Update #05 (Final): Interview/Article on Geekpr0n.com and a little bit about me
Update #04: Indies Tokyo Game Show 2014, Blindflug Studios First Strike, and meeting Keiji Inafune, creator of the Megaman franchise
Update #03: Top Paper Award! Plus a Game Studies Podcast announcement and the upcoming Tokyo Game Show
Update #02: Japan Game Developers Conference, IGDA Scholarships, and an inspiring example of women in the Japanese games industry
Update #01: HUGE first week and Conference Happenings
The Quest in a Nutshell:
My name is Chris Yap, and I'm a PhD student from the Nara Inst. of Science and Technology in Nara, Japan.
I study narrative in video games.
I study it seriously and enthusiastically, because I believe that video games are the new digital mythology of the 21st century and beyond.
The stories of video games allow gamers to have a wide variety of interactive experiences which can be both entertaining and meaningful. They allow us to take a break from life. They teach and inspire.
They have the potential to allow each and every one of us to become the heroes of our own quests.
My own quest is to commit academically to investigating how stories and narratives are told in the video game medium. To that end, I wish to participate actively in the academic community of Game Studies.
However, that is where I need your help--in this quest, the costs involved in conducting any kind of research can be high.
In my case specifically, I am seeking your help in funding my subsequent academic trips to present my work at leading academic conferences.
Help me to slay the dragon.
What We Need & What You Get
The funding goal for my research trip is only $2000 USD in total.
In detail, I'll need (all totals are in US Dollars):
*$1867.00 for the cheapest rate I could find on expedia for combined airfare (Japan <--> Michigan) and hotel accommodations (4 nights at the Holiday Inn)
*$133.00 (the remainder) for food and misc. emergencies.
All of the funding will only go directly towards supporting my research activities for Game Studies. Therefore, your support of this research directly contributes to furthering it. Funds in excess of our $2000 goal will be put towards funding subsequent research efforts and trips.
Any funding amount is A-OK, even if it's only $1. Every little bit helps.
But for all you lovely over-achievers out there, I enthusiastically offer the following:
All supporters of this campaign will get a URL where you can download any and all of my academic output: full conference papers, reports, slide presentations, videos, etc.
$10 - I'll write you a personalized Thank You Card and mail it to you anywhere in the world.
$25 - Personalized Thank You Card AND formal acknowledgement by name in my forthcoming PhD Dissertation (projected 2017) and on the paper I am presenting entitled, "Between Hardcoded Software and the Human Mind--Conceptualizing Player-side Emergence in Games."
$50 - You get the Thank You Card and Thesis Acknowledgement perks AND formal mention on the last slide of my conference presentation (name, photo, etc). It might go something like: "By the way, this research was made possible via crowdfunding on indiegogo, and especially by the following outstanding individuals..."
$75 - Thank You Card, Thesis and Slide Presentation Acknowledgement perks, AND a personal Skype or Google Hangout meeting in which we can discuss anything you want to know about Game Studies research, Japan, advocacy in gaming, or anything else.
$100 - All previous perks AND If you should ever come to the Kansai area of Japan (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe/Nara), let me know ahead of time and I will personally show you around. My 9+ years of experience living in Japan will be at your disposal and I can be your translator and tour guide for a day here in Japan.
The Impact
Your support allows my research to continue and helps me to achieve my degree.
But when you do that, what are you truly doing?
Well, here's how I like to think of it: you are funding the idea that video games are far more meaningful than merely an entertaining pastime. Your contribution empowers the idea that games truly are the future of storytelling and allows me to continue crusading meaningfully and vocally for that cause. It supports the idea that a game is an interactive tale that honors the storytelling traditions of generations past while also celebrating new interactive storytelling methods.
Games are the interactive tales which ensure that we are the heroes.
Your support of my research helps me to get the word out. It helps me to prove to naysayers what we as gamers have known all along: that games are epic interactive tales worthy of serious study.
But don't just take MY word for it--
See what some of my talk attendees had to say about my recent PAX East 2014 panel entitled, "The Mythology in and of Games" (which can be viewed in its entirety here: http://youtu.be/WtjAzMj-bIg?t=33m48s ):
"...[E]ngaging, clever, intelligent, funny, and had a topic that was both crucial and extremely under represented in the selection for panels this year. Of all the panelists I've seen in four consecutive years you were by far the best speaker and had the most inspiring speech. There wasn't a moment during your portion where I wasn't riveted to what you were saying and you put what so many gamers feel about the stories they experience into words like no one else could have. This is going to sound lame but when you talked about how these stories impacted your life, especially during your childhood, I was nearly in tears. I really just need to tell you how much I appreciate what you did and just how amazing it was to me. I just can't stress enough how inspiring you were."
-Joshua N.
"So, thank you for not only underscoring the importance of narrative to gaming and its culture, but for also presenting the information in such an emotional and lively way. Your passion and enthusiasm was contagious, and it became the highlight of this year’s convention for me."
-Tom B.
"I just wanted to let you know you did a fantastic job. I couldn't agree more that the future of storytelling lies within video games. You have a very positive energy that I think touched everyone in that room on a deeper level than most speakers. I hope to see your work in the future, and I hope you continue to speak and share your positivity with gamers and anyone who will listen!"
-Kerry S.
"I loved your part of Sunday's panel! It brought tears to my eyes and made me want to give everyone at PAX a hug. This was first PAX and many parts of it will be memorable; however, I know that your emotion, your passion, will be the thing I remember most."
-Andrew U.
Risks & Challenges
Of course, not all people believe that video games are worth anything beyond entertainment. Still others firmly believe that games are a wholly negative influence on people and society.
Furthermore, the idea of video games being a focus of academic inquiry is still a very new and somewhat radical idea. As such, there is still a reluctance to fund projects which research video games, and consequently, it can be very difficult for researchers and graduate students to justify and secure funding with the established funding agencies.
It is for this reason (among others) that I have decided to try this funding experiment out on indiegogo--to see if I can appeal to those who really know games and who believe as I do.
This is admittedly no easy road. But I can assure you that I have the skill, smarts, tenacity, and track record to make sure video games have a strong advocate in academia and beyond.
I've spoken at the following conferences and conventions:
Oct. 2012: Michigan State Univ. Meaningful Play 2012 Conference (Full Paper: "Establishing Literary Merit in Metal Gear Solid")
Mar. 2013: Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) Japan (Full Paper: "On the Frame Narrative of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War"--note: full text in Japanese)
Apr. 2013: International Conference on Japan Game Studies 2013 (Full Paper: "Interactive Frame Narrative and Player Evaluation-based Story Evolution in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War")
Apr. 2014: PAX East 2014 (Panel speaker: "The Mythology in and of Games: Why The Legend of Zelda is just as important as the legend of Beowulf")
Aug. 2014: Replaying Japan 2014 (Full Paper: "Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: A Critical Analysis of Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid")
(to appear) Oct. 2014: Meaningful Play 2014 (Full Paper: "Conceptualizing Player-side Emergence in Interactive Games: Between Hardcoded Software and the Human Mind in Papers, Please and Gone Home")
Other Ways You Can Help
If you like games and think that they should be studied seriously, please share this indiegogo!
Thank you and keep on rocking.
