successfully localized their products or services, worked with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities to achieve equity, and/or have personal experiences that shed light on unique cultural nuances. Our guests share their empowering stories, lessons, and insights to inspire you to provide native communication in your own endeavors.
At LEXIGO, we believe that providing authentic and meaningful communication is essential to building strong connections with new audiences and markets. This is why we've created this podcast – to empower you, by sharing the experiences, knowledge, and passion of experts in the localisation and language world.
We believe that each guest's story will not only inspire you, but also provide valuable information on how to effectively communicate and connect with diverse audiences.
Whether you're a business owner, marketer, comms professional, translator or cultural enthusiast, or simply someone who values meaningful communication, join us on this journey as we explore the power of native experiences and how they can shape our world!
LINKS:

• Lexigo.com
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