DiGRAA 2024 Conference Social Events Sign-up

Posted on by Posted in DiGRAA2024 .

Boardgames, pizza, lunches, dinners and drinks – take your pick! 

The link below will take you to the sign-up form to attend social events at the 10th National Conference for DiGRA Australia 2024 (February 12th-14th, 2024, The University of Melbourne). 

Please submit your preferences by January 31, 2024.

All events are entirely optional, and you are of course free to change your mind later. All events will be held in or around the Parkville Campus at the University of Melbourne. Everyone is welcome to come to every event unless they are marked for students/PhDs/ECRs only. We will send out further details about the events closer to the conference dates.

If you have any questions, please email Lucy at lucy.sparrow@unimelb.edu.au and/or Mahli-Ann at mahliann.butt@unimelb.edu.au

https://forms.gle/MYW3gm9vzfW1dm93A

DiGRAA Awards – Closing Soon!

DiGRAA Abstract Information Session (Recorded)

Posted on by Posted in DiGRAA2024 .

Special thanks to Drs Jacqueline Burgess, Stephanie Harkin and Brendan Keogh for facilitating an online (Zoom) session that provided some tips and hints for writing and structuring your DiGRAA 2024 abstract. The session has been recorded for those who could not attend.

Zoom recording (available for 100 days): https://usc-au.zoom.us/rec/share/MxjhGoL7roJJRFLPgQ7CrDVvCYhCtXPyY6P63E0i1OFhbv2tTrpnaC7QQl4sTcTe.DorBl7IfDDz0BYwR
Passcode: rYi6J$V7

DiGRA Australia 2024 Conference (10 Year Anniversary) Call for Papers

Posted on by Posted in DiGRAA2024 .

We invite you to contribute to a three-day Game Studies conference held on Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th, and Wednesday 14th of February, 2024, at The University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia. Registration is free. 

Important dates 

3 November 2023 – Submission deadline (extended from 27 October 2023)
24 November 2023 – Notification of submission outcomes
12–14 February 2024 – Conference 

Details 

The DiGRA Australia 2024 National Conference is an opportunity for academic and non-academic games researchers, critics, designers, developers and artists to share their work. We aim to provide an inclusive forum that reflects the diversity and vibrancy of Game Studies in Australia, and that allows newcomers and veterans alike to meet other people who are critically engaged with games, players and the culture that surrounds them. 

2024 marks ten years since the founding of DiGRA Australia and our first event – a one day symposium, “What is Game Studies in Australia?”. While there is no theme for this year’s conference, we still want to hear about whatever you in the Australian Game Studies community have been working on. We welcome submissions describing research projects that are completed or still underway. We also welcome contributions from industry members. Tell us about that idea you’ve been turning over in your mind that you’d like to test out in front of an audience. 

DiGRAA 2024 will be hosted at University of Melbourne’s Parkville Campus in Melbourne, Australia. It will run as a hybrid conference, allowing both online and in-person attendance (including online presentations).  

Submission process 

Submissions will be based on Extended Abstracts of 400-800 words. Instructions on how and where to submit Extended Abstracts will be circulated before the submission deadline. 

All submissions will be reviewed by members of the organising committee and the program committee which is chaired by Dr Melissa Rogerson. Submissions do not need to be anonymous. 

Extended Abstract submissions 

This is the standard format for submissions to the DiGRAA conference. Between 400 and 800 words (excluding references) using the DiGRAA template. Accepted Extended Abstracts will be presented at the conference as a 10-minute talk (live or pre-recorded video) followed by a live group question time. Accepted Extended Abstracts will be archived on the DiGRAA website. 

Submission rules 

To ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to present their work, only one submission may be made per lead author, and individuals may present only one paper during the conference. There is no limit on secondary authorship. 

To present at DiGRAA 2024 you will need to be a member of DiGRA Australia. Membership is optional for non-presenting authors. You do not need to be a member at the time of submission, only at the time of the conference. You do not need to be a member of DiGRA International.

