The fun isn’t over yet! Join us for our final sessions today: 9:00-10:15 AM HIGH-DENSITY: Communities, Care, and Conflict: How Player Practices Shape Games 10:30-11:45 AM HIGH-DENSITY: Fields of Play: Negotiating Power, Inclusion, and Careers in Gaming See you there!

Ready for Day 4? Find us here: 10:30-11:45 AM: Collective Identity, Cultural Heritage and Colonialism: Games as Sites of Global Engagement 12:00-1:15 PM: Nerfing Toxicity: Measuring, Managing, and Improving Player Behaviors 1:30-2:45 PM: Game Studies Poster Session

Today, we have 3 sessions to check out: 10:30-11:45 AM: Managing Social Interaction and Risk in Games and Virtual Reality 1.42 (CTICC1) 12:00-1:15 PM: Understanding Labor in Games, Platforms, and Communities 1.42 (CTICC1) 1:30-2:45 PM: Emotional Dynamics in Gameplay 1.44 (CTICC1) See you there!

Big day for GSD! We have sessions at 10:30, 12 and 1:30 leading to our Top Papers session (3-4:15 PM in Edward & Schappen; Westin, Mezzanine Level)! We've also got our business meeting at 4:30, and we'll end the day with out joint reception, 6-8 in Westin Ballroom West. We hope to see you there!

The Entertainment Software Association's 2025 "Essential Facts" report is out. Give it a read, y'all! www.theesa.com/resources/es...

2025 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry

The 2024 report details America’s relationship with video games and the reasons why games continue to inspire and delight us all. Play is a universal need for kids as well as adults. Video games build...

theesa.com

... and of course we'll find some time to hang out! Sunday 15 June at 6pm, we'll have a reception a few of our pals across @icahdq.bsky.social in Centennial B. Let's grab a beverage and chat. =)

For those still crafting their ICA schedules: I’ll be presenting my research on roleplaying racism in Dungeons & Dragons! I’ll be talking about if players notice racist elements, what they think of it, how they handle it, and what their experiences are

ICAGames.bsky.social@icagames.bsky.social · last yr.

Hello, folks! As we get into May, we're only a few weeks away from #ICA25 in Denver. So ... let's start rolling out our scheduled sessions!

Are you looking to get involved with our Division? We're always looking for folks to help us promote and guide game studies with @icahdq.bsky.social and beyond. Come by our business meeting at #ICA25, Sunday 15 June at 4:30pm, Centennial B. =)

... of *of course* we're not done with our #ICA25 session previews! Another session on Friday 13 June will dive much more deeply into discussions of sexism and diversity in gaming spaces - who do we allow to play, and who do we push to margins? Let's chat, 3pm in Mt Columbia.

Humanizing gameplay, as one of our high-density #ICA25 panels. This one will be on Friday 13 June, 10:30am. These are great panels for getting many different "quick chats" and, we hope, sparking some collaboration and critique.

More at #ICA25? Youbetcha. We'll have a high-density session on counter and counter-culture on Monday 16 June, 9am in Capitol 4. These are great sessions, because they feature several "quick pitches" from scholars, meant to drive further conversation at @icahdq.bsky.social and beyond. C'mon by!

*wakka wakka* www.usatoday.com/story/tech/g...

Iconic yellow chomper Pac-Man turns 45 with doughnuts, cookbook, more

Bandai Namco, the maker of Pac-Man, said it is celebrating the game's 45th anniversary with "an unprecedented year-long campaign."

usatoday.com

We're not too far away from #ICA25, folks? If you're there on Friday (13 June) at 1:30pm, we'll be hosting a panel focused on serious games and gamification - one of the most enduring convos in game studies. AND ... we didn't even use the "Leveling Up" pun. ;p

Yet another of our #ICA25 shares? Our Game Studies research escalator, where we'll see research ideas on the rise. Come join us, Saturday 15 June at 10:30am in Centennial A.

Fantastic. San Diego Chargers (NFL franchise) turned to Minecraft to create their 2025 schedule launch video. We love it. =) x.com/chargers/sta...

