Loading...: a new game studies journal

Submitted by Tanner on Fri, 06/08/2007 - 18:40

I am not sure exactly when it was released, but I just found out about a new game studies journal launched by the Canadian Game Studies Association, it is called Loading...

Here is an excerpt of their mission statement:

Quote:

The primary objective of Loading… is to publish Canadian scholarship, research and art in the interdisciplinary field of digital games studies. Canadian perspectives and voices, especially cross- and inter-disciplinary studies are encouraged as is more technically focused work. Every effort will also be made to support special issues of the journal that take up particular themes and/or problems in the field.

Their first issue has been released in both print and online form, and the online version is free to access after you register an account.

They have a bunch of articles, I have yet to really delve into it but I plan to soon enough (read: when GRADING is finished).

In any case, who doesn't love seeing new places for publication pop up? But I must say that I am intrigued by Loading's geographic allegiance. The editors mention in their introduction that they found it necessary for Canadian game scholars to assert themselves in a field dominated by American and European scholarship. This is a bit unique considering most other academic associations do not place restrictions on the nationality of their authors (but naturally do in terms of the objects of study). Perhaps this is an effect of the distinctly national character of some of the early game studies debates?

Geographical Allegiance

Submitted by mattbarton.exe on Sat, 06/09/2007 - 09:42.

That does seem odd. I wonder if other Canadian journals tend to restrict publications to Canadian authors? Can't say it really does much for the ethos of a journal.

I wonder if Minnesota counts? :-P

For what it's worth, I got

Submitted by zach on Sat, 06/09/2007 - 13:42.

For what it's worth, I got an announcement about the journal from Beth Dillon (Tanner just beat me to posting it), so I emailed her for clarification on the Canadian emphasis. She said that it's meant to be focused on Canadians, but anyone is welcome to submit or participate. My guess is that they try to encourage submissions specific to the Canadian game industry (for example), but that they wouldn't reject content for not being focused thusly.

In terms of the American vs. European emphasis, I guess I always kind of thought of it in continental terms, as in North American solidarity, but perhaps that's some americentrism coming through on my part. At any rate, it will be interesting to see how they develop a unique voice -- the first issue looks strong.

I've posed the question...

Submitted by Ian Bogost (not verified) on Sat, 06/09/2007 - 21:42.

... on the DiGRA listserv. We'll see if we get any clarification.

Canadian focus

Submitted by Cindy Poremba (not verified) on Sun, 06/10/2007 - 16:47.

To the best of my knowledge, the journal does not require Canadian citizenship (lol)...it just has a Canadian research focus. If you haven't noticed, Canadians (generally) like to emphasize they are not just Americans wearing toques, but have a unique cultural perspective and set of research interests (and Canadian funding agencies all the moreso, if you know what I mean). Canadian-lovin' folks everywhere are more than welcome to participate (although you may have to watch closely for the calls.)

I should also make two

Submitted by Cindy Poremba (not verified) on Sun, 06/10/2007 - 18:58.

I should also make two (brief) follow up comments based on Ian's mailinglist comments (and then disappear entirely: arm injury prevents much typing).

One, the journal is in many ways simply practical, coming from a country that is physically massive with a rather small population, you often have to be proactive about finding out what is going on on a national level. There is value in doing this beyond establishing a regional 'flavour', as it were, as it allows you to work within a national infrastructure. Again, that's in part funding, but also cultural and academic institutions, partnerships etc. So I know the journal is in some respects an attempt to address practical logistics issues.

On the 'schools' front-- and I'm not necessarily speaking for Suzanne and Jen here-- while I'm hard pressed to come up with anything other than vague notions of what a European or American game studies approach would be, I think lines between these 'camps' are in practice often drawn, at least rhetorically. Perhaps the 'us vs them' dialog stands out more sharply for non-American-or-European folks.

Considering games as cultural products, regionalism is bound to emerge in response to regional differences. That aside, 'we're all North Americans' argument always elicits a bit of a cringe for me, and seems to completely disintegrate when major conferences end up in Canada instead of the States.

America v. European

Submitted by Tom (not verified) on Tue, 06/19/2007 - 21:56.

As a New Zealander, writing from Australia, whose research is on videogame consumption in Venezuela... ...I find this European/American thing that arises from the emergence of Loading pretty comical.

In terms of 'Schools' I don't really see any in Game Studies that have produced enough research or stood the test of time to really be called schools. Of course there are influential individuals who are located in certain places.

And of course some regions have a different disciplinary approach to videogames, due to the disciplanry background from which these individuals emerged, because games studies is a still forming field.

That is not to say that a cannon of influential works does not exist. Here is where Canada, I believe, may stake its claim because (IMHO) the single most import work done of videogame scholoarship is Kline/Dyer-Witheford & De Peuters Digital|Play, a work done in Canadian Universitys, on a GLOBAL industry!

If there is an 'American' school then I suggest that it is to use complicated theory (sometimes in a manner abberant to critical theorists) to explain games. This a tactic that simultaneously moves away from literary understandings of games, while shoring up literature as the touchstone of all cultural production.