Please note that as of July 2022, membership for those in full-time work with at least 12 months remaining on their contract will cost $50/year. Membership is free for all others (including students, sessional academics, etc.). Membership registration processes are currently being developed and will be available in time for conference registration. 

The DiGRA Australia conference has a ‘grey list’ policy for accepted submissions that are withdrawn with no reason provided, or for which the presenter simply does not attend. Please familiarise yourself with the specifics of this policy here. 

UPDATE: All submissions are to be made via this Google Form https://forms.gle/wR73FwzB6QvqoeMP9

Publication 

Accepted Extended Abstracts will be archived on the DiGRAA website. Video presentations (subject to permission) will be published on a dedicated YouTube channel. Aligning with DiGRAA social media policy, you will have the option not to have your video archived. 

Tips for authors 

We advise potential authors to review the papers from previous DiGRA Australia conferences as a guide to the expected tone and quality. Some further tips: 

  • We welcome submissions that explore both in-progress and complete works, but they should represent novel (unpublished) scholarship. If the submission resembles previously published work, we recommend the author explicitly identify the additional contribution of their DiGRA Australia submission. 
  • Papers can present any kind of research, analysis or commentary, but should be written so that the importance of the work can be understood by reviewers working in different disciplines or using different approaches. 
  • We recommend that submissions articulate the issue or research question to be discussed, the methodological or critical framework used, the findings or conclusions to be presented, and/or the relevance to the wider game studies discipline. 
  • Submissions from academics are typically expected to have references to reflect the author’s engagement with existing scholarship. 

Conference Organising Committee 

Dr Mahli-Ann Butt, University of Melbourne (Conference Co-Chair)
Dr Lucy Sparrow, University of Melbourne (Conference Co-Chair)
Dr Melissa Rogerson, University of Melbourne (Program Chair)
Nellie Seale, University of Melbourne (Social Program Officer)
Matthew Sidji, University of Melbourne (Hybrid & Tech Officer)
Madeleine Antonellos, University of Melbourne (Diversity & Accessibility Officer)
Brian McKitrick, University of Melbourne
Timothy Williams, University of Melbourne
Dorsa Kafili, University of Melbourne
Rory Manning Graham, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Eddie Paterson, University of Melbourne
Professor Martin Gibbs, University of Melbourne

Any queries about the conference can be directed to Mahli-Ann Butt: mahliann.butt@unimelb.edu.au 

Program for Games Symposium for Oceania and the Asia Pacific

CFP: Games Symposium for Oceania and the Asia Pacific

Posted on by Posted in GSOAP2023 .

Games Symposium for Oceania and the Asia Pacific

June 14th, 2023 — St Kilda Library

Exploring new perspectives of video game and tabletop roleplaying culture with game artists, makers, and researchers in Asia Pacific and Oceania.

The Asia Pacific is remarkably overlooked as the largest region of annual game production and consumption. This omission represents an opportunity to share games and games-adjacent research. Given the enormous diversity and variation in videogame production and engagement practices, this one-day symposium aims to spark emerging new perspectives.

This symposium is jointly organised by DiGRA Australia, Chinese DiGRA, and in partnership with Pride at Play. We especially encourage researchers working in Chinese sectors to submit their work on game culture to share and collaborate with the workshop attendees.

We invite short provocation submissions from game makers, scholars, artists, writers, and players exploring how games, and the cultures surrounding them play out in their local contexts within Oceania, Asia Pacific regions, including overseas Chinese and Asian perspectives around the world. Provocation submissions are jury-curated by the symposium organising committee.

