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| Game Studies (journal) | |
|---|---|
| Title | Game Studies |
| Discipline | Game studies |
| Abbreviation | Game Stud. |
| Editor | Espen Aarseth |
| Publisher | IT University of Copenhagen |
| Country | Denmark |
| History | 2001–present |
| Frequency | Irregular |
Game Studies (journal) is an open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to the study of digital games, play, and related media. Founded in 2001, the journal has published research spanning theoretical analysis, empirical studies, and design-oriented papers that intersect with scholars from University of Copenhagen, University of Bergen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and University of California, Santa Cruz. Its contributors and readership include researchers affiliated with institutions such as New York University, University of Toronto, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and University of Melbourne.
Established by scholars including Espen Aarseth shortly after the turn of the millennium, the journal emerged amid contemporaneous initiatives at MIT Media Lab, European Conference on Games Based Learning, DIGRA, and ACM SIGGRAPH networks. Early volumes coincided with conferences such as DiGRA 2003, CHI 2002, Nordic DiGRA, and workshops at Royal Holloway, University of London. The journal's development paralleled the rise of programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, and Goldsmiths, University of London that formalized game studies as an academic field. Over time, editorial changes and special issues aligned with milestones like symposia at Game Developers Conference and anniversaries celebrated at IT University of Copenhagen and University of Tampere.
The journal's scope embraces work on media artifacts such as Half-Life 2, The Sims, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Portal, Dark Souls, Grand Theft Auto V, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Pokémon Red and Blue, and Tetris, as well as scholarship addressing platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC gaming, and mobile gaming. Methodologically, it publishes articles connected to scholars from Brown University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Princeton University, and Yale University and engages with debates from conferences such as EAA, ICIDS, E-Sports World Convention, and SIGGRAPH. Editorial policy mandates peer review by experts affiliated with institutions including University of California, Irvine, University College London, University of Glasgow, University of Vienna, and University of Southern California. The journal supports interdisciplinary work that references traditions at London School of Economics, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Dartmouth College.
Published online with no paywall, the journal follows an editorial model comparable to outlets associated with Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association and repositories like JSTOR and Project MUSE in terms of scholarly reach. Issues include research articles, review essays, and responses, often featuring contributors from University of Washington, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, and Pennsylvania State University. PDFs and HTML versions are produced for each issue, following digital archiving practices similar to those at National Library of Denmark and academic presses at Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Publication timelines have mirrored event cycles at SXSW, PAX, and Gamescom.
The journal is indexed in bibliographic services used by scholars at Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ERIC, and library catalogs at Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Danish National Research Database. Citation patterns show engagement with monographs published by MIT Press, Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan, Bloomsbury, and Oxford University Press and articles cited by conferences like DiGRA, CHI, and ICFP. Its impact is reflected in curricular adoption at programs such as University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, NYU Game Center, Utrecht University, Trinity College Dublin, and University of Copenhagen.
The editorial board has included scholars affiliated with IT University of Copenhagen, University of Bergen, University of Oslo, Aarhus University, Royal Holloway, Goldsmiths, and RMIT University. Notable contributors and authors have included academics connected to Espen Aarseth, Jesper Juul, Mia Consalvo, Ian Bogost, Jane McGonigal, Katie Salen, Henry Jenkins, Sherry Turkle, T.L. Taylor, Alexander Galloway, Mary Flanagan, Eric Zimmerman, Galloway, Mark J.P. Wolf, Bonnie Nardi, Celeste Greer, Constance Steinkuehler, and James Paul Gee. Guest editors have been drawn from University of York, University of Chicago, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Copenhagen.
The journal has produced thematic issues engaging topics tied to events and works such as indie game movements showcased at IndieCade, transmedia franchises like Star Wars, e-sports scenes highlighted at The International (Dota 2), debates around virtual reality technologies demonstrated at Oculus Connect, and scholarship responding to titles like Bioshock. Special collections have examined subject matter related to gender studies at Women's Studies International Forum, labor discussions linked to Game Developers Conference, and preservation debates aligned with Library of Congress initiatives. Thematic forums have coordinated with panels at DiGRA, CHI, and ELO.
Scholars at Brown University, University of California, Berkeley, New York University, University of Oxford, and University of Toronto cite the journal in syllabi, monographs, and conference proceedings. Its influence is evident in the formation of academic programs at DigiPen Institute of Technology, Binghamton University, RMIT University, Aalto University, and University of Utrecht and in citation within policy reports from institutions like European Commission, UNESCO, and Council of Europe. Reviews in outlets associated with Times Higher Education, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Ed have noted its role in legitimizing studies of play, design, and culture.
Category:Academic journals