vickylittle

Hi Mia, thanks for this answer. As someone who is knee-deep in a Master's project centering on the disruptive effects of participatory livestreaming on in-game play -- and preparing to apply for PhD programs this fall -- you've really nailed a lot of the challenges that video game researchers face. If I could piggyback on u/maydaymaster's original question, do you foresee a movement within higher education towards offering actual PhD in Game Studies programs? Or do you expect the current paradigm of game studies researchers working within interdisciplinary PhD programs to remain the norm? Thanks!

Thank you so much for your response. Full disclosure: Concordia is pretty much at the top of my list of PhD programs, so I'm geeking out a little bit to hear from you :) I also submitted a theoretical paper to HICSS, so fingers crossed I get to meet you in January to discuss games research face to face.

As for my livestreaming research, I am particularly interested in the ways in which streaming platforms like Twitch are affecting longstanding extrinsic game communities, and how individual streamer influence bleeds back into gameplay. I'll be conducting (mostly) qualitative research following the launch of Classic WoW to understand how the presence and actions of popular streamers impacts the gameplay choices of players (i.e. choosing a server, engaging with/avoiding certain areas in game, etc.). The community around Classic WoW is fascinating; while the game itself will be turning back time to a version in which players ostensibly experience less modulation and greater agency, there is no turning back time on the tools available to today's community that weren't available in Vanilla. There are a lot of directions this research could go, but in the interest of actually completing my M.A. on time, I'll be limiting my focus to the impacts of streamers in the month or two following launch. Thanks again!