Blog post by Ruiyu Xu and Junxiang Feng, PhD Candidates at CREATe, University of Glasgow
On 15 May 2026, Bath Spa University hosted Press Start 2: Embracing the Absurd, a one-day conference on video games, law, technology, and digital culture. Through workshops, lightning talks, demo presentations, and a book launch and discussion, the event brought together academics and industry participants to discuss emerging legal and social challenges surrounding artificial intelligence, platform governance, fan and creative labour, user-generated content, and the regulation of contemporary game ecosystems. The event was sponsored by Bath Spa University, CREATe and Lewis Silkin LLP.
The conference opened with a talk on Embracing the Absurd, followed by a Diverse Games Law workshop led by Dr Abigail Rekas (University of Galway), Dr Maria O’Brien (University of Galway), Dr Amy Thomas (University of Glasgow), and Dr Sevra Guler Guzel (Bath Spa University).
Diverse Games Law workshop in session. From left to right: Dr Amy Thomas (University of Glasgow), Dr Abigail Rekas (University of Galway), Dr Maria O’Brien (University of Galway), and Dr Sevra Guler Guzel (Bath Spa University) leading discussion with participants. Photo by Weiwei Yi
During the open talk on Embracing the Absurd, Dr Sevra Guler Guzel argued that, in a period of rapid technological development, it remains uncertain whether academic discussions can meaningfully influence legislation. Nevertheless, the process of searching for solutions still carries value. Rather than aiming for definitive solutions or clear policy answers, the workshop which followed encouraged participants to share ideas openly and engage in discussions on diversity “in” games, “of” games, and “through” games.
The discussion session adopted a brainstorming format and explored a wide range of themes and areas. Topics focused on modding, accessibility, labour conditions, and platform governance in games. Participants reflected on whether players should be permitted to modify games to improve accessibility, while also raising concerns about harmful or exclusionary uses of player-created content. Other conversations explored issues such as crunch culture, labour exploitation, workforce diversity, and authentic representation in games. Broader discussions connected monetisation, user-generated content, sexism, gatekeeping, and game literacy, highlighting the increasingly interconnected nature of contemporary game ecosystems.
The final open discussion focused primarily on Roblox, platform governance, and the increasingly blurred boundaries between games and social media platforms. Participants expressed concerns about child labour, exploitative monetisation structures, grooming, and the difficulties of cross-border enforcement against global gaming platforms. The discussion also reflected the growing regulatory responsibilities imposed on platforms through legal instruments such as the Online Safety Act and the Digital Services Act (DSA).
At the PhD Lightning Talk session chaired by Weiwei Yi, five early career researchers from the UK and Ireland presented projects exploring the intersections between video games, law, creativity, labour, and digital governance.
Weiwei Yi (University of Glasgow) hosting the Lightning Talks session during the conference. Photo provided by Kristofer Erickson
Junxiang Feng (University of Glasgow) examined fan games and intellectual property law, focusing on the tensions between fan creators, rightsholders and players across copyright, trade mark, and competition law. Using Pokémon Uranium as an example, her project explores questions of user innovation, market substitution, and the legal uncertainties surrounding fan game creation and community practices.
Eoghan Watters (The Irish Game Makers Association) examined the Irish games industry through its history, global position, policy support, and current challenges. His presentation discussed issues such as regional inequality, limited trust within the industry, and unclear role structures. It also highlighted possible opportunities for growth through tax incentives, competency frameworks, industry promotion, and closer collaboration between government, academia, and developers.
Ruiyu Xu (University of Glasgow) analysed the copyright protection of game interaction mechanics, analysing recent disputes involving games such as Pokémon vs Palworld and Minecraft vs Mini World. Her research questions whether rule-based interaction mechanics should receive copyright protection, and whether some form of IP negative space should be preserved in order to maintain creativity and competition.
Oscar Verdoire (Maynooth University) considered whether existing copyright protection and UGC (user-generated content) regulation frameworks can be applied to future metaverse environments. Focusing on game mods, his research examined how copyright law and EULAs (End User License Agreements) currently regulate UGC, whether these approaches balance the interests of users, intermediaries, developers, and publishers, and what legal changes may be needed for future immersive digital spaces.
Finally, Mingzhu Zhang (University of Galway) discussed fan creation in the Chinese MMORPG JX3 as a form of digital labour concealed by gift culture. Her presentation explored how fan art, fiction, videos, cosplay, and fan-made goods sustain game communities while generating promotional and long-term commercial value, arguing that current copyright frameworks often reinforce the exploitation and undervaluation of fan creators’ labour.
Participants in the Lightning Talks session, from left to right: Oscar Verdoire (Maynooth University), Eoghan Watters (The Irish Game Makers Association), Ruiyu Xu (University of Glasgow), Junxiang Feng (University of Glasgow), and Mingzhu Zhang (University of Galway). Photo by Weiwei Yi
The next session was the playful and memorable lunch demonstration of Cyberpunk Noodle Bar, an experimental agentic AI game demo by Prof. Kristofer Erickson and Felix Rodriguez Perez. It took place in the same space where delicious noodles had just been served, neatly blurring the line between a fictional cyberpunk eatery and the real dining setting.
Cyberpunk Noodle Bar Game session featuring Felix Rodriguez Perez and Kristofer Erickson (both University of Glasgow), presenting their work. Photo by Weiwei Yi
The project explores how generative AI can be used to create conversational, semi-autonomous game characters with evolving personalities, memories and goals, where each character has distinct aims and ability metrics, and player input helps steer how those capacities develop towards their end goals. Rather than relying on scripted NPCs, the system allows characters to improvise dialogue and develop relationships dynamically. One character, inspired by Dr Sevra Guler Guzel, appears as a lawyer specialising in intellectual property disputes, yet secretly dreams of opening her own restaurant.
The discussion of this session focused on the broader implications of generative AI in games. Attendees raised concerns about moderation, harmful prompts, and the risks posed by unfiltered open-source models generating explicit or inappropriate information. Consent and personality rights issues also came up, especially when AI characters are created using publicly accessible information. Commercial and labour issues, including copyright infringement, training data sources, and the possible displacement of creative work, were also discussed. Like the conference itself, the session reflected both excitement about AI-driven games with unease about their legal, ethical, and social consequences.
Dr Amy Thomas’s new book, Copyright, Contract, and Video Games: Terms of Play, was launched through a presentation and discussion session with Adrian Aronsson-Storrier. The book investigates “terms of play”, including EULAs, terms of service, content policies, and related documents, by asking why these documents persist despite being unread, poorly understood, and often legally uncertain. It argues that these documents function not merely as legal contracts but as socio-legal and linguistic tools through which companies and platforms regulate player behaviour, manage copyright-related power, and imagine the “ideal player.”
Book launch session with Amy Thomas (left) and Adrian Aronsson-Storrier (right) in conversation. Photo by Weiwei Yi
Amy reflected on the challenges behind the project, including the selection of methodology, the construction of the dataset, differences between indie and AAA studios, and the influence of jurisdiction on drafting styles. Particularly interesting was the discussion of how EULAs evolve over time. She emphasised that these agreements are living texts that shift alongside wider industry attitudes towards modding, streaming, and user-generated content, citing examples such as Nintendo’s significant policy changes during the Covid-19 pandemic and Minecraft’s evolving terms of use.
Building on this attention to language and discourse, the discussion further highlighted the striking variation in how different companies address players through EULAs. Independent developers were often described as adopting informal, humorous, and self-aware styles, with Minecraft, for instance, framing its terms in a conversational tone that openly acknowledges the opacity and unpopularity of legal agreements. Similarly, games such as Deltarune and Superhot integrate contractual elements directly into gameplay in playful and reflexive ways. In contrast, major publishers such as Nintendo tend to rely on highly formalised and restrictive legal language, particularly in relation to user-generated content. Roblox also emerged as a particularly complex case beyond the original dataset: a platform centred on user creativity, yet governed through tightly controlled contractual structures.
The final session centred on shaping future research agendas and sharing ongoing projects. Participants discussed the emergence of AI-driven games as sites of emotional attachment and potential relational substitutes, raising questions about whether such relationships warrant legal protection. They also debated whether in-game behavioural data, including gameplay strategies and keystrokes, should be treated as sensitive biometric data. The discussion further explored the intersection of esports and AI, particularly the complex copyright, personality, and data-related issues surrounding game replays, as well as whether player inputs might constitute forms of legal co-creation. Participants were also invited to engage with various publication opportunities, including submissions to the CREATe working paper series, the Interactive Entertainment Law Review, and an upcoming edited volume stemming from the Diverse Games Law workshop.
Post-conference gathering where participants play Kris’s game together. Abigail Rekas is playing, while Dr Sevra Guler Guzel can be seen laughing; the screen displays an AI agent character based on Dr Sevra Guler Guzel. Photo by Kristofer Erickson
Conclusion
In conclusion, Press Start 2: Embracing the Absurd highlighted the increasingly blurred boundaries between games, platforms, labour, creativity, and regulation. Discussions on platform governance, user-generated content, fan communities, generative AI, intellectual property, and evolving contractual practices reflected both excitement and uncertainty about the future of digital game cultures. Through workshops, presentations, demonstrations, and discussions, the conference further underscored the complexity of contemporary game ecosystems and the value of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding them. The conference also brought together academics and industry participants to exchange ideas from different professional perspectives. Although many participants recognised the difficulties of keeping law and regulation aligned with rapid technological change, the event also demonstrated the continuing value of critical discussion, interdisciplinary collaboration, and experimental thinking. In this sense, the conference fully embraced the “absurdity” of attempting to understand an industry that is constantly evolving.
[Many thanks to Dr Sevra Guler Guzel for organising the event, and to all session organisers, speakers, and participants for creating such a thoughtful and engaging space for discussion. It is hoped that these conversations will continue in future editions.]