Brian McCauley delivers keynote at ERNC2026

MMTC member Brian McCauley has delivered a keynote on gaming heritage, esports and digital society at ERNC2026 External link, opens in new window., hosted by the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

In his keynote, “Gaming Heritage Is Infrastructure: Esports and the Digital Society,” Brian explored the importance of understanding gaming heritage as part of the digital and cultural infrastructure of contemporary society.

The keynote examined how digital play, grassroots gaming communities and competitive environments contribute to the development of digital culture and society. By tracing how these spaces and communities evolve, Brian’s work offers a perspective on digital transformation as a social and cultural process – shaped not only by new technologies, but also by the practices, communities and histories that develop around them.

ERNC2026 brought together academic and industry perspectives on esports, with discussions spanning areas including governance, legal structures, player health and grassroots development.