Skip to content

Literature, Philosophy, and Games

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Daniel Vella shares his passion for game research

Alu_DanielVellaI first developed an interest in cultural studies through studying film and literature during my B.Comms. (Hons)(Melit.). In 2008, my eyes were opened by an introductory course to Game Studies run by the Department of English. In 2009, I enrolled in the Department’s Masters programme in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Criticism. The Masters programme gave me the opportunity to continue studying literature while focusing my thesis on the analysis of imagery in digital games.

I graduated in November 2010. I knew I wanted to continue to a Ph.D. in Game Studies. Over the following year, while striving to put together a Ph.D. research application, I taught English at the Malta University Language School and wrote scripts for a children’s television show on PBS. I also took part in my first Game Studies Conference in Athens, which gave me my first glimpse of the international game studies community. 

I submitted my Ph.D. application to the IT University of Copenhagen, a world leader in game studies research. It was successful, and in February 2012 aided by a Malta Arts Scholarship award, I moved to Copenhagen to begin three years of study. 

My research is about subjectivity in games. I use philosophy and literary theory to look at questions like: ‘who is the “I” that the player is playing in a game?’ ‘Can games be used as a way for the player to explore different identities and characters?’ Besides my research, I also teach a course entitled ‘Foundations of Play and Games’ to Masters students. 

Continuing my studies abroad has brought me into contact with many leading figures in my field. It opened me to new perspectives and ideas from fellow researchers. I have had the opportunity to present my work at several international conferences, from Finland to the USA, and I have just returned from a three-month research stay at the School of Creative Media in Hong Kong. 

While I was abroad I kept in touch with the University of Malta, helping to organise and contribute to the Games and Literary Theory conference held here last year.

This article forms part of The Gaming Issue

Author

More to Explore

These Insoles Are Made for Monitoring: A Step Towards Preventive Healthcare 

30/10/2026 No Comments

What if healthcare could learn more about our health between appointments? Wearable technology is opening up new possibilities for continuous monitoring, and researchers at UM’s Centre for Biomedical Cybernetics and Department of Podiatry, in collaboration with Tarsos, are making significant contributions in this area. THINK went to learn more about a research project investigating how smart insoles could improve foot health monitoring for people with diabetes.

The Chosen One? Adoption Beyond the ‘Happy Ending’

29/10/2026 No Comments

You look at your reflection in the mirror. Your face tells a story of the generations that came before you. A familiar smile, or a shared eye colour, a resemblance that has probably been pointed out more than once. For most, such observations are brushed off with a smile and quickly forgotten. But what if your reflection raised more questions than answers?

Molecular Mail: Tiny Parcels for Tracking Tumours

27/10/2026 No Comments

Tumours are not discreet. As cancer cells grow and change, they release microscopic particles into their environment. Some of these particles enter the bloodstream. They are small, abundant, and, as researchers are beginning to realise, potentially informative. A Maltese research project is testing whether extracellular vesicles can provide a less invasive source of cancer information.

Comments are closed for this article!