Presentations must be contextualised in Oceania or the Asia Pacific and themes may include:

  • Defining Oceania and Asia Pacific games research
  • Exploring intersectional identities and influencers in overseas Chinese and Asian cultures
  • Navigating specific regional characteristics of making and playing games
  • Highlighting different or shared lived experiences within game culture
  • Contextualising gender, sexuality, race, and nationality in Oceanic and the Asia Pacific regions
  • Examining national/transnational game histories and futures
  • Recollecting post-mortems of game production in identity play
  • Platforming local and regional aesthetics and concerns in games
  • Critiquing gaming counterpublics, political advocacy and resistance
  • Celebrating and critiquing game fandoms/role-playing/cosplay

Submissions

Submit your provocation via this Google Form: https://forms.gle/piRXheqLAf7jxGds9

Provocation submissions should have a short title, be around 75-100 words, and clearly describe its context, main points, and the potential for further conversations at the workshop. As this is a curated symposium, submission should include author names and a brief 50 word biography.

Provocation Submissions: 1st May, 2023 (extended to 8th May, 2023).

Acceptance Notifications: 14th May, 2023.

Full-day Symposium: 14th June, 2023.

Organising Committee

Dr Mahli-Ann Butt, President of DiGRA Australia

Dr Hugh Davies, President of Chinese DiGRA

Dr Xavier Ho, Head Curator of Pride at Play
For all enquiries and questions about the symposium please contact Xavier Ho <xavier.ho@monash.edu>.

DiGRAA 2023 Conference Program

Posted on by Posted in DiGRAA2023 .

DiGRAA 2023 will take place at the Australian Hearing Hub (AHH)
16 University Ave, Macquarie University (map)

Paid parking is available on campus in the South 2 and West 3 parking zones (map).

To attend online, use this Zoom link (password: 742273)

Monday February 6th

8:45amPre-conference meetup
Perfect Brew, AHH Ground Floor
9:00amRegistration
AHH Level 1 Foyer
9:30amWelcome to DiGRAA
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Malcolm Ryan
Brendan Keogh
10am Session 1 – Gaming Cultures
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Malcolm Ryan
Videogame Activism: Contemporary examples and their effectivityHugh Davies
Yelling at clouds: Battlefield 2042 players’ encounters with the climate crisisLawrence May and Ben Hall
Beyond Subcultures. To study gaming communities through Bourdieu’s cultural capitalGiulio Pitroso
The role of community in the work of alternative Australian gamemakersErika Verkaaik
Q&A (20 min)
11amMorning tea
AHH Level 1 Foyer
11:30amSession 2 – Museums & Events
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Mahli-Ann Butt
Gaming After Dark: How Contemporary Institutions Can Support Gaming Industries and CommunitiesChloe Appleby
Gods and Greeks: a study of an
immersive RPG in a museum
setting		Nellie Seale
Transience of Place: Knowing, Forgetting, PlayingLee Cope
Capturing Cosplay: Analysing Steamkittens and the Digitisation of Cosplay Photography at Gaming ConventionsMadeleine Antonellos
Q&A (20 min)
12:30pmSession 3 – Narrative 1
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Cameron Edmond
Not Choices Matter, But I Matter! Multiple Endings as Quantified SelfAntranig Sarian
Vampires, Drama, and Romance: Examining the in-game interactive fiction tools in Episode and DorianStephanie Harkin
Worldbuilding and Capitalism in Disco ElysiumFinn Dawson
Conlangs as Speech Actions: Studying the pragmatics of Constructed Languages in Video GamesGargi Kowli
Q&A (20 min)
1:30pmLunch
2:30pm Session 4 – Industry & Education
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Abbie Hartman
Creative, Technical, Entrepreneurial: Locating Videogame Development in Australian Higher EducationBrendan Keogh and Taylor Hardwick
Marketing as black magic: perspectives from Victorian studiosJacqueline Burgess, Alexander Muscat, Anthony Grace and Christian Jones
A Necessary Evil: Creative and Commercial Tensions in Australian Game DevelopmentAlexander Muscat, Jacqueline Burgess, Anthony Grace and Christian Jones
Poetry Games as Tools for Inclusive Writing ClassroomsCameron Edmond
Q&A (20 min)
3:30pm Afternoon tea
AHH Level 1 Foyer
4pm Session 5 – Platform Studies
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Kayson Whitehouse
How do we talk about embodiment in VR?Kate Clark
Taking Motion Controls to the Next Level: Interactions in the MetaverseMitchell McEwan
Gotta Catch ‘Em All?: Pokémon GO and the Spatiality of RiskRowan Tulloch and Nicole Matthews
How Mobile Data Plans Shape Mobile Gaming ExperiencesKyle Moore
Q&A (20 min)
5pmSocial Event @ UBar
1 Central Courtyard

