Considering the Sequel to Game Studies

This collection of essays, derived from the 2015 Extending Play: The Sequel conference at Rutgers University, examines the theoretical and material implications of sequence, iteration, and repetition within game studies. The primary thesis posits that game studies is itself a sequel to play studies, currently grappling with the pressures of industry, academic scarcity, and the ideological surveillance highlighted by the #GamerGate controversy. By analyzing how games and their scholarship function through repetitive cycles, the contributors argue that the field must move beyond traditional binaries to critically address how these systems replicate structures of power, patriarchy, and white supremacy.

The research highlights three core findings: sequence is an under-theorized site of inquiry; play is inherently captured by the logic of iteration and past experience; and controversial cultural events like #GamerGate serve as critical reminders that games are often embedded in rigged systems of capital and ideology. Through various case studies, the contributors explore how these themes manifest in industry practices, such as the reuse of assets in sequels, the imperialist logic of first-person shooters, and the performative nature of algorithmic design.

Methodologically, the work functions as a speculative, interdisciplinary intervention. It synthesizes insights from media studies, art history, and developmental psychology to challenge the "austere respect" often afforded to game objects. By shifting the focus from the technology of games to the social and cultural contexts of play—such as the labor and leisure practices surrounding arcades—the authors advocate for a more self-critical, radical approach to game studies. Ultimately, the collection serves as a call for scholars to recognize their role in unveiling ideology and to reimagine the future of the field as a series of necessary, iterative interventions in an unequal world.