Project leaders: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Benjamin Beil

Project assistants: Dr. Pablo Abend

The project understands modding as any player-made alteration or expansion of the content and structure of a computer game. The term editor-games describes digital games which – following such modding practices – focus on a ›game with the game‹, an editing of the game world. The enormous success of these types of games helps not only put established gameplay mechanisms of the computer game in question but also demonstrates the great importance of creative participatory practices in mediatized worlds.

While nowadays many (supposedly) defining aspects of the so-called New Media have rather become historical discussions (e.g. the question of authenticity in digital images), the promise of a participatory culture remains a focal point of many debates – even when the ›participatory core‹ of many of these new practices often seems vague.

Modding and editor-games are particularly suited for an analysis of participatory practices in mediatized worlds for two primary reasons: Firstly, in recent years computer games have become a mass media phenomenon, which is paradigmatically shaping the use of digital technologies, e.g. certain forms of media interaction and interface design. Secondly, modding practices and editor games constitute a research object that illustrates different ›degrees of participation‹ particularly well – especially through the functionalities of the editor tools, which make the complex technical artifact that is the computer game available for participatory practices in the first place. 

Research field: Action and interaction forms

Abend, Pablo/Hawranke, Thomas (2016): Deep Hanging Out mit dem Vermeintlich Wilden. Tier-Mensch-Beziehungen im Computerspiel. In: Jessica Ullrich/Aline Steinbrecher (Eds.), Tierstudien 9, Berlin: Neofelis, pp. 133-144.

Abend, Pablo/Beil, Benjamin (2016): Editors of Play. Scripts of Participation in Co-Creative Media. In: Denecke, Mathias/Ganzert, Anne/Otto, Isabell/Stock, Robert (Eds.): ReClaimingParticipation: Technology – Mediation – Collectivity. Bielefeld: transcript, pp. 39-50.

Abend, Pablo (2016): „Greetings Arma fans. I submit to you this humble contribution to the mod-a-verse.“ - Modding als kritische Aneignungspraxis digitaler Spiele. In: Goethe Institut (Eds.): Katalog zur Ausstellung Politics and Games, forthcoming.

Abend, Pablo/Beil, Benjamin (2015): Editors of Play. Scripts ofParticipation in Co-Creative Media. In: Mathias Denecke/Anne Ganzert/Isabell Otto/Robert Stock (Eds.): ReClaimingParticipation: Technology - Mediation - Collectivity. Bielefeld: transcript, forthcoming.

Abend, Pablo/Beil, Benjamin (2014): Editor-Games. Das Spiel mit dem Spiel als methodische Herausforderung der Game Studies. In: Benjamin Beil/Gundolf S. Freyermuth/Lisa Gotto (Eds.): New Game Plus. Perspektiven der Game Studies. Genres - Künste - Diskurse. Bielefeld: transcript, pp. 27-61.

Abend, Pablo/Beil, Benjamin (2014): Editors of Play. In: Hansen, Jonas/Hawranke, Thomas/Kuball, Mischa/Scherffig, Lasse (Eds.): Perspectives of Play. Köln: KHM 2014, pp. 20-25.

Beil, Benjamin (2015): Life Is a Test (Chamber) - spielerische Metaphern der Portal-Reihe. In: Thomas Hensel/Britta Neitzel/Rolf F. Nohr (Eds.): 'The cakeis a lie.' Polyperspektivische Betrachtungen des Computerspiels am Beispiel von Portal. Münster: Lit, pp. 225-240.

Beil, Benjamin/Engell, Lorenz/Schröter, Jens/Schwaab, Herbert/Wentz, Daniela (2014): Die Fernsehserie als Agent des Wandels. Münster: LIT Verlag, forthcoming.

Beil, Benjamin (2013): Modding/Leveleditoren/Editor-Games. Skripte und Praktiken digitaler Partizipation. In: Biermann, Ralf/Verständig, Dan/Fromme, Johannes (Eds.): Partizipative Medienkulturen. Wiesbaden: Springer VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 207-232.

Beil, Benjamin/Engell, Lorenz/Schröter, Jens/Schwaab, Herbert/Wentz, Daniela (Eds.) (2013): LOST in Media. Münster: LIT Verlag, forthcoming.

Beil, Benjamin/Engell, Lorenz/Schröter, Jens/Schwaab, Herbert/Wentz, Daniela (2012): Die Fernsehserie als Reflexion und Projektion des medialen Wandels. In: Krotz, Friedrich/Hepp, Andreas (Eds.): Mediatisierte Welten: Beschreibungsansätze und Forschungsfelder. Wiesbaden: Springer VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 197-223.

Beil, Benjamin/Engell, Lorenz/Schröter, Jens/Schwaab, Herbert/Wentz, Daniela (2012): Die Serie. Einleitung in den Schwerpunkt. In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft, Themenheft: Die Serie, 2/2012, pp. 10-18.