Tuesday February 7th

10am Announcements
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Malcolm Ryan
10:15amKeynote
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Malcolm Ryan
THE RULES WE BREAK – how to play with game designEric Zimmerman
11amMorning tea
AHH Level 1 Foyer
11:30amSession 6 – Gaming Identities
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Brendan Keogh
Motives behind trash talk in esports: A consumer perspective through self-determination theorySidney Irwin, Anjum Naweed and Michele Lastella
‘Sculling Shoeys’ at eSports: Nationalism, Masculinity, and Performative AssembliesMahli-Ann Butt
Understanding Avatar Customization Affordance in Gender ExpressionYisong Han and Xavier Ho
Gender-Identity-Play in Young Trans* and Gender Diverse PlayersKayson Whitehouse, Michael Hitchens and Nicole Matthews
Q&A (20 min)
12:30pmSession 7 – Podcasting / Streaming
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Cameron Edmod
Career, Hustle or Hobby? The Lives of Gaming Podcast CreatorsRyan Stanton
Building the Ultimate Battlestation: Producing and Consuming Gaming Setup Videos on YouTubeDahlia Jovic
Streaming Persona as a Toolkit for the Analysis of Performance in Videogame LivestreamingNathan J Jackson
Time and Temporality in Game Streaming on TwitchMark R Johnson
Q&A (20 min)
1:30pmLunch
2:30pmSession 8 – Design & Player Experience
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Vedant Sansare
Escaping the Laboratorium of Dr Moustache: Learning About Distanced Play Through Game DesignMelissa Rogerson
Press Play and Record: Poinpy, juice ‘em ups, and frame by frame analysisJames Manning
The missing Link: Demonstrating videogame formalism through an analysis of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Jasper Van Vught and Alex Mitchell
Coping, Achieving, Repeating: The Pleasures of Videogame GrindingAndrea Andiloro
Q&A (20 min)
3:30pmAfternoon Tea
AHH Level 1 Foyer
4:00pmSession 9 – Narrative 2
AHH Level 1 Lecture Theatre		Chair: Mitchell McEwan
The Transgressive Technology of Horror Videogames: A Literary Undertaking of Monsters and MachinesChelsea Russell
The Great Fire: Experiments in Moral Decision-MakingMalcolm Ryan
Ethical Decision-making Through Systems-based GameplayVedant Sansare
All Players Are Equal: Playing With The Rules In An Animal Farm D&D AdaptationPremeet Sidhu
Q&A (20 min)
5pmClose

DiGRAA 2023 Registration

Posted on by Posted in DiGRAA2023 .

The DiGRA Australia 2023 National Conference will take place at Macquarie University in Sydney on 6-7 February. The conference will also be able to be attended virtually. We would love to see you there!

The conference is entirely free but registration is required. Please use this Trybooking link to register for conference attendance. Registration is important so we know numbers and dietary requirements for in-person attendance, as well as which speakers will be presenting remotely. If your mode of attendance changes in the future, please update your registration accordingly (by cancelling and re-registering) so we know what numbers to expect.

Please note too that DiGRA Australia has now implemented a formal membership system, with details available here. Membership is free for students and casual academics, and $50 for full-time academics. There is also a $500 institutional membership that covers an unlimited number of individuals connected to a paying institution (e.g., a school or a research lab). If you think your employer might be willing to support our association, perhaps ask them! I’m happy to answer any questions about that process you might have.

Note that membership is not required to simply attend the conference, but is required for presenters. It is also required to attend the AGM, vote in our elections, or to stand for a position on that board.

 We look forward to seeing you at the conference in February!

