Frans Mäyrä's Home Pages

Please check the website of the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies, and the Game Research Lab website, for most recent news on our work.
The City of Tampere invited me as one of Tampere Congress Ambassadors – a great honour. Here is an introduction video and profile page of myself related to that role.
I was provided with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by IndieCade in their Horizons 2023 event.
Open Access, here is my short paper, “Demonic Games: Demonic Figures and Functions in Contemporary Digital Games” (DiGRA 2023)
Open Access, here is link to “Game Culture Studies and the Politics of Scholarship: The Opposites and the Dialectic” (GAME Journal)
Open Access, here is link to “The Player as a Hybrid – Agency in Digital Game Cultures” (GAME Journal)
In 2023, we had another highly popular Game Studies Spring Seminar, titled “Party!” – I served as the seminar chair.
You can read an Open Access article (2022) where I provide a definitional introduction to “Game Studies” in the Encyclopaedia of Ludic Terms.
I published a blog post in Spring 2021 discussing my two recent studies, in the CoE-GameCult website, see more here.
In 2021, a major international event – Monstrosity Spring Seminar – was organised in April; I served as a commentator to the seminar papers.
News for year 2020: unfortunately multiple cancellations have taken place due to the Coronavirus epidemic, including e.g. DiGRA 2020 conference (originally planned to take place in June 2020 in Tampere): https://digra2020.org/.
You can find most up-to-date posts of mine from my blog site, or by following me in social media (in Facebook and/or in Twitter)
Starting from 1 January, 2019, the University of Tampere has entered a merger, and become new, Tampere University (TAU/TUNI). All uta.fi domains and emails has be substituted by tuni.fi ones. My personal ones (in unet.fi and gmail.com) will remain as they were.
I was awarded one year personal research period as an IASR Professorial Fellow (1.8.2018-31.7.2019)
We got the Scientific Achievement of the Year 2017 award in 25 April 2018 (Vuoden tiedeteko), for creating and getting funding for the CoE-GameCult
Our Centre of Excellence organised the public “Game Studies in Finland” (Pelitutkimus Suomessa) lecture series in Spring 2018, see: https://coe-gamecult.org/2018/01/17/luentosarja2018/
The first call for applications to the researcher positions in CoE GameCult were opened in December 2017, see: https://coe-gamecult.org/
Academy of Finland granted funding for our Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies (2018-2025 programme)
I was appointed as a lifetime HEVGA Fellow by the Higher Education Video Game Alliance.
The TUNI ITC Faculty started 1.1.2019, and before that, The Faculty of Communication Sciences (Viestintätieteiden tiedekunta) started 1.1.2017, including also Information Studies and Interactive Media, Internet and Game Studies degree programs, and the TRIM research centre.
I served as the Vice Dean (varadekaani) of the Faculty of Communication Sciences.
Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja – tuoretta pelitutkimusta suomen kielellä – the Finnish Yearbook of Game Studies has been published annually, and there are several issues of research available: Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2019, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2018, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2017, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2016, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2015, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2014, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2013, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2012, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2011, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2010 and Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2009 collect together an interesting view about Game Studies, its evolution in Finland
I was talking in Heureka about pervasive games and Pokémon GO (Facebook mobile video link)
I was granted the DiGRA Distinguished Scholar award by the Digital Games Research Association – DiGRA
YLE aamu-tv (Finnish Broadcasting Company) interviewed me about the Player Barometer 2015 study:http://areena.yle.fi/1-3488580
In Helsingin Sanomat/Nyt, I have been interviewed regarding “swatting” and GamerGate phenomena.
I was also interviewed by daily news media Helsingin Sanomat and Iltasanomat on our Player Barometer (Pelaajabarometri) research in March, 2015
I spoke about (adult) play and games in YLE Prisma Studio in 2 Sept, 2014:http://areena.yle.fi/tv/2163319/#/play
My interview comments are published in the Helsingin Sanomat series of articles on gaming problems and game research in Finland, part 1, part 2 (see also part 3 & interview on the future of games)
Pelaajabarometri 2013 study on the state and development of game playing in Finland has been published
I was appointed as the Vice Dean (varajohtaja) of our School of Information Sciences for 2003-2016 (see the SIS admin contact pages here)
Note the location of my office: Pinni B2058 (available by appointment)
Links to old and new course pages: ITIS51 (research and theory literature course), Thesis Seminar (every Spring Term),Gradupiiri (the continuing master’s thesis seminar), Research Seminar (PhD plans, research articles). I am also responsible for the electronic exams and essay options for ITIS55 History of Internet and New Media Studies, ITIS56 Classics of Internet and New Media Studies and ITIA23 Research of Interactive Online Services, Games and Internet; electonic book exams available via tenttis.uta.fi service. For essay instructions, send me email.
Publications, including several articles on game culture studies available as PDF files in my Publications page
My public profile of publication citation information in Google Scholar
Talouselämä-lehti haastattelee yritysmaailman oppimispeleihin liittyen (a magazine interview)
YLE has published two of my interviews on the theme of games and violence (text: Ruokkiiko väkivaltapeli tosielämän väkivaltaa? – audio: Tekevätkö sotapelit väkivaltaiseksi?)
