Since 2013, game platform itch.io has become well-known among game scholars as an outlet for short, indie video games. Yet itch.io is now increasingly home to the development scene producing the most interesting (and rapidly evolving) tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs), labeled under “physical games.”
CoEGameCult researcher Dale Leorke has curated a new exhibition on location-based, urban games in the Finnish Museum of Games, opening in 13th September 2019.
[Finnish language job announcement] Tampereen yliopiston pelitutkimusryhmä, Pelikulttuurien tutkimuksen huippuyksikkö ja pelitutkimuksen opetusohjelma etsivät kahta täydennystä tiimiin.
The CoE-GameCult site has expanded to include an open archive of videos, where CoE researchers and visiting experts discuss their work and various topical aspects of game cultures.
We have updated the call for papers for the 5th Jyväskylä Autumn Seminar with our two great keynotes, Katrin Tiidenberg (Associate Professor, Tallinn University) and Florence Chee (Assistant Professor, Loyola University Chicago).
Long in planning, it was announced in Kyoto that the next international DiGRA games research conference will take place in Tampere, Finland. Organised by CoE-GameCult in 2-6 June 2020, the conference has its website and CFP at: http://www.digra2020.org.
After an enriching and eventful year as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies, Aleena Chia will be joining Simon Fraser University as Assistant Professor in the School of Communication.
Despite its ongoing success, Magic: The Gathering is trailing in its mainstream appeal behind Dungeons & Dragons, which is published by the same company and has become a frequent reference in mainstream popular culture. While studying the transformation of the genre-defining card game into an esport, I encountered that its creators and players regularly discuss how the cis male-dominated tournament scene contributes to the public image of Magic: The Gathering.
Tampere University and the CoE Gamecult were pleased to host artist, academic, and game designer Troy Innocent during the week of 8th–16th April, 2019. Innocent was visiting for the 15th Annual Tampere University Game Lab Spring Seminar, Urban Play. The Spring Seminar was hosted by the CoE Gamecult and held at the Vapriikki Museum in Tampere, home of the Finnish Museum of Games.
Starting in August 2019, we are launching a blog series that will showcase the achievements and experiences of researchers and alumni of the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies.