Gerald Farca
Head of Games Department & Professor for Game Design (Game Studies & Narrative Design) at Macromedia University Munich
Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. Phil), Video Game Studies, English Literary Studies;
Game and Narrative Designer / Writer / Artist
Greetings, everyone! I’m Gerald Farca, head of the Games Department at Macromedia University, where I coordinate the games programme across eight campuses. Alongside this, I hold the position of a professor in Game Design, specializing in Game Studies and Narrative Design. My passion lies in merging theoretical underpinnings with their practical application in the realm of game design.
I earned my Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature and Game Studies from Augsburg University (Germany) in 2018. During my tenure there, I also served as a lecturer and contributed as a member of a research seminar focused on contemporary literary theory and drama. Furthermore, I ventured beyond borders, working as a visiting researcher and lecturer at esteemed game studies institutions. Notably, I had the privilege of collaborating with the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT University in Copenhagen (Denmark) in 2016 (where I spent an entire semester) and later, the CESAG of the Comillas Pontifical University in Palma (Spain) in 2018.
My ongoing research explores the intriguing realm of regenerative play and the genre of ecological (science) fiction. Within this domain, I dissect the affective and aesthetic impacts of ecogames while delving into the practical implementations of sustainable concepts. In collaboration with the University of Utrecht, we’ve published an edited collection on Ecogames, in partnership with Amsterdam University Press. This research transcends borders, involving international cooperation and thriving within a transdisciplinary environment. I am honored to be a member of the Augsburg Cultural Ecology Research Group, specializing in Environmental Humanities at Augsburg University, and I closely collaborate with the Utrecht Center for Game Research (Utrecht University, Netherlands).
Beyond my academic commitments, I actively participate in game projects as a game and narrative designer/writer. I’m also engaged in other creative ventures, including game photography (featured in art galleries and game analysis) on this website, as well as fictional writing encompassing short stories and game narratives. One recent publication in this regards included the cyberpunk short story “Piano White” published with Amazon Publishing.
For a comprehensive overview of my past and current projects, please explore the publications section on this website. Thank you for your interest and support!
Links:
Research and Practical Interests:
- Video Game Studies / Game Design
- Video Game Narrative and World Design
- Game Writing
- Literary Theory (especially narratology, reader-response theories, fiction theory, psychoanalysis)
- Utopia, Anti-Utopia, and Dystopia
- Science Fiction
- Cyberpunk and the Posthuman
- Ecocriticsm / Cultural Ecology
- Post-Apocalypse
- Gothic and Horror
Dissertation 2017: Playing Dystopia: Nightmarish Worlds in Video Games and the Player’s Aesthetic Response