Video of my ITK 2012 conference keynote (in Finnish): http://bambuser.com/v/2570591
My interview about playfulness and games in Kirjastokaista.fi (in Finnish)
A video interview where I am talking about my work has been published by Professoriliitto
Pelaajabarometri 2011 provides a comprehensive view into the role of play (digital or not) to Finnish people
Interview about research into playfulness and gamification (in Finnish) / haastattelu leikillisyyden ja pelillisyyden tutkimuksesta löytyy Aikalaisesta
My new blog site: http://fransmayra.fi
Pelaajabarometri 2009 reports an overall view of playing (digital and traditional) in Finland
YLE news: “kännykkä on arjen kaukosäädin” (“mobile phone is the remote control for everyday life”)
Pelitieto.net: an online course for Finnish educators on games literacy has been opened (see also: HS, Digitoday, etc.)
Interview comments on elder people becoming interested in digital play (YLE; suomeksi)
“The Serious Side of Gameplay”, a profile interview by University of Tampere research services:http://www.uta.fi/english/news/researcher_profiles/mayra.html [also in Finnish/suomeksi]
YLE Pop Uutiset interview: http://pop.yle.fi/artikkelit/2008-11-07/pelit-ovat-edelleen-populaarikulttuurin-pohjasakkaa
“Whole Life is Game for a Games Researcher” (a profile interview in Finnish) by Tekniikka & Talous:http://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/tyo/article77453.ece
Helsingin Sanomat, a short interview (in Finnish) on adult gamers:http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Yhä+useampi+kolmikymppinen+pelaa+videopelejä/1135242055714
IT-viikko news about hypermedia master’s degree studies starting: http://www.itviikko.fi/ihmiset-ja-ura/2008/02/08/tampereen-yliopisto-kouluttaa-hypermedian-maisteriksi/20083950/7
Helsingin Sanomat, a short interview (in Finnish) on digital games divide:http://www.hs.fi/omaelama/artikkeli/Nuoren+nettipelejä++ei+kannata+kieltää/HS20061108SI2YO02af6
A video interview about games literacy and interactive, online media cultures by YLE (Finnish national broadcaster), in YLE educational video archive: http://opettajatv.yle.fi/artikkeli?id=5949 [part 2, part 3, part 4,part 5, part 6]
Tietokone magazine on online games: http://www.tietokone.fi/lukusali/artikkelit/2005tk07/nettipelit.htm
Digitoday interview on the popularity of digital gaming: http://www.digitoday.fi/viihde/2007/10/25/suomalainen-ei-viela-suostu-maksamaan-digipeleistaan/200726687/66
Tietokone magazine on casual games: http://www.tietokone.fi/lukusali/artikkelit/2007tk13/haastattelu.htm
IT-viikko interview on elder people’s interest to games: http://www.itviikko.fi/uutiset/2007/05/14/korttipakka-vaihtuu-pelikonsoliin-vanhuksilla/200711792/7
MikroBitti on Second Life: http://www.mbnet.fi/lukusali/juttu.aspx?juttuid=2030
IT-viikko on social gaming: http://www.itviikko.com/talous/2006/11/29/videopeli-maustaa-yhteiset-hetket/200621976/7
Tekniikka & Talous on social gaming: http://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/viihde/article191036.ece
Digitoday interview on Finnish game industy and need for education:http://www.digitoday.fi/data/2006/02/16/tietokonepelin-kehitystyo-on-harras-ammatti/20064862/66
SKR grant to the study of games cultures, news by Digitoday: http://www.digitoday.fi/page.php?page_id=66&news_id=20065188
Information Studies and Interactive Media became a part and a degree programme in the new School of Information Sciences (starting 1.1.2011)
Hypermedia Laboratory is now part of the new Department of Information Studies and Interactive Media (starting 1.1.2009)
information about my textbook An Introduction to Game Studies: http://gamestudiesbook.net/
new games research projects starting in 2009: the Creation of Games Cultures (Academy of Finland) and Transformation of Digital Play (TDP/GaIn+SoPlay; Tekes & consortium of companies, jointly with University of Jyväskylä)
news item about the CG-Cult project starting: http://www.uta.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/2008/100.html
a VePe research report published: study of online poker players’ experiences
new research projects probe the future of games as services, skill gaming with money in the Internet (more in Finnish)
info bulletin about an average Finnish gamer being c. 37 year old, and Windows Solitaire being the most
all visiting lecture announcements and other updates are usually quickly available in my blog
regular updates in Publications (with dowload links) and CV pages, the latter including conference activities
a seminar of game studies announced (pelitutkimuksen seminaari käynnistyy)
A new short paper on the developments of online gaming (Internet-pelaamisen muodonmuutos)
my book Demonic Texts and Textual Demons is again available
please note also my article in Aamulehti about the development of games (in Finnish):http://www.uta.fi/~tlilma/pelikehitys_aamulehti.pdf