About Us
The Games Institute conducts research into the past, present, and future of games. Our researchers span the breadth of related disciplines, from the humanities and social sciences through engineering and computer science. With a research network joining multiple universities and multiple industry partners, we explore the human side of games and game-related technologies and interactions, with the constant goal of understanding the compelling user engagement that games deliver in fields ranging from entertainment, education, health, and business.
Mission
Our mission is to advance research and knowledge in game-related interactions and technologies. By doing so, we aim to establish strong academic and academic-industry research projects and programs, establish a richly cross-disciplinary graduate teaching and research institution, develop commercialisation projects with industry partners, strengthen community ties, encourage student engagement, and enhance educational and employment opportunities for students. We define "games" as broadly encompassing video and computer games (including online games), social games, mobile games, educational and serious games, simulations and virtual worlds, more traditional non-digital games, board games and gambling games. The Institute's focus lies with the future of game-related and game-driven design and development across a range of current and upcoming technologies and markets, and will seek national and international partnerships in the fields of games and games-related simulations for medical, informational, entertainment and educational media.
Goals
- Become a central hub for games-related research in Canada and a key partner in the international games research initiative though building relationships with Canadian and international institutions and creating a large network of associated researchers
- Establish strong academic and industry research projects and programs
- Collaborate with industry partners on the development of commercialisation projects, community/student outreach events, conferences and conventions
- Establish an innovative, cross-disciplinary graduate teaching and research institution
- Obtain funding for research fellows, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and artists/designers/developers in residence
- Encourage student, faculty, and public engagement by organizing interactive games-related exhibitions on campus, hosting a regular conference and a speaker series, and founding a games research journal
