The article argues that presentations like Nintendo Directs and States of Play should be considered a key contemporary promotional paratext that offers insights into how their respective publishers attempt to shape their brand identity and corporate vision.
New Article about E3 and other “Gamer Christmas” Events. Very proud to finally write about this topic so please give it a read! And give @cassiebara29.bsky.social some love for her invaluable co-author work
Deeply disrespectful to the entire Australian cultural sector that the Office of the Arts can't be bothered actually reading all the submissions people are working very hard on for the National Cultural Policy, and instead will be asking genAI for a summary.
www.arts.gov.au/have-your-sa...
Cassandra (Cass) Barkman
Ryan Stanton
In it, I reflect on my experience playing Stardew Valley for the first while recovering from surgery and how it oscillated between pleasurable and stressful in a way that forced me to reflect on my own relationship to leisure and games as a game studies scholar.
Reviewed the new Star Wars movie, which was an exercise in such 'its fine' mediocrity that waking up this morning most of the plot has already left my brain.
New article out! Its called "Leisure or Labour: An Aesthetic Reading of Playing Stardew Valley" in the latest special issue of Well Played titled 'Well Read Games'.
playstorypress.org/well-played-...
Brendan Keogh
Also many thanks to @darthtayrah.bsky.social and @aandiloro.bsky.social for reading an early draft!
Announcing... Asymptotes.
Asymptotes is a games event in Naarm, Australia, celebrating imperfection.
On Saturday July 18th, we're running a showcase of abandoned games, with talks and panels on non-commercial and difficult to commercialise game-making.
👉 asymptotes.au
New article out! (My second this week hah). Co-authored with @stantium.bsky.social, its called 'Publisher Presentations as Promotional Paratexts' and the accepted version is available here: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Reviewed new NZ game Rose and Locket after being previously enamoured with it at PAX. Launch seems to have flown under the radar, which is a shame given how striking and assured the game itself is; big recommend.
checkpointgaming.net/reviews/2026...
Cassandra (Cass) Barkman
Cassandra (Cass) Barkman
Cassandra (Cass) Barkman
Cassandra (Cass) Barkman
Cassandra (Cass) Barkman
Cassandra (Cass) Barkman
Asymptotes.
New article out! (My second this week hah). Co-authored with @stantium.bsky.social, its called 'Publisher Presentations as Promotional Paratexts' and the accepted version is available here: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
