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.  

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.