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Kevin Rebecchi

Rebecchi Kevin, PhD (in Education) is a Research and Teaching fellow in Developmental Psychology in the Development, Individuals, Processes, Handicap, Education Research Unit at the Institute of Psychology, University Lumière Lyon 2 (France), and PhD Candidate in Communication at the Liège Game Lab, University of Liège (Belgium). His interdisciplinary research focuses on neurodiversity (history, conceptions and definitions, overlapping conditions, media representations, social perceptions and education).

Uncovering and End of the World: Neurodiversity in Apocalyptic Video Games

FROG 2024 – Talk

This talk explores how apocalyptic video games can uncover and highlight the unique skills and experiences of autistic individuals. By analyzing various games featuring autistic characters in apocalyptic contexts, we examine how these representations contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of neurodiversity.

The apocalypse, etymologically meaning “revelation,” is a recurring theme in video games, providing a framework to explore extreme scenarios and human capabilities in times of crisis. Traditionally seen as the end of the world or a major catastrophe, the apocalypse also means “uncovering” or “revealing.” This dual meaning shows how video games depict apocalyptic scenarios while revealing the skills and experiences of autistic individuals. Highlighting their unique contributions in apocalyptic worlds offers a new perspective on neurodiversity and challenges the notion that autism is solely a disability, demonstrating that in different contexts, autistic abilities become essential and valuable.

In Watch Dogs 2, Josh Sauchak is an autistic hacktivist fighting against a massive dystopian surveillance system. Overwatch features Symmetra, an autistic hero using a photon projector to protect her allies in a post-crisis future. Borderlands features Patricia Tannis, an autistic scientist surviving and searching for resources in a devastated universe. Mass Effect 2 introduces David Archer, an autistic savant with advanced cognitive abilities crucial for combating extinction threats. The Division 2 presents Birdie, an autistic technical genius helping rebuild society in post-pandemic Washington D.C. Apex Legends features Wattson, an autistic engineer creating defenses and supporting her team in a futuristic universe. Dragon Age: Inquisition presents Cole, a mysterious character with autistic traits navigating a world besieged by demons and conflicts. Clive Barker’s Jericho features Simone Cole, an autistic mathematician using chaos theory to manipulate time and space.

By uncovering the unique skills and experiences of autistic individuals, these apocalyptic video games offer new perspectives on human capabilities in crises and the resilience needed to overcome challenges. Highlighting neurodiversity, these games enrich our understanding of human contributions and resilience in global crises and question the notion of autism as a disability by showing how autistic abilities are indispensable in different contexts.

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Giuseppe Femia

Giuseppe Femia is a PhD Candidate at the University of Waterloo. Overall, his research in disability game studies observes different types of gaming media and the design, purpose, and function it has while approaching disability identity. His current work observes disability representation and disabling mechanics in TTRPG narratives and systems.

Disability, Magic, and Technology in TTRPGs

FROG 2024 – Talk

This presentation delves into modern public perception of failure and how our learned fear of it makes it difficult to incorporate disability into pre-existing TTRPG systems, like D&D. Observing failure as a rhetorical tool, I will discuss scholars concerning the conception of the queer art of failure to situate losing a game as a productive affordance of game systems that should not be thought of as failure (Juul 60). In this manner, I will also be investigating alternatives to the traditional conventions governing success in games to provide affordances and set precedence for the experience of disability in games to abate a neoliberal dystopian/apocalyptic world. This will be done from two angles: 1) loss illustrated through the game mechanics; and 2) perceived failure within the narrative.

Concerning game mechanics, the RPG systems that are being considered will have different methods of taking action and navigating the world for the players’ characters. Mechanics that accommodate or exemplify disability could potentially be exploited to fetishize disabled characters and appropriate the culture. Mechanics that punish or make playing a disabled character harder might deter players from wanting to attempt to do so or lead the outcome of the story to seem more like a tragedy. By observing the mechanics available to the player in the object gaming texts I have selected, I can develop an understanding of how disability is, or is not, approached.

