Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: ChoiceStriker on June 03, 2008, 06:43:05 pm
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Hi guys. I've been thinking about posting about this for a while now. In 2006 I finished a master's degree in East Asian Languages and Cultures at KU (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!). My somewhat unorthodox thesis topic was the Japanese game center industry. Most of my research was about the development of the industry, and some of the cultural aspects of Japan that have enabled game centers to survive there while American arcades have withered and died.
I had a lot of disbelieving looks when I told people I thought I could write 100 pages about the topic, but I was blessed with a great thesis advisor (the author of "Godzilla on My Mind") who is just as fanatical about Japanese pop culture as I am, who encouraged me to go for it. It was a really enjoyable experience to research and read the history and perspective on arcades in Japan (phenomenal Japanese practice, too).
Anyway, if anyone here is interested in reading my work, I'd be happy to share it. Just PM me and I can send a PDF. I'd welcome feedback from people who might know more about arcade history, both American and Japanese, than I do. I've had contact from on-demand ("vanity") publishers interested in putting it out there, but haven't taken anyone up on it. Maybe I should keep refining it - a lot can change in two years!
Thanks!
Eric
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Cool! Maybe you can upload it to scribd.com? Otherwise please send me a copy (send2erik (at) gmail (dot) com). I've written a paper on the Xbox supply chain management myself (http://singapoera.blogspot.com/2008/05/evolution-of-xbox-supply-chain.html (http://singapoera.blogspot.com/2008/05/evolution-of-xbox-supply-chain.html) if you're interested)
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I'd be interested in having a look, but only if you posted a link.
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Thanks for the interest, you two, but I'm still looking into the logistics of putting anything online. Before I graduated I was required to register my thesis with ProQuest / UMI, and they retain some rights to publication. Also, putting it out there could preclude publication in academic journals in the future. So if I ever want to continue this work in the hopes of having it published elsewhere I could really be shooting myself in the foot by putting it on the web (although the copyright is formally registered with the library of congress). For now, e-mailing it or hosting it myself with a password-protected site is my only option.
EDIT: I found the ProQuest citation page, where you can read the abstract and the first 17 pages for free: http://urltea.com/39v4
Everyone's welcome to check it out - as I said, I'd love to hear some feedback!!
Eric