What’s this researcher doing in my studio?

Game making is a creative process, unfolding in messy everyday practices, shaped by local realities, global markets, and unique, mostly informal studio cultures. And it is within these studios that decisions about games and industry practices are made and implemented, making them important places for research.

This talk explore the potential and challenges of research in game studios and collaborating with game makers through ethnographic methods. It draws on extensive fieldwork conducted with more than 50 European studios in 10 countries for the Europe Horizon project STRATEGIES. Through studios visits, interviews, research games and  collaborative methods, we explored how game makers address the well-being of people and the planet in their daily work, and what enables or hinders studios from becoming more sustainable. 

For developers curious about research, and for researchers seeking practical advice, this talk bridges the gap between the two worlds, exploring three key aspects: 

Why do we need studio ethnography? To make the everyday challenges of game making visible and to make sense of informal procedures, local contexts, resource allocation, and work cultures—realities that standard metrics or top-down approaches often miss.

Why should studios invite an ethnographer? How collaborative methods can turn research into a win-win, advocating for studios, and fostering connections between teams, policymakers, and academia.

What should ethnographers consider? From building trust through face-to-face meetings, to navigating NDAs and company secrets, to tracing the often quiet, solitary work of developers at their screens.