Concerning narratives, the perceived disabilities of a character could play into a story that is made and interpreted entirely by the players. However, the settings of the games might have pre-existing narratives that guide the gameplay into a tragic enactment of their disability. Therefore, the framing of the story provided by the game system sets a precedent of what the players’ expectations might be. For example, the dark fantasy genre of TTRPGs tends to implicate tragedy so depictions of characters with a disability are not afforded a positive setting to frame themselves in. Within the narrative, we can observe how failure is depicted and how disability might be framed.

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Klemens Franz

Klemens Franz studied “Information Management” in Graz and “Digital Games Research and Design” in Tampere, Finland. He worked as an assistant for new media technologies at the FH Joanneum. In 2006 he founded the atelier198 where he has worked on over 400 analogue games as an illustrator, graphic designer and editor. In the last couple of years he started to talk about analogue games and his experience with their visuals. He worked on the interactive aspects of exhibitions, held game-design workshops and wrote about gaming culture. He teaches “Digital Imaging”, “Cultural Studies” and “Media Theory” at the FH Joanneum.

Thematic Transparency – How metaphoric Structures in Analogue Games can help us understand

FROG 2024 – Talk

There are board games focusing on the apocalypse, the post-apocalypse, and how we could rebuild our world. They deal with topics like surviving, gathering resources, feeding people, killing Zombies and renaturing the environment. The post-apocalyptic setting is great but maybe too far along the road we are heading. Analogue games can help to really understand how fragile structures and systems are and how they work and feel. All because players are forced to execute all those things to keep the game alive.

This talk gives an overview on how the apocalypse and its surrounding topics are handled in analogue games. As it turns out the deepness of the thematic integration varies heavily. In many cases those games are just a retheming of existing mechanisms. But some of them combine those mechanisms to create a challenge that addresses actual problems.

An interesting potential of analogue games lies within their biggest flaw: Players have to know the rules, execute the procedures, overwatch the handling, manage the bookkeeping and move pieces on the board. Analogue games are transparent.

If all those aforementioned actions are implemented in an evocative way into the core gameplay they not only make it easier for players to get into the game and keep all the rules and procedures in their mind. They also create relatable and comprehensible experiences.

Two main examples will highlight this approach: Atiwa by Uwe Rosenberg and Forest Shuffle by Kosch. The theme of both games is how nature is interconnected and players have to manage those interdependencies to gain as many points as possible. Both games achieve this in a different way but give players an insight on how those processes work and therefore create an understanding based on experience rather than theory. The core gameplay integrates those thematic metaphors in a comprehensible way. And to experience the fragile structure of our planet is an important step toward more awareness and prudence.

So analogue games really force us to understand processes. They are not hidden. You want to understand them. So you can play–and probably win–the game.

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Josh Sawyer

Josh Sawyer started in the industry in 1999 at Black Isle Studios, where he worked on the Icewind Dale games. Since 2005, he has been at Obsidian Entertainment, where he has directed Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, and the 2022 narrative adventure game Pentiment. He is currently Obsidian’s studio design director.

We Are Always Living in the Final Days

FROG 2024 – Keynote

Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction always tends to reflect the collective social fears of the times in which they were created.  A generation ago, the fears reflected Cold War escalations and post-Cold War fears about rogue nuclear weapon perfusion throughout the world.  In recent years, our fears have shifted to those of pandemics and climate crises.  Despite the material circumstances of our collective downfall, post-apocalyptic games focus heavily on the depths of human depravity and ruthlessness in desperate and lawless times.

This talk will examine this trend and propose that there is room for more portraying more hope, ingenuity, and perseverance in humanity even in the wake of devastation.  Our imagined apocalypses necessarily draw blueprints for our destruction, but they can also contain the seeds of hope for the future.

