Ph.D. student Colin Stricklin.

Date: December 3rd, 2021

Time: 1:30-3:30 EST

Location: https://bluejeans.com/275036233/1617

Committee: Dr. Michael Nitsche, Dr. Philip Auslander, Dr. Jay Bolter, and Dr. Aaron Trammell 

Title: Designing the Open Work World

Description: The proposed dissertation studies the transmission of analog play through distribution platforms like Twitch and YouTube. It examines the effects on gameplay when "private play becomes public entertainment,” seeking to first characterize and then design for that shift. This research has roots in both performance studies and game studies, tracking the movement of performative gameplay from its traditional context — entertaining a small audience in a private setting — to the broader milieu of an outside audience. With a focus on the "actual play" genre of streaming tabletop roleplaying games, this dissertation seeks to describe the various socio-technical elements that shape such programs, emphasizing the role of the audience in shaping performance as much as the players’ transformation into performers beyond the game’s magic circle.