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Andrei Zanescu

@andreizanescu.bsky.social

Postdoc Fellow in Communication Studies + Socio/Anthro @Concordia Blockbuster Resonance & Prestige in AAA Games, Film & Awards Shows Also Magic: The Gathering + Cultural Resonance Streaming by the Rest of Us (2025, MIT Press) www.andreizanescu.com

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Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · 4d ago

The response to our work on Islam and Games has been, honestly, overwhelming. You always hope the work will resonate with people, but this was beyond any expectations. White paper coming soon! A special thank you to @gamesforchange.bsky.social and @dorisdukefdn.bsky.social for their support!

Mashfiq Ahmed@mrahmedgaming.bsky.social · 2w ago

I loved the talk with @andreizanescu.bsky.social and @miac.bsky.social about muslim representation in video games. There was a lot of interesting information and I'm eager to read the white paper!

Understanding Representations of Muslim Peoples and Islam In Video Games panel at the Games For Change Festival.
Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · 2w ago

Off to Games for Change's G4C Festival to present findings on the Islam & Games Project with Mia Consalvo. We'll be sharing early findings about representations of Muslim peoples and Islam in the top 50 games from 2004-2024 (along with how we arrived at that list).

Bild
Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · 4w ago

A week out from Sony announcing the move to digital distribution in 2028, I spoke with Gabrielle Piché at the Winnipeg Free Press about the impact this is likely to have on retailers, as well as the likelihood of Sony reversing course. www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/202... #Sony #Playstation

Disc drive: petition seeks to reverse Sony decision to stop producing physical discs

Atop a counter displaying vintage video games, a sign urges passersby to petition Sony Group Corp.

winnipegfreepress.com

Alex Donaldson@apzonerunner.com · last mo.

The majority of chatter today will be about the fate of studios who build the games we love. But we cannot forget that these cuts will include hundreds of less visible folk w top expertise in a variety of supporting departments. No studios close today, but the loss personal & professional is immense

Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · last mo.

Awful news for industry workers. Expected since MS's fiscal year ended on June 30th, but the scale is egregious. The Ninja Theory sale also makes the Senua footage shown at SGF look like a sales pamphlet for whichever institutional investor is being courted.

Jason Schreier@jasonschreier.bsky.social · last mo.

BREAKING: Xbox will cut 3,200 jobs as part of a major reorganization, and divest from five studios: - Compulsion and Double Fine will go indie - Ninja Theory and Undead Labs will be sold - Arkane to enter consultation process Here's the full story: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

tami lam@cuppy.bsky.social · last mo.

I don’t want this point to be lost in the discourse. Going digital-only means inequity for people who cannot afford internet or constantly purchasing new games. Libraries provide opportunities for people to experience games they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford, and that will be lost.

ErikT@erik45824291.bsky.social · last mo.

My child loves going to the library and checking out a new video game every week. Going digital only eliminates libraries as a way people can access games.

Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · last mo.

Had a chat wirh Le Devoir’s @leomross.bsky.social about Playstation moving away from physical disks in 2028, and what that means for consumers. Article in French, but I’m happy to translate anything in here!

Léo Mercier-Ross@leomross.bsky.social · last mo.

À partir de janvier 2028, plus aucun nouveau jeu ne recevra une version en disque physique sur PlayStation. J'en ai parlé avec @andreizanescu.bsky.social. Pour l'expert du jeu vidéo, cette décision sans précédent pourrait avoir de fortes répercussions. Pour lire ⬇️ www.ledevoir.com/culture/9915...

Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · 5mo ago

This semester has been lighter in terms of my own writing, but I'm doing more one on one mentoring and helping the RAs I'm supervising. It's been some of the most rewarding and affirming work I've ever done. Students rock.

Alanna Smith@alannamode.bsky.social · 5mo ago

He's literally Canadian. Do you know how much like... tax incentive and arts/tech tax credit support our governments would probably be down for if they brought SGF here?

lex luddy@lexluddy.xyz · 5mo ago

I have had several PR firms, peers, and outlets ask me if I will be attending SGF this year, so I said I would post what I told SGF's PR tonight. I deeply hope that going forward, Keighley and his team consider moving the event to a country where the attendees can go about their business safely.

Hi Lexi, Hope you’re well! I wanted to reach to let you know that we’re sending out invites for Summer Game Fest: Play Days 2026. We’ve enjoyed working with you and would like to extend an invite. As always, we will be prioritizing freelancers with secured coverage and plans. If you're interested in attending, could you start having those discussions with outlets to see if you can lock down an assignment? Let us know once you do, and we can chat further about getting you an official invite! Thanks, The SGF: Play Days PR team Lexi Luddy Hi SGF Play Days team / FortySeven PR folks, Thank you so much for reaching out. I really enjoyed my time at SGF 2024; the show is really well laid out and organised for press, and it's super appreciated. However, I will have to decline the invite this year. As a transgender woman who would be traveling on a passport recently updated to reflect my true gender and name, I do not believe that SGF could guarantee my safety as a foreign national or a journalist in the United States at this time. I am taking this step in accordance with travel advice issued by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs for transgender Irish citizens considering travel to the US following President Trump's executive order (titled "DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT"), which would deem my passport illegitimate and could result in my unlawful detention. I know that the SGF Play Days and Geoff Keighley are always looking for feedback on their event, so I would be very appreciative if this email could be forwarded on to the team. Myself, and many more people like me, no longer feel safe attending US-based events. For the sake of the health of the global games community, I would strongly urge that Summer Game Fest not be held in a country where attendees cannot safely attend anymore. Until a time comes when this executive order is reversed, I will likely be unable to attend any US-b…
Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · 8mo ago

And the news doesn't stop coming! I had the pleasure of interviewing with @ledevoir.com a few weeks ago about the winding down (or shift) of the Microsoft and Sony console wars. Article is in French, but feel free tor each out if you want an English translation! www.ledevoir.com/culture/ecra...

La guerre des consoles PlayStation et Xbox tire à sa fin

Pendant plus de 20 ans, Sony et Microsoft se sont livré une vive lutte commerciale. C’est désormais chose du passé.

ledevoir.com

Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · 8mo ago

I was away from socials for a bit, and in the meantime, @andrei-nae.bsky.social's Video Games between Postcolonialism and Postcommunism dropped! I had the pleasure of writing a chapter, Anti-Balkanism in the Witcher, which I can't wait for folks to read. www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

Video Games between Postcolonialism and Postcommunism

This volume sets out to investigate video games’ complex entanglement with colonial legacies. By means of its methodological diversity, it offers a rich perspective on the ideological working of colon...

degruyterbrill.com

Andrei Zanescu@andreizanescu.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Anyone I know have experience with folks reaching out to translate content and repost it? I'm not knowledgeable about the pitfalls that might come out of this, but I would be interested in getting my content out to more people.