Wow...I just saw posts for two "Game Studies Starter packs" in terms of linking people to Game Studies academics.

One thing I noted? Weirdly? There are about 7-8 Black academics (who are on BlueSky) that come to mind when I think of game studies, and most of them are on neither list. #AcademicSky

And per your last question, absolutely at GenCon I've met people who mark it as an intergenerational community and a "homecoming" of sorts with elders and newbies and everything in between. Because of what GenCon is, I something find it hard to process, but it's definitely there and pretty big.

mostly because I haven't published as heavily/purely in those areas (or disciplines) and my title of "Assistant Professor" is both a badge and a marker. I don't feel like I am an "old head" yet, to use the AAVE term, but I don't really have a hold on being "young" at the conference anymore.

It is interesting you bring this up, because it did cross my mind at PCA this year. As in, I've always approached the conference with the same energy and deference that I did as a grad student, but in some of the areas I am a "known quantity", while others I am still an "early researcher",

In about 90 minutes at #pca26 Game Studies. Did someone say a presumptive look at a chapter of my book in production? Thanks @acls1919.bsky.social for the HBCU grant that is driving this research!! #Academicsky

Hey #AcademicSky and #ttrpg , run do not walk to the latest issue of the International Journal of Role Playing! It is a special issue highlighting papers from the 2025 Role Play in Games conference. There's 10 *amahzing* articles - including one on murderhobos by yours truly!! (free to download)

#AcademicSky

🚨New publication!🚨 Yes, another one! "‘OG D&D’: Analysing aspects of fandom cultural capital in contentious Dungeons & Dragons social media". In it, I analyze the tweets of "fringe" OSR, and discuss how they reinforce their vision of D&D and rail against what they see as unwelcome changes.

#AcademicSky

🚨NEW PUBLICATION ALERT! 🚨"Fandom influence and gamer agency in jury-rigged games" just released in Transformative Works & Cultures journal. I talk about how layers modify their playstyle to affect the game (such as playing a game 'hardcore' when it doesn't have a mode).

Sat on my first dissertation committee yesterday, as the "methods specialist". Woo boy! It is so different on the other side!! #AcademicSky

The latest issue of Boyhood Studies has been published! 📝 View the TOC and more for Volume 15, Issue 2 here: bit.ly/4rqpx5O

Featuring new work by @dashiellsteven.bsky.social

that show was so much gold. And his oblivious, self-absorbed version of himself only added to the wonderfulness

🚨NEW Publication alert! 🚨 Proud to announce my first public health/well-being pub, "Adultification and Survivornomics impacting well-being of boys of color" in the journal Boyhood Studies. #AcademicSky #criticaldiscourseanalysis

I'd recommend reading the article. The analysis isn't about motivations to be drow or even if it is blackface. What it analyzes is *when* people make posts indicating it is wrong what are the most common frameworks of pushback, and how those strategies reflect aspects of culture.

here you go. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

I've got this amazing paper about racism and norms in gaming culture, and social media and Dungeons & Dragons and larp, and *nobody* ever reads it because the title- recommended by a reviewer- doesn't mention ANY of those things.....

Sociology and game studies and public health: journals have tended to push me to make sure quotes that are not in English are translated to English, as that is the "default"- as I've been told more than once...

I was about to be semi annoyed I wasn't cited, and then I realized this article came out about 9 months before my research was published.

Analyzing gamification as capital in social media posts regarding military recruitment Military recruitment techniques traditionally focus on warriorship and patriotism, but with waning participation other techniques are being used (e.g. targeting parents Christensen, W. M. 2016a. Th...

Shameless plug. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

And to quote Mortal Kombat- PREPARE YOURSELF as I have a whopping SEVENTEEN articles and book chapters that are either in 'accept' and to be published stage, on the verge to be submitted to a journal, or on the list to be written. 2026 is going to be a YEAR!

My article about adultification and squeegee boys and their perception of well being is coming SOON - the journal released the upcoming Table of contents - I'll post the article when it truly manifests!!

Emerging Voices in Black Games Studies [FULL GUEST LECTURE] YouTube video by TheGamesInstitute

Emerging Voices in Black Games @thegamesinstitute.bsky.social from last year. We had a moment to discuss this great panel featuring @theblackblackmage.bsky.social, Cyan DeVeux, and Steven Dashiell. #brocku www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4YX...

Wow- he got that quote from me a WHILE ago. I mean, a long while! I'm glad to see he was able to get the article out. And thank you for pointing me towards it- I would have never known!!!

The AI Companion Who Cares “If situations are defined as real, then they are real in their consequence.”

When I fell into a particular AI company, I was fascinated. I did an extended ethnography ("lurk") in one group of users, thinking I'd turn the observations into a journal article. A substacker asked me to write about it, and here it is. default.blog/p/the-ai-com...

The AI Companion Who Cares “If situations are defined as real, then they are real in their consequence.”

shameless self promotion, but a piece I was asked to write about this subject of AI bots and connection, given the extended ethnography I did. default.blog/p/the-ai-com...

From an analysis I trust as a researcher studying online spaces, the average "content creator" is around.....29...so, yeah, if these individuals would likely fall into the "older than average" category.

(and frankly, it depends on the 'content' you wanna talk about...)

Salt and Sass Games: Episode LXXIV In Episode LXXIV has Mandi and Suzanne chat about Gamefound acquiring Indiegogo and review Wizards and Co, Ofrenda, Digsaw, and Courtisans. Dr. Steven Dashiell joins for a You're The Expert segment be...

I was featured on the @saltandsass.bsky.social podcast as an 'Ask the Expert' to talk about my slant of research! My bit is near the 48-minute mark, but listen to the whole thing and subscribe!!! sites.libsyn.com/436716/episo...

I think...three publications (maybe four) should all manifest into the world over the fall semester - all games related, I think, so...you've been warned!!!

It's very (sigh) performative, as many things are done for seeing and (eclestically) consuming them, and all very rote - a system that once you get it, you feel "in".

And the Holy See reinforces whose "in" and who is "out", like barring non Caths from communion. It reinforced feeling "special"