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Dawn Stobbart

Dawn Stobbart completed her doctorate at Lancaster University, whose first monograph Videogames and Horror was published in 2019, and is currently focusing on how videogames  allow players to foster critical thinking, empathy, and to navigate morally complex situations for her second monograph. She has fingers in many pies, including queer studies, cultural studies, and media studies, as well as an overarching focus on horror and the Gothic that bleeds into everything she does. She has an interest in contemporary Media, and especially in looking at how narrative translates to videogames, and what that means for the player experience.

From Ruin to Resilience: Thriving in Virtual Devastation

FROG 2024 – Keynote

During this talk, we will embark on a captivating journey through the intersection of gaming and apocalyptic themes, exploring how videogames are uniquely positioned to engage with our deepest fears and hopes about the future. As games like “Fallout,” “The Last of Us,” and “Days Gone” captivate millions, they do more than entertain—they offer immersive experiences that challenge players to confront scenarios of societal collapse, environmental devastation, and human resilience.

I will examine how games use storytelling, world-building, and player agency to create compelling post-apocalyptic visions. By dissecting narrative structures and gameplay mechanics, we will uncover how these virtual worlds enable players to navigate moral complexities, make strategic survival decisions, and reflect on the real-world implications of potential global crises.

Additionally, I will consider the educational and psychological dimensions of apocalyptic games, examining their role in fostering critical thinking, empathy, and adaptive skills. I will also discuss the cultural significance of these games in an era marked by rapid technological advancement and environmental uncertainty, and how they resonate with contemporary anxieties.

Ultimately, I will explore how gaming the apocalypse not only entertains but also illuminates the human condition, offering insights into our collective psyche and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of existential threats.

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Fostering Financial and Economic Literacy through Play and Games

FROG Deep Dive Panel

Are games especially suited to teach economic thinking and financial literacy (to children and youths, but also to adults), and why? Is the systemic character of games comparable to that of economic systems, or are there crucial differences? Are there examples of games being used as tools of economic critique, and what are the potentials and limitations of doing so? These and other questions will be explored by practitioners and academics at the FROG “Deep Dive Panel” on October 13, 2023.

Panelists

Karina Kaiser-Fallent

Karina Kaiser-Fallent (*1982), mother of a 6 year old boy, psychologist, studied psychology at the University of Vienna, working at the Department of Youth in the Federal Chancellery of Austria, Head of „BuPP – Information of Digital Games“ (www.bupp.at): assessing digital games and publishing game recommendations for children since 2005, offering workshops and articles for parents, teachers, teenagers and children concerning media use and potentials of digital games.

Sonja Gabriel

Sonja Gabriel works as a professor for media literacy at University Teacher College Vienna/Krems (Austria). Her primary focus of research is on digital game-based learning and using serious games and gamification for teaching different subjects at school and university as well as evaluation of various projects for learning with games and game-design approaches. Another focus of her research is on digital media literacy.

Theresa Graf

Theresa Graf studied business education at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. During her master’s program, she already focused on financial education. For several years, she has been responsible for the design and development of various financial education projects at Three Coins. The primary focus of these formats is to teach how to handle money well in an effective and target group-oriented way. Her projects include the development of gamified educational formats and digital learning platforms.

Jörg Hofstätter

Jörg Hofstätter studied Architecture and Industrial Design, considers himself a Edupreneur and Chocolate addict with a passion for plaful learning and Games with a purpose. He wrote various publications on “Architecture & Virtual spaces”, “Games with a purpose” and “Playful learning”.

Currently, he is involved in various European research projects on playful learning and game technologies.

Jörg does not post images of his three sons on Social Media.

Moderation

Laura Peter

Laura Peter is an Austrian host, interviewer & speaker for public events, online streaming as well as TV productions – specialised in but not solely focussed on gaming & esports.

With her Master’s degree in Digital Media Technologies and over 10 years of experience in the Digital Marketing sector, she forged a link between her two passions, marketing and gaming, in 2018.

Since then, she is actively involved in the Austrian esports scene – be it as a host for several grand esports events, including Austria’s biggest esports league, or as co-founder of the first Austrian Esports School League.

