I will be giving two talks in Kyoto for DiGRA 2019 (the Digital Games Research Association):
(1) “Localism with Games: Horizontal Channels and Models” (9am, Aug. 8)
Should all cultures play the same games? Should all cities? This paper establishes a distinct conceptual basis for games in cities by aligning with localism as a social movement rather than location-based technology. For details, see my upcoming book: Locally Played: Real-world Games for Stronger Places and Communities (MIT Press, January 2020).
(2) “Cities appropriate Pokémon GO: remix models for local needs.” (2:20pm, Aug. 8)
A new role for local government is emerging to appropriate and remix games for city streets. This study investigates how several major cities in the United States created entirely new activities for players to embed the game in city-specific events, beginning in 2017. This study identifies early trade-offs in city tactics, especially in terms of sharing power to negotiate the content layer with the game company and with local residents, borrowing from models of the appropriation of technology. For details, see our public report, “Cities Remix a Playful Platform: Prominent Experiments to Embed Pokémon GO, from Open Streets to Neighborhood Libraries” (Stokes, Dols, and Hill, 2018).
