More than Fun: Where this Gaming Paper Has Gone

They want it.

Thanks to Dr. Burton, I found the RMMLA last week: the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association. Their annual conference this year includes a panel called "Games, New Media and Virtual Spaces: At play in new media." Just to try, really, I sent the panel chair an email to ask if I could still submit. She responded very quickly, telling me she would love to see my paper and she's been trying really hard to get this panel off the ground but no one else had submitted yet. So, kind of freaking out, I found Dr. Burton and asked his advice on how to write an abstract. Within a few hours, I had my abstract typed up:

Logo for the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association

"Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On": Shakespeare and the Cultural Legitimacy of Video Games

For years now, the debate has raged over "video games as art." While the medium has taken several steps forward and we now have many strong examples of artistic games, they still have not achieved the sense of legitimacy our culture gives to anything considered "art." In many ways, video games are fighting the same battle that English drama fought in Renaissance England, a battle chiefly won by William Shakespeare.  The video game industry is currently in much the same state that English drama was in when Shakespeare entered the scene, and game designers could learn much from his example, as he arguably innovated a new medium as much as he achieved anything else. 

Part of Shakespeare’s success depended on looking backward to bring already culturally important stories to the stage in order to prove that this new medium could be a vehicle for powerful art. I will argue that in order for video games to win cultural legitimacy they must prove they can do the same, and this paper specifically includes ways in which a video game adaptation of The Tempest could help expand scholarship of Shakespeare's text and exploit some of the unique mechanics of the video game medium to create a new and excellent artistic experience. This is experience would be beneficial to both Shakespeare and video game scholars, but also to students, inviting naturally the kind of engagement that teachers so often struggle to produce. While video games may not yet have their “Shakespeare,” such a legitimizing influence can and will come soon to the video game medium, and, someday, sitting and playing through a video game can and will be seen as a cultural experience and not just a waste of time.

Today, she responded again and told me she loved the abstract and would submit my name to the conference as a presenter. She added, however, that they can't run with just one presenter on a panel, so there's still a chance that it could get cancelled, but as far as acceptance for my paper, it's there.

However, that means I've gotta actually get this thing done and awesome enough to prove why an undergrad is speaking at this professional conference. And as so many posts have proven this week, I've got work to do.

Mostly, I know I need to pin down my organization. I'm making so many points that it's hard to build them right. Also, I need to keep a scholarly tone--but still make sure my point comes across clearly and powerfully. I need to bring my thesis in sooner and make the connection to Shakespeare make more sense as well. I'm confident I can make it. It's very possible I've received more feedback on this paper than any paper I've ever written, which gives me all the more hope that it can hold its own at an actual academic conference.

Thanks again to everyone for their feedback and support. Best of luck to us all and all our great ideas and efforts!