DiGRAA 2023 Call for Papers

Posted on by Posted in DiGRAA2023 .

We invite you to contribute to a two-day game studies conference to be held on the 6th and 7th of February, at Macquarie University. Registration is free. 

Important dates 

    1 November 2022 – Submission deadline 

    6 December 2022 – Notification of submission outcomes 

    6–7 February 2023 – Conference 

Details 

The DiGRA Australia 2023 National Conference is an opportunity for academic and non-academic games researchers, critics, designers, developers and artists to share their work. We aim to provide an inclusive forum that reflects the diversity and vibrancy of game studies in Australia, and that allows newcomers and veterans alike to meet other people who are critically engaged with games, players and the culture that surrounds them. 

There is no theme for this year’s conference—we want to hear about whatever you in the Australian game studies community have been working on. We welcome submissions describing research projects that are completed or still underway. We also welcome contributions from industry members. Tell us about that idea you’ve been turning over in your mind that you’d like to test out in front of an audience. 

DiGRAA 2023 will be hosted at Macquarie University’s Wallumattagal Campus in Sydney. It will run as a hybrid conference, allowing both online and in-person attendance (including online presentations).  

Submission process 

Submissions will be based on Extended Abstracts of 400-800 words. All submissions are to be made via EasyChair. 

All submissions will be reviewed by the organising committee. Submissions do not need to be anonymous. 

Extended Abstract submissions 

This is the standard format for submissions to the DiGRAA conference. Between 400 and 800 words (excluding references) onusing the DiGRAA template. Accepted Extended Abstracts will be presented at the conference as a 10-minute talk (live or pre-recorded video) followed by a live group question time. Accepted Extended Abstracts will be archived on the DiGRAA website. 

Submission rules 

To ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to present their work, only one submission may be made per lead author, and individuals may present only one paper during the conference. There is no limit on secondary authorship. 

To present at DiGRAA 2023 you will need to be a member of DiGRA Australia. Membership is optional for non-presenting authors. You do not need to be a member at the time of submission, only at the time of the conference.  You do not need to be a member of DiGRA International.

Please note that as of July 2022, membership for those in full-time work with at least 12 months remaining on their contract will cost $50/year. Membership is free for all others (including students, sessional academics, etc.). Membership registration processes are currently being developed and will be available in time for conference registration. 

The DiGRA Australia conference has a ‘grey list’ policy for accepted submissions that are withdrawn with no reason provided, or for which the presenter simply does not attend. Please familiarise yourself with the specifics of this policy here. 

Publication 

Accepted Extended Abstracts will be archived on the DiGRAA website. Video presentations (subject to permission) will be published on a dedicated YouTube channel. Aligning with DiGRAA social media policy, you will have the option not to have your video archived. 

Tips for authors 

We advise potential authors to review the papers from previous DiGRA Australia conferences as a guide to the expected tone and quality. Some further tips: 

  • We welcome submissions that explore both in-progress and complete works, but they should represent novel (unpublished) scholarship. If the submission resembles previously published work, we recommend the author explicitly identify the additional contribution of their DiGRA Australia submission. 
  • Papers can present any kind of research, analysis or commentary, but should be written so that the importance of the work can be understood by reviewers working in different disciplines or using different approaches. 
  • We recommend that submissions articulate the issue or research question to be discussed, the methodological or critical framework used, the findings or conclusions to be presented, and/or the relevance to the wider game studies discipline. 
  • Submissions from academics are typically expected to have references to reflect the author’s engagement with existing scholarship. 

Conference Organising Committee 

Malcolm Ryan, Macquarie University (Chair) 
Mitchell McEwan, Macquarie University 
Cameron Edmond, Macquarie University 
Kayson Whitehouse, Macquarie University 
Mark R Johnson, University of Sydney 
Mahli-Ann Butt, University of Sydney 

Any queries about the conference can be directed to Malcolm Ryan: malcolm.ryan@mq.edu.au. 

DiGRA Australia 2022 video presentations