by Sophie Bémelmans and Adrian Demleitner
In June 2024, the ReAnimate Summer School in Montréal brought together a diverse group of scholars and practitioners from all over the world to explore the intersections of digital game history, criticism, and development. This unique event, organized by Concordia University, Université de Montréal, and École de Technologie Supérieure, aimed to bridge the gap between humanities and engineering in digital game studies, and initated by Carl Therrien, Yann-Gaël Guéhéneuc, Fabio Petrillo, and their team. As researchers from Confoederatio Ludens, we participated in this week-long program that challenged traditional disciplinary boundaries. The summer school featured a rich mix of academic presentations, practical workshops and collaborative activities, providing a multifaceted approach to understanding digital games as complex cultural and technological artefacts.
This blog post reflects on our experiences at ReAnimate, highlighting key insights gained and exploring the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing the field of digital game studies. Through this reflection, we aim to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about research methodologies and collaborative approaches in our rapidly evolving discipline.