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Game-based Career Paths – Perspectives on the Gaming Scene as a (new) Working Environment

FROG Deep Dive Panel

What new career opportunities are emerging as our societies become ever more saturated with games and gaming practices? Do game-based career aspirations call for careful reality checking, or just for a little more faith and dedication? And is the younger generations’ desire to create their own game-based career path an indication of a shift towards playfulness and individuality in the job market, or towards increased anxiety and despair? Join the FROG “Deep Dive Panel” on October 13, 2023 to dive with our experts into these and other questions surrounding “Game-based Career Paths.”

Panelists

Rafael “Veni” Eisler

Over the years, Veni has evolved into a versatile talent in front of the camera in his home country. He began his humble career with Let’s Plays and vlogs long before the term “YouTuber” became widely known, already making a name for himself in the world of young video producers.

Minecraft, figuratively speaking, laid the foundation for the following years, which were characterized by gigs related to gaming and sports. Whether as a participant, commentator, or host, he always remained true to video gaming. However, even in real life (IRL), Veni doesn’t miss any opportunity: Marathons? Check! High-speed flights? Check! Rally drifts? Check! Veni, what’s next?

Despite all this, Veni is still there daily for his loyal viewers on Twitch while professionally working in the management of a Vienna-based social media agency.

Stefan “Don Esteban” Kuntner

Stefan Kuntner is known with his stage name Don Esteban in the international cosplay community where he is regularly guesting at conventions. After becoming European Cosplay Champion in 2018 he started judging contests at international cosplay events. All his earnings from cosplay go to charity.

Arianusch Rieser

“For every problem, there is a solution, even if it requires time and effort. This principle reflects in my life. I have achieved all the goals I set for myself, including a Bachelor’s degree in Content Production and Digital Media Management, a job as a news editor and presenter at a nationwide radio station in Austria, and two successful podcasts: Rolling Madness (rollingmadness.at) and Nerdsisters (nerdsisters.at). As the manager, producer, and host of my podcasts, I continuously strive to enhance and expand my skills.”

Yvonne “MissMadHat” Scheer

Yvonne Scheer is the diversity representative and a vice president of the Austrian Esports Federation. She has played competitively herself and has been an esports referee for several events in Austria over the past decade. Her goal is the promotion and networking of female gamers as well as talking and educating about diversity in the gaming & esports space.

Moderation

Laura Peter

Laura Peter is an Austrian host, interviewer & speaker for public events, online streaming as well as TV productions – specialised in but not solely focussed on gaming & esports.

With her Master’s degree in Digital Media Technologies and over 10 years of experience in the Digital Marketing sector, she forged a link between her two passions, marketing and gaming, in 2018.

Since then, she is actively involved in the Austrian esports scene – be it as a host for several grand esports events, including Austria’s biggest esports league, or as co-founder of the first Austrian Esports School League.

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Celia Hodent

Celia Hodent is recognized as a leader in the application of user experience (UX) and cognitive science in the game industry. Celia holds a PhD in psychology and has fifteen years of experience in the development of UX strategy and processes in video game studios. Through her work at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and as Director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite), she has contributed to many projects across multiple platforms, from PC to consoles, mobile, and VR. Celia is also the founder of the Game UX Summit, advisor for the GDC UX Summit, member of the Foresight Committee at CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, an independent French administrative regulatory body). She currently works as an independent consultant, helping studios increase the likelihood of their games to be engaging and successful. Celia also provides guidance on the topics of playful learning, ethics (founder of ethicalgames.org), unconscious bias, and inclusion in tech.

Celia is the author of The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can Impact Video Game Design (2017), The Psychology of Video Games (2020), What UX Really Is: Introducing a Mindset to Great Experiences (2021), and co-editor of Game Usability: Advice from the Experts for Advancing UX Strategy and Practice in Videogames (2022). 

