Bristol Digital Game Lab Events 2023

We are delighted to share details of several upcoming events hosted by the Bristol Digital Game Lab, as well as those where we are an organizing partner. We hope to see many of you there!

January 2023

On Monday 30 January at 13:30-17:00, the Bristol Digital Game Lab will be hosting an MA/PhD work-in-progress afternoon. This in-person event will showcase the game-based research being undertaken by current students across the University, while also offering a chance to postgraduates to share ideas, practice conference papers, and discuss their work in an informal, relaxed setting. All members of the Lab and those interested in game-based research are most welcome to attend and join in the Q&A. The event will be held in the Humanities Research Space, 7 Woodland Road, and refreshments will be provided. View full programme.

February 2023

On Friday 24 February, the Bristol Digital Game Lab is delighted to be hosting the first UK Digital Game Lab summit. Thanks to generous funding from the British Academy Early Career Research Network, we will be welcoming the leads from nine University-based game labs and gaming research networks and groups to the University of Bristol to explore shared research themes and industry challenges.

The Summit will culminate in a public lecture by Dr Tomas Rawlings, Studio Director of Auroch Digital, who will speak about ‘Authenticity in Game Development – Mars Horizon and the experience of working with real space agencies when making a game about running a fictional space agency’. The lecture and Q&A will take place from 17:30-19:00 in the Reception Room, Wills Memorial Building.

You can register to attend the public lecture on Eventbrite. All welcome.

March 2023

Together with the Department of Film and Television at the University of Bristol, we are delighted to be hosting a research seminar on Friday 24 March by Dr Charlotte Stevens, Lecturer in Media and Communications, Birmingham City University. The seminar will run from 15:00-16:30, Floor 5 Lecture Theatre (5.65), Richmond Building, and will be followed by a drinks reception. All welcome, no booking necessary.

Remediation of Games and Gaming in Chinese Television Dramas

This talk is an overview of a developing project that considers two broad forms of remediation of video games in Chinese television dramas. First, in fantasy dramas which adapt RPGs and MMOs (i.e., Chinese PaladinXuan-Yuan Sword), I am interested in where and how elements of game mechanics translate into narrative. Second, romcoms and adventure dramas which centre on MMO players (Gank Your HeartLove O2OKing’s AvatarThe Player), or otherwise feature gaming (Original SinThree-Body), present success in MMOs/esports as a proxy for success as a citizen and romantic partner. These are set against a rapidly-shifting cultural policy context that frames online gaming as an adult activity, with children’s access limited to a few hours per week, and an industrial context where large corporations such as Tencent produce both games and television dramas about gaming.

April 2023

We’re delighted to welcome Luke Holmes, Game Designer from Creative Assembly, the multi-award winning BAFTA UK games studio, to the University of Bristol on Wednesday 26 April. Luke will talk about ‘The Quest for Authenticity in Historical Games‘.

Are ‘fun’ and ‘good history’ opposite concepts in historical games? How can we tell if our games are authentic to the past? This short talk explores best practice in historical game design. It introduces some of the key debates and useful tools for amateurs and professional game makers alike.

The talk will be held in LT2, 11 Woodland Road, and will be followed by a drinks reception. All welcome, book here.

May 2023

The Virtual Reality Oracle project is proud to present an international, multidisciplinary workshop on Virtual Realities as Time Travel at the University of Bristol (UK) and online on Friday 12 May 2023, 09:30-17:00.

Virtual Realities as Time Travel will bring together speakers from the project team and from across academic disciplines and industry to explore how users and producers of both VR experiences and historical video games conceive of journeying to the past.

View the full programme and register your interest on Ticket Tailor.

We’re very happy to be sponsoring this workshop, along with the Centre for Creative Technologies.

July 2023

On Wednesday 26 July 2023, we’re delighted to be partnering with the Platform Cultures event at the PM Studio. The Lab’s VR, Games & Storytelling project will be contributing the keynote for the day in the form of an ‘in conversation’ event with experts working at the intersection between games, immersive theatre and VR storytelling. Come and hear Jo Mangan, Director at The Performance Corporation and Robert Morgan, Creative Director at Playlines and Visiting Fellow at King’s College London, speak about their projects and engage in discussion on the nature of VR, Games and Storytelling. If you would like to attend, you can sign up by expressing an interest in the Platform Cultures event.

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