Los Angeles Chargers on X: "should we REALLY make our schedule release video in minecraft? yes yes yesyes yesyes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yesyes yes yes yes yesye yes yes yes yes yesyes https://t.co/gxk31Dql5L" / X

should we REALLY make our schedule release video in minecraft? yes yes yesyes yesyes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yesyes yes yes yes yesye yes yes yes yes yesyes https://t.co/gxk31Dql5L

x.com

Another of our #ICA25 panels? A collection of scholars discussing how the notion of "time" is understood in game studies, both in and around video games and play. Sunday 15 June 1:30 pm in Mineral C of the conference venue. Can you find the time? =)

Next up in our preview of #ICA25? We've got a Monday afternoon panel for those folks attending International Communication Association until the very end. This one? Focused on gaming communities for streaming and online gaming.

More for #ICA25? Let's hear a bit more about using @vrchat.com as a research space on Sunday 15 June, 9am in Regency 3.

And ... of course we have posters! Make sure to check out your colleagues' work during one of the International Communication Association (ICA Official Page) poster sessions. We'll be there on Saturday 14 June, 1:30pm of the Centennial Foyer, Hyatt Regency Denver. #ICA25 #ICA_GS

If you were thinking of registering for the pre-conference, do so soon! Registration CLOSES May 12. Registration is $75 this year. Our keynote panel includes Amanda C. Cote (MSU), Brooke Erin Duffy (Cornell U), and Adrienne Massanari (American U). icagames.org/2025preconpr...

Making your #ICA25 plans? Take a peek at what we're up to. For this one, a high-density session of the "purpose of a game." Recall that high-density sessions feature several quick talks, with oodles of time for chatting with authors. Let's collaborate!

Hello, folks! As we get into May, we're only a few weeks away from #ICA25 in Denver. So ... let's start rolling out our scheduled sessions!

Representatives from Nightdive Studios, The Strong Museum, and the Videogame Heritage Society weigh in on game preservation in 2025 – and Switch 2 Game-Key Cards www.gamesindustry.biz/seeing-ninte...

"Seeing Nintendo do this is a little disheartening" – Switch 2 and the state of game preservation in 2025

During its Switch 2 Direct on April 2, Nintendo revealed that some Switch 2 cartridges would be Game-Key Cards. Rather …

gamesindustry.biz

Morning, folks! A quick note that we are now taking applications for a limited set of travel grants, awarded after #ICA25 concludes. The form is available online at: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Travel Grant Application -- Games Studies Division -- ICA 2025

For ICA 2025, the GSD has support for travel funds ($300 USD) to ICA. We would like to prioritize these funds to student GSD presenters or members from tier B/C countries, but will consider others de...

docs.google.com

Documenting Japan's arcades before they disappear ... www.polygon.com/q-and-a/5650...

Documenting Japan’s classic arcades before it’s too late

“It feels like the last heartbeat of a forgotten kingdom”

polygon.com

I'm co-editing a Special Issue for Critical Studies in Media Communication on "Games & Storage" 📦 Guided by Zoe Sofia’s articulation of “container technologies” and how systems of storage are never neutral! Let's unlid Game Studies! Full CFP in 🧵👇Abstracts due April 22! Full drafts by June!

a pixel art of mario standing on top of a gold block with a question mark on it

Alt: A pixel art of Mario standing on top of a gold block with a question mark on it.

media.tenor.com

Solar-powered Minecraft? Youbetcha: minecraftbloc.milieux.ca/sunblock/ cc @icagames.bsky.social

📣 Call for Papers: 10th Anniversary of Games & Gaming at HICSS! For the TENTH straight year, the Games & Gaming minitrack at HICSS is seeking papers that examine the social aspects of digital gaming 📅 📍Jan 6–9, 2026 in Maui. Submission site open April 15-June 15: hicss.hawaii.edu/authors/

Our final top paper for #ICA25 is "Tool or Companion – How relationships with video game avatars impact players’ well-being" by Johannes S. Breu of Universität Würzburg and Daniel Possler of Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover

Not a member of the ICA Game Studies Discord? You're invited! We're hosting ongoing chats sharing tips and tricks for navigating #ICA25. Whether you're a newbie or seasoned attendee, come be a part of the conversation. Join using the URL below, which is good for seven days: discord.gg/khCbfyPB