Call for Papers
Deadline extended! Submit abstracts: August 12th 2025.
Shanghai: 20 – 21 November 2025
English/中文
Presented just before the WePlay Indie Games Expo, this academic exchange will bring together scholars, museum professionals, game designers and cultural practitioners to explore the multifaceted relationships between video games and cultural heritage.
We invite submissions on any aspect of Chinese games, game industries, game design and gaming cultures. We encourage papers from students, early career researchers and game industry workers. We especially welcome submissions that explore the intersection of videogames, museums, and digital heritage.
As video games increasingly appear in galleries and museums, new opportunities and challenges arise for curators, researchers, designers, and players alike. From early arcade exhibitions to virtual museums built in game spaces, this discussion seeks to examine the evolving nexus of videogames, cultural heritage, museology, and digital spaces.
Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions can be in English or Chinese.
- Please submit an abstract of no longer than one page (excluding references).
- Please submit abstract as a pdf using the template found here.
- EXTENDED DEADLINE: Tuesday August 12th, 2025 to: yangjiesunny@toki.waseda.jp
- Include ‘Video Games in Museums’ in the subject line of your message.
Abstracts will be selected by program chairs based on their academic rigour and relevance to the themes. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by September 1st 2025. For questions regarding paper submission, topics, or questions on the event, please contact yangjiesunny@toki.waseda.jp
Important dates:
- August 12th: Extended Submission deadline
- September 1st: Notification of acceptance
- October 1st: Registration opens
- October 15th: Deadline for online presenters to submit pre-recorded video presentations and transcripts for translation and subtitling
- November 20th – 21st: Video Games in Museums event
- November 22nd – 23rd: WePlay Indie Games Expo
Join us in Shanghai this November to explore how video games, museums and Game Expos can play together to shape cultural memory and future practice!