Ben Egliston

Ben Egliston is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures and an Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA Fellow at the University of Sydney's Discipline of Media and Communications. His research focuses on the political economy of digital media, with specializations in videogames, immersive technologies (VR/AR), and blockchain applications in gaming. He leads an ARC-funded project on videogame industry monetization and collaborates on another exploring ethical issues in mixed reality. Egliston holds a BA (Hons) and PhD from the University of Sydney.

His research interests span game studies (monetization, blockchain, AI), critical theory of technology, and the ethical implications of immersive media. Egliston is the co-author of three books, including Fantasies of Virtual Reality (MIT Press) and Cryptogaming (Palgrave Macmillan). He frequently contributes to media outlets like WIRED and ABC News, analyzing digital culture and technology's societal impact.

• Current Grants: ARC DECRA (2024), Meta Platforms Inc. Disability in the Metaverse (2022–2023)
• Key Awards: ARC DECRA Fellowship
• Research Students: Advising four PhD candidates on topics like disability inclusion in VR, mobile game monetization in China, and game music in immersive spaces.

Egliston's work addresses governance challenges in emerging technologies, such as data privacy in VR and the metaverse's social implications. He co-leads the CAVRN Syllabus project and has contributed to policy submissions on digital surveillance and cultural policy.