The conference “Games Matters. Innovating Game Studies and Research” was created with the objective of exploring the role of innovation in game design studies and practices, bringing academic, artistic, and professional perspectives into dialogue.

Technological evolution – from artificial intelligence to augmented reality, from procedural generation to narrative interactivity – has redefined the way games are designed, experienced, and interpreted. This event intends to reflect on how such transformations affect the artistic value, aesthetic language, and cultural function of contemporary video games.

Through keynotes, thematic panels, and a concluding roundtable, the conference promotes an interdisciplinary discussion among scholars, designers, artists, and industry professionals, with the intent of contributing to the development of a new critical and theoretical vision of game studies.

Event Structure:

The event is divided into three thematic panels, which approach the video game phenomenon from complementary perspectives:

Games and the Arts

Investigates the relationship between video games and artistic practices, with particular attention to visual and sound aesthetics, interactive storytelling, and transmedia experimentation.

Game Design and Innovation

Focuses on the evolution of game mechanics and the impact of emerging technologies – including artificial intelligence, VR, AR, and design inclusivity – in designing the play experience.

Games, Society, and Culture

Examines video games as cultural and social artifacts, addressing themes related to representation, identity, digital communities, ethics, and diversity.

The event will conclude with a roundtable featuring three international keynote speakers who will offer a comprehensive reflection on the present and future of game studies.