Permagames

The games industry’s rapid innovation cycles foster frequent hardware upgrades, accelerating the obsolescence of still-functional devices and contributing to growing e-waste and indirect emissions (Baldé et?al.,?2017; Forti et?al.,?2020; Mills & Mills,?2016). Against this backdrop, “Permagames” investigates the applicability of permacomputing principles—longevity, repairability, sufficiency—in the games and IT domains. Demakes, retro-inspired reinterpretations of contemporary titles for lower-spec platforms, serve as a testbed to examine high-quality player experience under resource constraints (Flanagan,?2009; Birken,?2024). The 12-month sounding study adopts a mixed-methods design: (A) systematic literature/market review and stakeholder mapping; (B) qualitative content analysis of online community discourses (e.g., Reddit/Steam); (C) a quantitative survey using validated instruments (e.g., GEQ, presence/immersion, flow, usability) to assess acceptance of resource-efficient applications; and (D) semi-structured expert interviews on best practices, barriers, and commercialization. Cross-cutting themes include sustainability (ecological/social/economic) and gender/diversity, particularly with respect to access to digital culture. Expected outcomes include an evidence-based open access scoping report, UX/acceptance findings, design guidelines, and commercialization pathways (service- and licensing-based), including spin-off options (e.g., via tecnet?equity). The envisaged impact is to extend device lifetimes, lower access barriers to digital applications beyond high-end hardware, and to prepare a market for sustainable gaming and IT.