Projects
Researchers on our projects include faculty, staff, and students from across the university.
Projects may be affiliated with one of CESTA's core labs or entirely self-standing; in either case, project lead(s) receive administrative, technical, and financial support from CESTA. Many are aided by the contributions of Undergraduate Research Interns. At times, these projects may last a set period of time and culminate in a piece of traditional or digital scholarship; in other cases, a project may develop a life of its own and continue even after the founder has moved on.
Active
Character Creation Screen Project
CRPG character creation screens promise players total freedom to become whomever they want — yet that freedom is bounded by design choices made long before the player ever touches a slider. This project examines the default…
Early Cape Travelers
The early colonial Cape of Good Hope was subject to a large number of travel accounts by Europeans, roughly 1488 to 1900. For all the obvious ethnocentrism of their colonial gaze, they are historically valuable in that they contain unique…
JRPGs and RPGs Classifier Model
Genre distinctions between JRPGs and RPGs have traditionally been drawn through visual design and gameplay mechanics — art style, combat systems, narrative structure. This project asks a different question: is there a textual…
Mapping Neuva York
Today, the New York City metro area is home to over 31,000 Latinx-owned businesses—more than ever before. However, Latinx entrepreneurship in the city has deep roots. Mapping Nueva York explores this rich history, highlighting a pivotal…
The Game Canon Project
Despite frequent references to a video game "canon" in journalism, fan communities, and academic discourse, this canon has rarely been rigorously defined or measured. Our project investigates what actually constitutes the video…