My research into digital games is increasingly focusing on young people’s experiences with and around digital games. In 2022, I was a awarded an ARC Future Fellowship on ‘The Monetisation of Children in the Digital Games Industry‘. The abstract for the grant application is as follows:
This project aims to understand the monetisation of children in the digital games industry. It will employ innovative studies of children’s experiences in freemium games; parental attitudes and strategies; participatory research with game developers; and an examination of the platform and regulatory environment that shapes game monetisation. Expected outcomes include guidelines and recommendations for parents seeking to negotiate children’s digital play; new ethical frameworks for the design and implementation of digital games for children; and actionable advice for policymakers and practitioners. This will bring significant benefits to Australian children, parents and game developers via improvements to the design of games for children.
This is a four year project, commencing July 2023. If you are interested in discussing this research, collaborating, or receiving updates on the results from the research, please contact me.