Game Studies Today: In and Beyond Digital Culture
Guest Editors: Juan Luís Gonzalo Iglesia (Rovira i Virgili University), Víctor Navarro Remesal (CESAG UP- Comillas), Antonio J. Planells de la Maza (Tecnocampus, UPF).
Catalan Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies
Deadline for full proposals: 15 January 2018
Game Studies have traditionally been developed around the study of digital games or video games (Murray, 1997; Aarseth, 1997; Frasca, 1999; Juul, 2001; Salen & Zimmerman, 2004; Jenkins, 2006; Bogost, 2007). However, scholarly work is now beginning to focus on non-digital games (also called analog games) as a field of study. Some examples are the work of the Board Game Studies Colloquium, a range of scholars and practitioners who have been working on analog games for more than two decades, and the Journal of Analog Game Studies, published since 2014.
This shift to analog game studies has a triple rationale: first, the historical link of analog games with the theoretical and practical development of video games (Deterding, 2010; Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith & Tosca, 2016); second, the exponential growth of analog games and gamers in the last two decades (Costikyan & Davidson, 2011); and third, its undeniable impact as a cultural, social and communicative artifact (Romero, 2008; Woods, 2012; Sabin, 2014). Analog games and video games share characteristics that make them part of the same field of study.
The main goal of this special issue is to claim the concept of Game Studies as a space for research and thought, where the central element is the game itself, digital or non-digital, and all other manifestations around it. Therefore, we conceive this issue from a broad point of view, where we can find studies on games and video games, as well as analysis of the connections that are generated between both forms of playful expression.
We invite scholars, researchers and practitioners from around the world to submit full articles and viewpoints on topics that may include, but are not limited to, the following:
– Analog Game studies: board games, card games and pen-and-pencil role playing games
– Game design
– History (in and of) games
– Narrative and theories of fiction
– Games and ideology: hegemony and transgression
– Gender in games (representation of sex roles in games, female gamers and practices…)
– Portrayals of diversity in games
– Digitization of analog games and vice versa
– Format hybridization
– Gaming culture and practices
– Play, playfulness and culture, and the ludification of culture – Activism, anti-advergames and conscientious design
– Modding, remix, and fan production
– Game industry and authorship
The journal plans to include research articles of 6,000-7,000 words (including references), as well as brief research notes, experiences or progress reports of 2,000-3,000 words for the Viewpoint section. Full manuscripts for both sections should be sent in accordance with the Notes for Contributors to the email address catalan.journal@urv.cat by 15 January 2018. All contributions will be subjected to double blind peer review.