Beil, Benjamin/Hensel, Thomas (2012): Aktanten des Game Design. In: Beil, Benjamin/Hensel, Thomas (Eds.): Game Laboratory Studies. Siegen: universi, pp. 9-13.

Abend, Pablo: Bestialische Ornamente. Von Kill-Animationen und der Wildheit der Skripte in digitalen Welten. Presentation at the conference „Wilde Bestien. Bilder tierischer Aggression, Gewalt und Brutalität“, in Universität Hamburg, held 2016-06-09.

Abend, Pablo: Modding in Action – Praxeologische Forschung zur Analyse ko-kreativer Medien. Presentation at the workshop „Schwerpunkt Medienanthropologie - eine Einführung“, Ethnology Institute, University of Cologne, held 2016-01-29.

Abend, Pablo: Konvergenzen zwischen Spiel und Alltagswelt, Public presentation at the Moltke Forum, Gymnasium am Moltkeplatz, in Krefeld, held 2015-12-01.

Abend, Pablo: Editors of Play. The Scripts and Practices of Co-creativity in Minecraft and LittleBigPlanet. Presentation at the conference DIGRA 2015 „Diversity of Play: Games - Cultures – Identities“, Leuphana University in Lüneburg, held 2015-05-15.

Abend, Pablo: Playful Participation - Co-Creativity and Playfulness in Computer Game Modding. Presentation at the conference "Play / Performe / Participate", University Utrecht, 2015-04-16 until 2015-04-18 in Utrecht, held 2015-04-17.

Abend, Pablo/Beil, Benjamin: Editors of Play: The Scripts and Practices of Co-creativity in Minecraft and LittleBigPlanet. Presentation at the conference "DiGRA 2015 Diversity of Play", Leuphana University, 2015-05-14 until 2015-05-17 in Luneburg, held 2015-05-15.

Abend, Pablo/Beil, Benjamin: Modding and Editor-Games. Participative Practices of Mediatized Worlds. Presentation at the conference "Creative Energies - Creative Industries", Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 2014-06-19 until 2014-06-21 in Milan, held 2014-06-19.

Abend, Pablo/Beil, Benjamin: Editor Games - Scripts of Participation in Co-Creative Media. Presentation at the conference "ReClaiming Participation. Technology, Mediation & Collectivity" at Zurich College of Arts, 2014-05-07 until 2014-05-09 in Zurich, held 2014-05-08.

Abend, Pablo/Beil,Benjamin: Editors of Play. The Scripts and Practices of Co-creativity. Presentation at Cologne Game Lab in Cologne, held 2014-01-15.

Beil, Benjamin: On Guns and Giraffes: The Dramaturgy of Video Games. Presentation at the workshop „STAGE#04 – Dramaturgy and Digital Culture“, University of Glasgow, held 2016-03-18.

Beil, Benjamin: Spiele/n in mediatisierten Welten – Editor-Games und der Wandel der zeitgenössischen Digitalkulturen. Presentation at the workshop of „ZeMKI-Forschungskolloquium Medienkultur“, Bremen University, held 2015-12-03.

Beil, Benjamin: Nischen-Massen-Medium Computerspiel. Presentation at the conference „NEXT LEVEL“, in Dortmund, held 2015-12-03.

Beil, Benjamin: Game Studies im Kontext von Medienkulturwissenschaft. Presentation at the conference „Clash of Realities“, Cologne Game Lab, 2015-11-02 until 2015-11-04 in Cologne, held 2015-11-03.

Beil, Benjamin: Demakes – retrokulturelle Praktiken des Computerspiel(en)s. Presentation at the conference „Antidotes – Tendenzen der De- Mediatisierung“, Vienna University, from 2015-07-02 until 2015-07-03 in Vienna.

Beil, Benjamin: Kinderspiele - oder: als das Computerspiel ein Massenmedium war. Presentation at course of lectures "ThanksforPlaying", Ruhr-University Bochum, held 2015-06-25.

Beil, Benjamin: Multimodality in Computer Games. Presentation at Winterschool "Mediality and Multimodality across Media", Graduate Academy of the University of Tübingen, 2015-01-28 until 2015-01-30 in Tubing, held 2015-01-29.

Beil, Benjamin: Analyzing The Great Void - Co-Creative Practices In Gaming Cultures. Presentation at course of lectures "Game Lectures", Center for Computer Games Research, IT University of Copenhagen, held 2014-12-05.

Beil, Benjamin: Digitale Ästhetik.Presentation at Workshop "Glo/kalisierungen der ästhetischen Moderne" Fudan University Shanghai, held 2014-10-30.

Beil, Benjamin: From Castle Smurfenstein to Minecraft. Presentation at the conference "MASH 13 - Making and Sharing" at Maastricht University 2013-07-04 until 2013-07-05 in Maastricht, held 2013-07-05.

Beil, Benjamin: Modding & Leveleditoren - vom Construction Set zur Editor Community. Presentation at "SUBOTRON arcademy", MuseumsQuartier Vienna, held 2013-03-15.