Ross Fifield

University of York

I studied for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in games design at Falmouth University and prior to entering the iGGi program, have more recently been teaching further and higher education courses in games development.  

I’m a user centred designer with a practical interest in disruptive, future-proof, and emergent design solutions and a theoretical interest in paradigms surrounding engagement and disposition towards play. I also maintain professional interests in pedagogy, affective psychology, applied games, ludic lexicology, and speculative design.  As a player of games, my interests are normally agnostic. I’ll happily engage with anyone in play, but I find First Person Shooter, MMO and Sandbox games particularly appealing. I also maintain an interest in Live-action roleplaying and martial hobbies such as HEMA and Airsoft.

My project focuses on the social and ludic constraints and opportunities in effect when inviting a player into social or group play. I intend to identify the instrumental factors affecting the decision to commence play with others and in so doing, identify opportunities to reduce disengagement and improve engagement with others. My hope is that this project will result in developing practical, user-centered practices relevant to academic, educational and commercial communities of play.