Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG) is an interdisciplinary centre for research/ creation in game studies and design, digital culture and interactive art

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“WickedWhims: A Conversation about Adult Content Creation and Responsible Adult Mods Design in The Sims Franchise” By Aurélie Petit

Posted by marlajeunesse

This interview between TURBODRIVER, the creator of the popular mod’s WickedWhims, and Aurélie Petit, a PhD candidate at Concordia University specialized in animation and technology, explores what is at stake behind adult mods’ responsible design.
While the Sims franchise has always portrayed adult intimate relationships (early on referred to as ‘woohoo’ actions), the game’s PEGI rating of 12 limits what is shown beyond sexual innuendo. As a result, players have taken to modding to add more explicit sexual …


October 23rd – 11-12:30 – ADE Speaker Series Panel: Building Equitable and Sustainable Game Development Education

Oct 23, 2023

Posted by marlajeunesse

Join us at TAG for a remote watch party for this ADE Speaker Series Panel on Building Equitable and Sustainable Game Development Education.
With recent waves of layoffs, high-profile workplace harassment cases, and a notoriously short career length for gender minorities and people of colour, the transition of new workers into the game industry involves navigating a spate of barriers to equity and success that have been understudied in academic research. This panel talks about “The …


A Conversation with Game Designer Jordan Magnuson

Oct 10, 2023

Posted by hanine

Join us next Tuesday, October 10 at 6 PM EST in-person at TAG or online (Zoom link to be shared closer to the date of the event).
We will be hearing from independent game designer and new media scholar Jordan Magnuson about his book “Game Poems: Videogame Design as Lyric Practice” which is available in open-access in so many formats.
From the publisher: Scholars, critics, and creators describe certain videogames as being “poetic,” yet what that means or …


October 31st – 3-4pm – The Games Institute ADE Speaker Series Talk: The Case for Paratopian Design with Rilla Khaled Watch Party

Oct 05, 2023

Posted by marlajeunesse

The Games Institute ADE Speaker Series Talk: The Case for Paratopian Design with Rilla Khaled Watch Party
Event Description:
What if we could make complex social and cultural questions playable? And what if we could do so through interactions with familiar digital interfaces set in alternative presents and near futures? The work I will discuss sits at the intersection between the design traditions of speculative and critical design on the one hand, and the philosophies and best …


September 25th, 2023 – The Games Institute ADE Speaker Series Talk: Black Virtuality with A.M. Darke Watch Party

Sep 25, 2023

Posted by marlajeunesse

The Games Institute ADE Speaker Series Talk: Black Virtuality with A.M. Darke Watch Party
Event Description:
Across digital media, Black people are portrayed in ways that are derogatory and harmful – if we are depicted at all. The representation of afro-textured hair is noticeably limited, with options ranging from comically large afros, unstyled ‘dread’ locs, and misshapen cornrows. Through projects like ‘Ye or Nay?’ and the Open Source Afro Hair Library, artist A.M. Darke explores the consumption …


September 20th, 2023 – The Games Institute ADE Speaker Series Panel: Emerging Voices in Black Game Studies With Dr. Akil Fletcher, Cyan DeVeaux, and Dr. Steven Dashiell Watch Party

Sep 20, 2023

Posted by marlajeunesse

The Games Institute ADE Speaker Series Panel: Emerging Voices in Black Game Studies Watch Party
Event Description:
Join Dr. Akil Fletcher, Cyan DeVeaux and Dr. Steven Dashiell in a panel that highlights emerging scholars in Black game studies. Panelists will present recent and/or ongoing work, sharing a glimpse of the emerging research questions animating the field. Topics include Black worldbuilding in and across games (Fletcher), perceptions of Black male exceptionalism in gaming cultures (Dashiell), and the relationship …