Game studies – or the academic study of digital games – is a relatively new field, drawing scholars from a range of disciplines who are interested in the formal, cultural, and social aspects of digital games. It has developed most rapidly in Europe and North America, but game studies also has significant presence elsewhere, with burgeoning research in areas of the Chinese-speaking world and on aspects of Chinese games and gaming. This special issue highlights some of this scholarship, connecting ‘Chinese Game Studies’ to the broader community of game researchers.
Call for papers. Games and Culture Special Issue
Proposal Submission Deadline: September 1st 2014
Full Paper Submission Deadline: November 1st 2014
Special Issue: Chinese Game Studies
Guest Editors
Bjarke Liboriussen, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Paul Martin, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
The terms ‘Chinese’ and ‘China’ have a multitude of (contested) meanings. We are using the terms broadly here and hope to be as inclusive as possible. As well as work on Chinese games, gaming cultures and the Chinese games industry, we also welcome articles that tackle some of the challenges of this designation. Specifically, what is ‘Chinese’ game studies? Are there distinctly ‘Chinese’ gaming cultures? If so, are they/should they be the subject of specific scholarly attention? How does game studies in the Chinese-speaking world relate to the wider game studies community?
This special issue of the SAGE journal Games and Culture is planned for May 2015.
Potential topics
Papers are welcome on any aspect of digital and non-digital games and gaming cultures in China. The following is not an exhaustive list, but we anticipate articles on:
• The Chinese game industry
• Reception of games in China, reception of Chinese games elsewhere
• Chinese policy around the game industry
• Discourse around Chinese games
• Chinese gaming cultures (digital and non-digital)
• Game aesthetics from a Chinese perspective, or the aesthetics of Chinese games
• Case studies or close readings of Chinese games
• The idea of a ‘Chinese’ game studies
Submission procedure and dates:
Please submit an initial proposal of 1,000 words (exc. references) by the 1st of September 2014. This should be sent as a word document or PDF to paul.martin@nottingham.edu.cn. The proposal should describe the topic and outline the main aims or argument of the article. It should include an indicative list of references.
Authors of submitted proposals will be notified by the 5th of September, 2014.
Authors of successful proposals will be asked to submit a full article (no more than 10,000 words) by the 1st of November, 2014. Articles should be submitted to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/games.
The full article will undergo a double-blind peer review process. For details of how to submit to Games and Culture and of the peer review process, see: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201757&ct_p=manuscriptSubmission&crossRegion=antiPod.
Accepted articles will be published in the May 2015 issue of Games and Culture.
