There have always been games based on comics, and comics based on games, and the sense of play is central to both mediums. The video games Industry is also pioneering interactive media, virtual reality, and virtual production techniques, just as digital comics and webcomics have been pushing the boundaries of what comics can do for decades. This has several implications for transmedial and intermedial storytelling, and, potentially, the future of video games and comics, as these mediums converge, and potentially merge. However, there are crucial research questions that demand scholarly attention. Ludology (the study of games) has a fraught relationship with narratology. Game theorists have often argued against the application of narratology to games on the basis that a game is a kind of experience rather than a mode of storytelling. A game, they argue, is defined by its structure, rules and mode of engagement with a player or players rather than by its representational qualities and meaning. Recent work between the Comics Studies Creative Research Hub and various industry partners attempts to bring an understanding of comics narratology and ludology together to discover what they have to offer to the emergent hybrid forms of game comics and games that incorporate aspects of comics. This work is also interested in the social and cultural networks that shape the shared communities of gaming and comics fandom.
The intersections between the creative industries and academia in Dundee led to InGAME, a research project launched in 2018 to increase the scale and value of the Dundee videogames cluster through collaborative research and development. This project, which completed in 2023, was a partnership between Abertay University, the University of Dundee, and the University of St Andrews. It was co-funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Scottish Funding Council, and industry. InGAME was co-located in the Vision Building with Dundee Comics Creative Space, a social enterprise project run by CSCRH. InGAME funded a team of comics creators to produce a series of comics which explored the connections between comics and games. This team included Chris Murray, Damon Herd, Becca Emslie, and Stephen White.
The InGame research project completed in 2023, but research into comics and games is ongoing. This research explores the following questions:
- What connections/similarities or differences are there between the medium of comics and the medium of video games?
- How do production processes (scriptwriting, character design, storyboarding/layouts, development etc) compare between these two industries?
- On the surface, comics tell stories, and games are about gameplay and interactivity. Is this a fundamental distinction? Do games tell stories or are they about something else? Can comics be interactive in a way that is comparable to interactivity in games?
- What potential convergences might we see between comics and video games in the future? What role might AI play in this and would this be desirable?
You can participate in this research taking a survey (15 questions). This is primarily designed for people working in the video games and/or comics industries, but anyone can take part. However, everyone who participates must read the informed consent form and return a signed consent form with their answers. Please send responses and the signed informed consent form to Professor Christopher Murray (c.murray@dundee.ac.uk).
The survey is here:
