We at FPS are advocating for a new dynamic, one in which we demonstrates our relevancy through timely, rigorous, and accessible criticism that challenges all players to engage in what Mary Flanagan calls critical play.

The articles we publish encourage players—be them developers, scholars, critics, or enthusiasts—to consider alternatives to popular interpretations of games, game play, and games culture. Through this discourse we seek to establish and sustain a critical conversation amongst those producing and playing games, demonstrating in the process that the player is a figure capable of enriching and challenging our understanding of games and what they are capable of.

We are looking for unique and diverse perspectives that may be underrepresented in games writing, as well as those that exist between the more industry-driven journalistic view and the more traditional academic position. This means that we are especially interested in submissions from people of color, queer folks, women, and non-binary individuals.

FPS is a middle state publication. If you would like to know more about that you can read any of these articles we have published on the topic and/or watch the three minute video about FPS below!

Emma Vossen – Publish or Perish: Or Publish with Purpose?

Steve Wilcox – On the Publishing Methods of Our Time: Mobilizing Knowledge in Game Studies

Jason Hawreliak – Hybrid Publishing – The Case for the Middle State

Bart Simon – Difficult Writing

Emma Vossen – Academic Vigilantism