BOOKS
In development. Editor. Esoteric gaming: Extreme player workarounds for the perfect game.
2012. Leet noobs: The life and death of an expert player group in World of Warcraft. New York: Peter Lang.
BOOK CHAPTERS
In development. Multi-player MUDs and MMORPGs. In J. Zagal & S. Deterding (Eds.), Role-playing game studies: Transmedia foundations. Routledge.
2013. Communication, coordination, and camaraderie: A player group in World of Warcraft. In C. Lankshear & M. Knobel (Eds.), A new literacies reader: Educational perspectives (pp. 247-266). New York: Peter Lang.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
In development. Pushing definitions of games by introducing game design to diverse populations.
In review. Chen, M., Horstman, T., Cooper, S., & Bell, P. Relationship between gaming practice and science practice among Foldit players.
2009. Visualization of expert chat development in a World of Warcraft player group. E-Learning, 6(1), 54-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/elea.2009.6.1.54
2009. Social dimensions of expertise in World of Warcraft players. Transformative Works and Cultures, 2. http://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2009.0072
2009. Communication, coordination, and camaraderie in World of Warcraft. Games and Culture, 4, 47-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1555412008325478
2008. The player matters: A review of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. E-Learning, 5(4), 508-512. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/elea.2008.5.4.508
2008. Moral ambiguity in The Witcher: A game review. E-Learning, 5(3), 358-365. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/elea.2008.5.3.358
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
2015. Chen, M., & Stay, V. Working example: New game design curricula for underserved youth in multiple settings. Proceedings from Games Learning Society 11. ETC Press.
2015. Chen, M., Behringer, M., Cole, C., Jameson, E., & Messer, H. Playtesting games 2: The sequeling. Proceedings from Games Learning Society 11. ETC Press.
2015. Chen, M., Altizer, R., Consalvo, M., Dunca, S., Fullerton, T., Lawley, L., O’Donnell, C., Osterweil, S., & Squire, K. (Academic) game [design|research] programs labs: What are they and how do you (not) start one? Proceedings from Games Learning Society 11. ETC Press.
2014. [Review of The Well-Played Game: A Player’s Philosophy by B. De Koven.] American Journal of Play, 6(4), 122-124.
2014. Chen, M., Jameson, E, & Behringer, M. Playtesting games: Iterating failures to success. Proceedings from Games Learning Society 10. ETC Press.
2012. Assembling to kill Ragnaros. Proceedings from Games Learning Society 8 art exhibit: Pen and Sword. ETC Press.
2011. How a new actor was temporarily enrolled into the network of game playing. Proceedings from the 9th international conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (pp. 661-663).
2011. Chen, M., Cuddihy, E., Medina, E., and Kolko, B. Modeling but not measuring engagement in computer games. Proceedings from Games Learning Society 2011 (pp. 63-71). ETC Press.
2011. Kelly, S., Wolfenstein, M., Chen, M., Chess, S., D’Angelo, C., and Harper, T. Writing the games-based dissertation. Proceedings from Games Learning Society 2011 (pp. 155-159). ETC Press.
2007. [Review of the book Play Between Worlds by T.L. Taylor]. Resource Center for Cybercultural Studies.
INVITED TALKS
Spring 2013. “Gaming is Learning: Communicative and Material Practices of Online Gamers,” Digital Humanities and Arts Month speaker series, University of North Dakota
Spring 2013. “Games for Informal Learning,” Game Design, UC Berkeley
Fall 2011, Spring 2012. “Ethnography of Online Games,” Introduction to Interactive Media: Games and Gaming, University of Washington, Bothell
Spring 2011. “Expertise in World of Warcraft as sociomaterial practice,” Digipen
Spring 2007. “Digital Games and Globalization,” Digital Media, Globalization, and Systems Thinking, University of Washington
PRESENTATIONS
2015. Chen, M., Stay, V., & Glazer, K. Ultimate Twine. Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), Las Vegas, NV.
2014. Duncan, S., Chen, M., Berland, M., Mechtley, A., & Macklin, C. Meaningful cardboard: Towards a “tabletop games and learning.” Meaningful Play, East Lansing, MI.
2014. O’Donnell, C., Chen, M., Malone, K.L., & Duncan, S. Meaningful / meaningless play: The brave new world of play and games in educational contexts. Meaningful Play, East Lansing, MI.
2014. A new definition for games: Meaningful play. Poster at Meaningful Play, East Lansing, MI. http://markdangerchen.net/pubs/anewdefinition.html
2014. Chen, M., Salter, A., Ramirez, D., Peterson, M., Lalone, N., & Danilovic, S. Gameception: The game a week challenge. North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA), Baltimore, MD.
2014. O’Donnell, C., Rosenheck, L., Stidwill, P., & Chen, M. Obligatory games: The impact of social and political-economic contexts on games in US classrooms. Games Learning Society (GLS), Madison, WI.
2013. From new players to fervent hobbyists: BoardGameGeeks unite! Pecha Kucha presentation at Games Learning Society (GLS) 2013, Madison, WI.
2013. Death by Chocolate-Covered Broccoli: A Case Where Gamification Killed Gaming Practice. In K. Bergstrom (chair) Communicating the Diverse Debates and Divisions within Game Studies panel. Canadian Communications Association (CCA), Victoria, BC.
2013. Massive Meltdown: Killing Emergent Gameplay through Gamification. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA), Victoria, BC.
2013. DiSalvo, B., Reich, J. F., Chen, M., Gaskins, N. R., & Davis, K. Understanding inequalities in digital media and learning. Workshop at American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Francisco.
2012. Leet noobs: The book talk! Critical Gaming Project’s Keywords for Video Game Studies Colloquium, Seattle, WA.
2012. Horstman, T., Chen, M., and Cooper, S. Gamers as scientists? The relationship between participating in Foldit play and doing science. Paper presentation at American Educational Research Association (AERA), Vancouver, BC.
2012. Horstman, T., Chen, M., and Cooper, S. Foldit practice: Science or gaming? Digital Media and Learning (DML) 2012, San Francisco, CA.
2011. Ask, K., Chen, M., Karlsen, F., Paul, C., and Mortensen, T. Playing by the numbers: A panel on theorycrafting. Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA), Hilversum, The Netherlands.
2011. Paul, C., Altizer, R., Chen, M., Dutton, N., Harper, T., and Kelly, S. We study games… professionally: Academic research and game studies. Penny Arcade Expo (PAX Prime), Seattle, WA.
2011. McKnight, J. C., Chen, M., and Galarneau, L. Big debate: Are online games building or destroying community? And how mangled is it? Fireside chat at Games Learning Society (GLS), Madison, WI.
2011. The mangle of gaming to socially create meaningful experiences. Critical Gaming Project’s Keywords for Video Game Studies Colloquium, Seattle, WA.
2011. The enrollment of a new technology and the subsequent redistribution of roles and responsibilities in an online game. Roundtable presentation at American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA.
2011. Social dimensions of expert practice in online gaming. In Socially situated expert practice in and around gaming symposium at American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA.
2011. Mapping gaming practice to scientific practice. In Learning technologies in informal contexts, a Strand 6 (Science learning in informal contexts)-sponsored symposium at National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Orlando, FL.
2010. Paul, C., Chen, M., Dutton, N., Harper, T., and Kelly, S. We play games… professionally: Academic research and game studies. Penny Arcade Expo (PAX Prime), Seattle, WA.
2010. Chen, M., DeVane, B., Grimes, S. M., Walter, S. E., and Wolfenstein, M. The mangle of play: Game challenges and player workarounds. Digital Media and Learning Conference (DML), La Jolla, CA.
2009. Walter, S., and Chen, M. A comparison of collaboration across two game contexts: Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft. Association of Internet Researchers (IR10), Milwaukee, WI.
2009. Using actor-network theory to study expert player groups in World of Warcraft. Graduate Student Symposium at State of Play 6, New York City, NY.
2008. Leet noobs: Expert World of Warcraft players relearning and adapting expertise in new contexts: The hands-on version! Games Learning Society (GLS) 4.0, Madison, WI.
2008. Leet noobs: Expert World of Warcraft players relearning and adapting expertise in new contexts. In Mapping the learning pathways and processes associated with the development of expertise and learner identities, a poster session at the International Conference for the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
2007. Communication and cooperation in a World of Warcraft player community. In Playing to belong: Community across gaming contexts symposium at Games Learning Society (GLS) 3.0, Madison, WI.
2005. Addressing social dilemmas and fostering cooperation through computer games. Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA), Vancouver, Canada.
2005. Chen, M., Kolko, B., Cuddihy, E., and Medina, E. Modeling and measuring engagement in computer games. Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA), Vancouver, Canada.
2005. Chen, M., Cuddihy, E., Thayer, A., and Zhou, Q. Creating cross-cultural appeal in digital games: Issues in localization and user testing (ppt). Society for Technical Communication (STC), Seattle, WA.
