I received my PhD from the Institute for Media Studies and Theatre in Cologne under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Benjamin Beil, specializing in trauma representations in video games. My dissertation was published by transcript in 2022. My interests lie in the political implications of video games, which I approach critically from a systemic and interdisciplinary perspective.
I teach at the University of Cologne and the Macromedia University of Applied Sciences for Design in Cologne. I am a co-editor of an anthology on Critical Game Studies and am hosting the Let’s Play Critical panels, where video games are critically discussed and played live in front of an audience.
I am part of the media artist formation K.o.Z. (Kollektiv ohne Zukunft). We merge the virtual/non-virtual to critically challenge conventional concepts of game/play and present/future.
Another area of my interest is virtual photography, which I actively practice and also explore theoretically.
Mail:
hello(at)thomspies.net
Instagram:
@digital_stranger_
Researchgate:
@Thomas-Spies-3