Game Studies Watchlist 2026 #8

AHOI there, game studies operators!

I assume, there are many ways to measure time: geological eras, console generations, presidential terms ... and then there’s the release cycle of Half-Life. Civilizations have risen, fallen, rebooted, and shipped live-service roadmaps in the time it has taken us to collectively whisper the words “Half-Life 3” into the algorithmic void. And yet, mention Gordon Freeman and an entire generation straightens its back like it just heard the HEV suit power up. Some games age. Half-Life simply enters another phase of theoretical physics.

Today we are taking on a big one - the crazed story of Valve's first masterpiece - the shooter that changed a genre and an industry - HALF LIFE We're not only going to unpick the crazy story of it's development, explore it's incredible legacy and discuss it's highly controversial ending - but also trace it's descendants - strange expansions, baffling mods, unlikely ports and one of the most enthralling remakes ever made. It's part critique, part retrospective, part review and part history lesson - obviously full of spoilers and obviously full of my opinions

I guess, it has become clear, that examining Half-Life is not just about celebrating a classic; it is about understanding how a single title can reshape entire paradigms of game design and player engagement. Its integration of narrative and mechanics, environmental storytelling, and level design innovations provide fertile ground for analyzing the evolution of immersive first-person experiences. By unpacking its development, expansions, mods, and ports, we as scholars and researchers can trace the interplay between technological possibilities, creative vision, and community-driven modifications, offering insights into authorship, collaboration, and player agency in game production.

One might add, that the franchise’s enduring legacy allows for critical reflection on the cultural, industrial, and historiographical dimensions of games. Discussions of its controversial ending, mod culture, and reinterpretations through remakes illuminate broader questions in Game Studies around canon formation, reception theory, and the socio-technical contexts of gaming. Studying Half-Life thus exemplifies how a single work can serve as a nexus for interdisciplinary scholarship, connecting historical, theoretical, and critical approaches in meaningful ways.

Sam Sorenson is asking one of those "simple" questions: "Does the MDA Framework Apply to Tabletop RPGs?" His answer is breaking the heart of so many game design 101 courses round the globe: "No, it doesn’t. I’d argue it doesn’t even apply to videogames." And you should read the whole argument right here:  https://samsorensen.blot.im/does-the-mda-framework-apply-to-tabletop-rpgs 

A new issue of Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds has been released! And I, especially, am very eager to read about What went wrong with Cities: Skylines II, according to the players by Dom Ford. Here's all the juicy stuff: https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/jgvw/17/3 

The United Nations is now treating video games as more than just entertainment; for the first time, it’s looking at them as arenas where violent extremist groups like ISIS and Boko Haram have been quietly operating, using immersive play, community features, and virtual spaces to spread propaganda and recruit members. In partnership with governments in Japan and Australia, industry partners, and researchers at Northeastern University, a new U.N. initiative aims to turn this dynamic on its head by leveraging the same qualities that make games compelling. https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/02/20/united-nations-video-games-extremism/ 

Frans Mäyrä points out on LinkedIn, that "students in the games journalism course in our Game Studies Master's Degree Program have again published interesting new articles in the PlayLab Magazine." Find all the articles right here: https://www.tuni.fi/playlab/

... oh, and please check out this beautiful piece of work by Philip Schäfer for Game Studies Watchlist ❤️

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Cheers and stay healthy, Rudolf