We are delighted to announce that the second annual DiGRA Australia conference will be held at the University of New South Wales, 29th – 30th of June. The theme for DiGRAA 2015 will be ‘Inclusivity in Australian Games and Game Studies’.

Games, games culture and games studies is often exclusive. Movements, communities, norms and individuals at various scales and levels of impact continue to attempt to define who plays, where they play, how they play, and what they should like about it. Games are increasingly becoming a pervasive everyday practice, engaged with across all demographics, with wider, more nuanced and varied experiences and meanings drawn from their experience. The purpose of this years DiGRA Australia is to provide an opportunity for games scholars to be inclusive in our approach, in our understanding, and in the knowledge that our research generates.

We therefore invite submissions that describe research projects completed or still under way, that prompt discussion, or report findings or arguments. We call for papers and contributions on the theme of inclusion. This is the inclusion of different people: in terms of the different backgrounds and identities of the players and characters represented in gaming and games culture. This is also the inclusion directed towards games scholars and the different perspectives that enrich our scholarship beyond the nexus of the white straight male. Finally, this is also the inclusion of methodologies and approaches: in terms of the wealth of means by which we might understand games and play.

Attendance at the event is also an opportunity to shape and be involved in the future direction of this regional DiGRA chapter.

We organise such an event acknowledging that ‘game studies’ is not an exclusively academic endeavour – exciting and ground-breaking work is occurring in a wide variety of commercial, professional and amateur contexts. Consequently, we encourage non-academic game researchers, critics, designers, developers and artists to attend and contribute to the event. Submitted abstracts will not be evaluated harshly for not engaging with academic literature, as we see this as an opportunity for these disparate communities to engage and share knowledge.