NON-PUBLISHED WORKS
- General Exams #1 – pros and cons of video games (June 2007)
- General Exams #2 – learning theories and games (June 2007)
- General Exams #3 – research proposal (November 2007) (the link is to my Spencer fellowship proposal… essentially the same paper. Back in June I posted a different design proposal that includes a copy of the exam question, so that might be handy.)
- A comparison between the interactions of a goal-oriented guild and a free-form guild in World of Warcraft (2005) – methods proposal
- Communication and map tools for use in the Warsong Gulch Battleground in World of Warcraft (2005) – an instructional design approach to software design spec
- Ethical tensions between the roles I play (2005) – one of my favorite papers
- Using the How People Learn framework to build a sustainable cooperative community in World of Warcraft (2004)
- The Tragedy of the Commons: Using Computer Games to Analyze Behavior in Social Dilemmas (2004)
- Measuring Flow in a computer game simulating a foreign language environment (2004)
- Addressing Social Dilemmas through Role-Playing Identities in Computer Games (2004)
- Histories of Computer Games and Educational Software (2003)
- Virtual Worlds Spill-Over (2003)
- Eliot Chapel Stair Hall: A Study in Re-Creation (1995)
- The Transformation of the Avant-Garde: a book review (1993)
MEDIA
- The Daily (University of Washington’s daily paper). Interviewed for Game On: World of Warcraft by Sarah Anderson, April 19, 2007.
- Seattle Post Intelligencer. Interviewed for Second Life Enjoys Perks, Problems of Population Boom by Amy Rolph, February 26, 2007.
- The Ballard News Tribune. Photo taken by Amber Trillo for BLOGGERS: They can give niche coverage to new subjects by Rebekah Schilperoort, December 26, 2006.
It is so good knowing what you are doing and doing well!
Is this paper available?
Cuddihy, E., Chen, M., Medina, E., and Kolko, B. (June 2005). Modeling and measuring engagement in computer games. Paper presented at the annual conference for the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA), Vancouver, Canada.
Thanks for writing. I wish it was… Truth is we never got it to a state where we felt comfortable sharing it, and then it got put on the back burner as we all went off to different research interests. But, recently this summer, we talked about finishing the paper up. I’ll email you if we do by the end of the summer!
Hi Mark,
I am trying to get a hold of your game experience questionnaire, but I am having a hard time. Can you point me to a library space or place where I can find the questionnaire? It does not have to be a finished paper, just the rough doc with questions would do the trick. I’m trying to decide on a questionnaire for a gaming experiment and would like to put your’s into the comparison.
Thx!
Hi Marc,
my name is Patrick and I am a PhD student in Media and Communication studying computer game cummunites. I just read the titles of your last presentations
Walter, S. and Chen, M. (Oct 2009). A comparison of Collaboration across two game contexts: Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft. Presentation at the 10th Annual Association of Internet Researchers Conference (IR10), Milwaukee, WI.
Chen, M. (June 2009). Using actor-network theory to study expert player groups in World of Warcraft. Presentation during the Graduate Student Symposium at State of Play 6, New York City, NY.
and I was wondering if it is possible to get hold of them. I will take some time to look through your whole page. Looks like you are doing some interesting stuff, really.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Sicerelly yours,
Patrick Prax
and your name is written with a k, not a c…
Hi Mark,
I appreciate the time and effort you put into this website. As a prospective PhD applicant, the insights you have provided into the life of a graduate student and academia in general have helped me understand what I may be experiencing soon (hopefully). Thanks for the transparency and honesty.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth de los Santos
It is so good knowing what you are doing and doing well!
Hello Mark,
I love your site and your thoughts on academia. I am a gamer who is studying video games — specifically why people play them and the positive and negative effects of playing games. The thing is, at my university and in my M.S program there isn’t anyone who studies video games. I wanted to know how you went about submitting your manuscripts to different journals solo. Did you just write them yourself and let faculty or other graduate students edit them?
@RTR pretty much. I asked for people to read drafts for me and provide feedback, but also the review process for journal submissions provided some of the best feedback. Often I would get revise and resubmit notices for papers, which then got accepted once I incorporated revisions that reviewers suggested. 🙂
The trick is to network. Find people outside of your uni if you have to. Meet them at conferences or through the internet after you’ve read some papers and id’ed who you’d like to meet.
I’d say at least 50% of being successful in academia is networking.
@Mark I always wondered if submitting to journals without having a PhD would be a disadvantage (if the reviewers would even take the article submission at all). I have to agree that networking is half the key to being successful in academia. Thanks a lot for the advice. 🙂