Fifteen years ago computer game research barely existed as a subject area within the humanities and the social sciences. In the early years of computer game research it was a widespread phenomenon to see scholars from other research areas try to apply their theories and methods onto games in order to show that games could be seen as cultural objects alongside other cultural objects within a specific research area, typically the one that the scholar was part of. This way of doing game research has been heavily criticised for not being able to grasp the specificities of games; their unique way of structuring events (interactivity); their rule based systems; the specific way of experiencing gameplay; the social community building etc. Today game research is maturing fast and game researchers do not simply apply existing theory to the field of games, they go the other way round. Game research is about understanding the various details of gaming – and in order to do that they seek for knowledge and methods in a broad spectrum: psychology, sociology, philosophy, aesthetics, narratology, logic, etc. Though concepts, approaches, and language evolve fast, a network that could help clarify, strengthen, and optimize the various approaches seems obviously a good idea.
Furthermore, computer games have shown to be particularly good at creating optimal experiences, and therefore also a vital part of the experience economy being a central part of today's society. So a network that could help to canalize knowledge from research into industry and education makes sense.
In Denmark most of the scholars related to the field of computer games are organized in the national network spilforskning.dk. The network was founded in 2002 where it received a two year grant from The Danish Research Council for the Humanities. In this period the network was headed by associate professor Carsten Jessen (DPU) and associate professor Bo Kampmann Walther (SDU). Jessen & Walther also edited the first Danish anthology dedicated to computer games "Spillets Verden" (2005) based on contributions from the network members. Furthermore the network became part of the initiative the led to the founding of DADIU (Det Danske Akademi for Digital Interaktiv Underholdning). DADIU is an educational initiative that brings together several educational establishments (University of Copenhagen, The National Film School, The Animation Workshop at the University College of Western Denmark, Danmarks Designskole, Denmark’s Technical University, University of Aarhus, Aalborg University, and the IT-University of Copenhagen). The coordination committee of DADIU consists of members within industry and academia.
Computer games can be viewed as a product of popular culture or culture in general, just like film and television. Therefore a number of universities in Denmark have taken up computer games in terms of teaching as well as research. Especially the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT-University of Copenhagen has been very active doing research. They have also started the international academic journal "Game Studies". At Aalborg University, the research group InDiMedia has been very active in establishing a regional network for computer game research and development (ComITop) and computer games have been a central topic within larger research projects on user generated content hosted and lead by InDiMedia (BID-TV and PLAN-B). Later this year, InDiMedia launches a Nordic journal Dig:IT dedicated to writings on digital interactive phenomena (on a subsidy by Nordic Board for Periodicals in the Humanities and the Social Sciences (NOP-HS). At The Danish University of Education a major project on 'Serious Games in a Global Market' on a subsidy by KINO (Programme Commission on Creativity, Innovation, New Production Forms and the Experience Economy) will be carried out in the period from July 2007 to July 2010.
The research area of computer games in Denmark is subject to a rising amount of ph.d.-candidates. This fact has lead to a newly established initiative, headed by Ole Ertløv Hansen (AAU) and Espen Aarseth (ITU), that seeks to establish a national research training program that focuses on Computer Games/New Media (on a subsidy by IT-VEST) hopefully this program will be launched in the autumn 07.
In Norway there are several departments and institutions that conduct research on computer games. The most prominent are the Department for Humanistic Informatics, University of Bergen and the Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo, both of which take an active interest in the field. They offer courses, as well as master and PhD degrees on the subject. The Faculty of Media, Volda University College also offers master and PhD degrees. Finally, there have been several master degrees on subjects relating to computer games on the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Department of Social Anthropology, University of Oslo. The Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo in collaboration with the network Filosofisk Prosjektsenter in Oslo, has initiated a work group that organizes research activities on the philosophy of computer games.
In Finland, one of the internationally most prominent computer game researchers Frans Mäyrä has been a very active key figure in building a well recognized research group around the Game Research Lab, which is one of the leading research groups into social-cultural studies of games (see further description §15).
In Sweden The Interactive Institute has organized and are continually organizing research projects on games, one of the leading players has been Craig Lindley.