The fifth installment of the Playing the Field conference series invites scholars of (video) game studies to a communal workshop at TU Dortmund. In the course of a continuously growing academic interest in games as both art form and cultural practice, Playing the Field has profited from contributions from many different disciplines, including American Studies, environmental humanities, and political science. This time, we would like to both take stock of ongoing research as well as provide a space for ludic experimentation. Playing the Field V is a welcoming space for people to present their work-in-progress and engage in open discussion. 

As this is explicitly designed to be a workshop and not a conference, every participant is invited to present their current research projects and circulate brief excerpts of their own writing or essays that others are expected to read in advance. They can also bring questions, ask the group to play or try out the game as preparation, and explore theoretical and practical directions together. Our Game Lab offers the opportunity to incorporate live gaming and streaming sessions. We stress openness, interactivity, and collaborative work and discussions.

The workshop will include a keynote lecture on Extinction in Video Games by Prof. Dr. Julia Hoydis (University of Graz) and Prof. Dr. Roman Bartosch (University of Cologne).

We expressly invite contributions from researchers and scholars who are just starting out in the field, but everyone is welcome to contribute. If you are interested in curating a workshop session as a presenter, please send us a one-page description of what you’re planning to do and what you hope to get out of the workshop. If you are interested in joining the workshop as a participant, please register by e-mail. Please send us your proposals by March 1st and your registration e-mails no later than March 15 to Nicole Mellin (nicole.mellin@tu-dortmund.de) and Burak Sezer (burak.sezer@tu-dortmund.de).