Welcome to the Game Studies Day 2025 in Helsinki on November 7!
This year, the event will be held at the House of Science and Letters (Tieteiden talo, Kirkkokatu 6). There is also a remote participation option.
Game Studies Day 2025 offers insights into the past, present, and future of gaming. Sonja Strobl aka Edenprime, a Guild Leader of Dragonborn Inc, which is a Finnish 1000+ member community in The Elder Scrolls Online MMO, opens up about the progression of inclusivity in the gaming community from her perspective and whether she thinks inclusiveness, fun, and strict rules can be established simultaneously in gaming.
Raine Koskimaa will present the work done in FIN-CLARIAH on automated analysis of Twitch stream interactions, while a research project of Markku Reunanen, Tapani Joelsson, and Petri Saarikoski sheds light on gaming outside of mainstream platforms in the 1980s, discussing the effects of marginality based on diverse research materials. Jonne Arjoranta will present the upcoming master’s programme in game studies at the University of Jyväskylä.
The day concludes with a reopening of the Afrikan Tähti issue by Derek Fewster and Eemeli Paukkonen, presenting some apparent global inspirations for the now classic design.
Game Studies Day is organised by the Finnish Society for Game Research and the University of Helsinki Department of Philosophy, History and Art Studies. We warmly welcome all game researchers, friends of game research, and those interested in games!
Please note that the event will be held in English.
Please register at the latest on Friday 31 October:
https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/2FDBCF618340B7FB
Game Studies Day programme (12:15–15:30):
12:15 Words of welcome
12:20–13:00 Sonja Strobl (Dragonborn Inc. guild leader and Bethesda Softworks cooperation partner) on successfully maintaining inclusivity issues in a large Finnish MMO gamer community.
13:00–13:40 Raine Koskimaa (Professor, University of Jyväskylä): Analysis of video stream interactions with AI solutions
13:40–14:20 Markku Reunanen (Senior university lecturer, Aalto University & docent, University of Turku), Tapani Joelsson (University teacher, University of Turku) & Petri Saarikoski (University lecturer and docent, University of Turku): In Commodore’s Shadow – Gaming on 1980s’ Marginal Home Computers
14:20–14:45 Coffee break
14:45–15:00 Jonne Arjoranta (Senior lecturer, University of Jyväskylä): Master of Arts in Game Studies at the University of Jyväskylä 2026–
15:00–15:30 Derek Fewster (University lecturer, University of Helsinki) & Eemeli Paukkonen (Bachelor of history, University of Helsinki): New Sources to the Origins of Afrikan Tähti board game.
There will be a possibility to have a post-seminar gathering afterwards (at participants’ own expense).
See you in Helsinki!
Contact
Derek Fewster
puheenjohtaja@pelitutkimus.fi
050 3671871