Thomas Spies, PhD, from the University of Cologne gives a guest lecture on the various functions and effects of glitches in videogames and play
Glitches in video games are often described as interruptions or anomalies in the gameplay that can be caused by a variety of factors such as programming errors, hardware malfunctions or actions of the players. In this lecture, we will approach a definition of the phenomenon in an interdisciplinary way and examine the forms in which glitches occur. Actually an unwelcome and undesirable disturbance on the production side, the exploitation of glitches by the gaming community in speedrunning, modding and other gaming subcultures will be examined. Furthermore, the topic will also be discussed in relation to feminist, queer and decolonial research: How glitches can be used to create new, diverse and inclusive gaming experiences, reveal or break down dominant power structures and challenge dominant cultural norms.
The guest lecture by Thomas Spies is arranged by the ENCODE research network and funded by the Erasmus+ framework.