Implicit Bias and Inclusion in the Workplace

FROG 2023 – Keynote

Oftentimes, humans do not think rationally. We believe that we have an accurate perception, an accurate memory, or that we can multitask efficiently. We believe that we are in full control of our decisions according to our values, that we have free will, that we can understand others, that we are logical beings. Sadly, this is a fallacy. This talk proposes to explore some of the most common cognitive and social unconscious biases that trick us into making bad decisions in everyday life and prevent us from building a more inclusive environment in the game industry, even if we understand the importance of diversity.

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Aphra Kerr

Dr. Aphra Kerr is a Professor in Sociology at Maynooth University in Ireland and holds a PhD in Communication Studies (DCU, 2000). She is a PI at the Science Foundation Ireland funded ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology, a multi-institutional national research centre (2021-2027). Her books include Global Games: Production, Circulation and Policy in the Networked Age, Routledge, 2017. In 2020 she was elected to the Academy of Europe and in 2016 she received a Distinguished Scholar award from the international Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA). She is an external expert advisor to the Pan European Games Information system (PEGI).

Making and Banking Value in Digital Games

FROG 2023 – Keynote

Physical money is being replaced by all sorts of digital tokens, and the new arbitrators of these digital tokens are no longer solely our central banks. Digital games are part of this wider trend, and have within, and around, them a range of formal and informal economies. Post 2012 industry data reveals that digital downloads and free to play had overtaken traditional retail and upfront purchase in many markets. People are purchasing and playing digitally. While the console sector has always been concentrated, we are seeing similar concentration patterns emerging in other sub-sectors. A small number of major non-European platforms and publishers are capturing an increasing amount of the financial value created by games in emerging sectors, and intermediating significant financial flows. While successful European mobile game development companies and tool makers have emerged over the past decade, they have quickly become targets for acquisition by global publishers from outside of Europe. This talk draws upon data from three collaborative research projects. In the first we are analysing the revenue and data for game companies in a range of countries and examining changes over time in the ownership and market dominance of certain companies. In the second we consider the working conditions of digital game makers. The development of local chapters of Game Workers Unite has revealed troubling differentials in pay between occupations and demographics to add to considerable workplace culture issues. In the third we are analysing the implications of these digitalisation shifts for young people, especially in relation to user privacy, and gambling practices and promotion. In the final analysis I will consider the implications of these trends for European game makers and players.

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Jan Švelch

Jan Švelch is a game production studies scholar based at Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences. He is a member of the Prague Game Production Studies Group. His research interests include game production studies, industrial reflexivity, video game voice acting, paratextuality, monetization, and analog games such as Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. In 2018-2020, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at Tampere University. Besides research, he has more than fifteen years of experience as a freelance journalist covering video games and music for various Czech magazines, including the Metacritic-aggregated Level.

Tracked and Monetized: On the Interconnectedness of Game Monetization and Player Surveillance

FROG 2023 – Keynote

Freemium monetization and in-app purchases have added a new level of complexity to the relationship between players and developers as well as the task of maintaining and running games. Prior to 2009 and 2011 when the App Store and Google Play Store, respectively, enabled in-app purchases, the dominant monetization model was a one-time premium payment, especially after arcade games had fallen out of favor in the early 1990s. This made the job of tracking business performance of games relatively simple, and developers and publishers did not have to care much about what happened after the sale of software. In-app purchases are generally predicated on online connectivity and establish a continuous loop of monetization, and thus a more long-term consumer-producer relationship. In this context, it is crucial for the game industry practitioners to know what players are doing in the game and how they are spending their time and money. In this keynote talk, I will explore the connections between game monetization and player surveillance, drawing on my two previous empirical research projects about the production context of video game monetization (including the job profiles of monetization-related professions) and the normalization of player surveillance through infographics. I will argue that monetization is driven by data obtained through game telemetries and distribution platforms, but that the industry intentionally obscures this relationship to the public as it is aware of the problematic dimensions of this type of value extraction. At the same time, the fact that game design and game governance are so strongly influenced by monetization-related quantitative indicators can be used by player communities to stage an effective protest against game companies, as was the case during the Dungeons & Dragons OGL announcement by Wizards of the Coast in January 2023.