This document summarizes the past, present, and future of game studies at Utrecht University. [1] It discusses past research projects from 1998-2012 focusing on digital identity, serious games, and citizen science. [2] Current projects include studies of creative territories, social change, and persuasive gaming. [3] The future of game studies at Utrecht is focused on establishing a Center for Applied Games, participating in EU Horizon 2020 projects, and maintaining a critical theoretical approach amid dominant digital economies.

1. Creative Territories
Exploring Innovation in Indie Game Production
Contexts and Connections
University West of England (Patrick Crogan)
Utrecht Game Studies Focus
Joost Raessens
May 20, 2014

2. 1. Past

3. 1998: Master New Media and Digital Culture

6. 2008: 10th anniversary of the
New Media programme
Serious games (Raessens)
War games (Nieborg)
Role-playing games (Copier)
Pervasive games (Nieuwdorp)
Cartography & games (Lammes)
Renaissance experience (Rushkoff)

7. Past Research Projects
1. Playful Identities. From Narrative to Ludic Self-
Construction (2005-2010) → Are digital information and
communication technologies (games, websites, mobile)
transforming the (construction of) personal and cultural
identity?
2. GATE: Game Research for Training and Entertainment
(2007-2012) → Research projects (Design rules for
learning through simulated worlds), knowledge transfer,
pilot projects (education healthcare)
3. GATE: The Playful Citizen: Power, Creativity,
Knowledge (2010-2012) → Citizen science

8. 2. Present

10. Being playful
Ludic activities
Game
Ludification of Culture

11. Recent Research Projects
1. AHRC: Creative Territories (Bristol, 2014-2015)
2. AHRC: Games and Social Change (Manchester, 2014-
2015)
3. NUFFIC: Summerschool - Intensive Programme:
Identity and Interdisciplinarity in Games and Play
Research (2014)
4. NWO: Graduate Programme Game Research (2013-
2018): Humanities & Computer Science
5. NWO Creative Industries: Persuasive Gaming. From
Theory-Based Design to Validation and Back (2013-2017)

12. Example: Persuasive gaming. From theory-
based design to validation and back
► Social science approach: understanding
the persuasive effects
► Humanities approach: understanding (the
construction of) persuasiveness
► Design approach: understanding the
design of persuasiveness

13. Persuasiveness
→ Not only: Proceduralism, procedural
rhetoric (Ian Bogost)
→ Also: Player and context (Miguel Sicart)
→ Performance art with an agenda, players
are ‘forced out of their expectations’,
setting up situations with meaning not
conveyed, but jointly produced from the
design and the player’s interaction with
the design (Mark J. Nelson)

14. Assistant professor in New Media and Game
Studies (1,0 fte)
Expertise (teaching and research)
Serious gaming
Playful media cultures
Playful communication, persuasive gaming and
gamification
Mobile and social media, data analysis and software
studies
All of these areas of expertise should be grounded in a
critical, media-theoretical approach.

15. 3. Future

16. Utrecht University
Focus Area Game Research
(2014-2017)

17. Center for Applied Games
(Growing Games)

18. KIC - Knowledge and Innovation
Community
in
Healthy Living and Active Ageing
(Games & Gamification)

19. Horizon 2020 ICT 21
Advanced
Digital Gaming-Gamification
Technologies
ChangeIT – Civic Engagement
(Leuphana)

21. Critical distance, complex
understanding → critical,
cultural theory
creative territories
VERSUS
dominant forms of the digital
economy, corporate values, and
presentism
creative industries

22. Thanks for your attention