Game Studies

Game History Annual Symposium – Montreal, June 27-28, 2014

Pleased to announce the upcoming Game History Annual Symposium to be held June 27 & 28, 2014 at Grande Bibliothèque, Montréal, 475, boulevard De Maisonneuve Est, Montréal, QC. The 2014 edition of the symposium features panels on the many communities and social practices that define the history of video games: the role of engineers, gameContinue reading “Game History Annual Symposium – Montreal, June 27-28, 2014”

Research & Thoughts on Handheld (& Mobile) Gaming

I recently contributed to a journal submission with a few colleagues (now in review) and I was tasked with fleshing out a section on game studies (with a specific goal mind you). Writing a bit on mobile gaming (and more specifically handheld devices such as the Nintendo DS), I was taken aback about how littleContinue reading “Research & Thoughts on Handheld (& Mobile) Gaming”

The time has (finally) come: The PhD defense

It has been just shy of 5 years since I began my PhD, and it’s been almost 8 years since I have been working on understanding that weird ‘something’ that I felt between myself as a player and Velixious, my avatar from way back when. Over the years, the research has shifted from a questContinue reading “The time has (finally) come: The PhD defense”

Making room (again) for sociality in MMOG’s

A recent blog post over at TAG got me thinking about the role of down time in MMOG’s. Something a lot of (but not all) gamers complain about. It seems that if a game is not chalk full of action, it is often deemed boring or not very good. Over the years, MMOG’s seem toContinue reading “Making room (again) for sociality in MMOG’s”

Current Findings in MMO Research and Marriages: Or, my rant about headlines and media coverage

The rounds of headlines that are coming out of the last round of research on the impact of gaming on marriages (and from what I see, MMORPG’s) look like this: Wired: MMORPG’s Can Hurt Marriages Daily Mail UK: Dungeons, Dragons and Divorce: World of Warcraft can seriously damage your marriage scientists say US News: LoveContinue reading “Current Findings in MMO Research and Marriages: Or, my rant about headlines and media coverage”

Title, Abstract & One Final Push (and some editing)

A (very) brief update today, but I’ve (finally) come up with a title and wrote the formal abstract for my dissertation. After hundreds of pages of writing, one would think that the abstract would not be as challenging as it was. If interested, you can find it here. I feel a very strange mix of prideContinue reading “Title, Abstract & One Final Push (and some editing)”

Working Through Ideas and Reality

I have been working on what is essentially the same research question since 2004 – working towards understanding the player/avatar relationship and identity – not in it’s classic sense as that which belongs (and identifies) an individual or entity (avatar), but rather how identity is morphed and redefined through digitally mediated interactions into something new.Continue reading “Working Through Ideas and Reality”

Canadian Game Studies Association @ Congress 2011

After a grueling 11 hour bus ride (apologies to my Facebook / Twitter friends for my off the rail rants!), I arrived in Fredericton, my old undergraduate stomping grounds. Was stunned to realize that it has been 17 years since I lived here, yet, little has changed besides the location of the bus station (which,Continue reading “Canadian Game Studies Association @ Congress 2011”

Dragon Age 2: Taking a stand

This came to my attention today via a friend on facebook, and thought it was worth sharing. It is nice to know that change can (and does) happen. Worth the read – even if it hurts the eyes =) “Straight Male Gamer” told to ‘get over it’ by BioWare BioWare adopted a (sadly) very specialContinue reading “Dragon Age 2: Taking a stand”

Redefining (my) Literature Review

I am working on the ‘lit review’ (and definitions) section of my dissertation this week, and it has been an interesting challenge so far. I come from Sociology, where a proper literature review – reviewing what has been written on a particular topic – usually framing the field or the range of perspectives before addingContinue reading “Redefining (my) Literature Review”