Casey O'Donnell

Casey O'Donnell is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University currently undergoing tenure review. They work at the intersection of Anthropology, Game Studies, and Science and Technology Studies (STS), primarily employed within communication-focused academic units where Game Studies has found disciplinary home. Their research centers on ethnographic investigations of video game developers and industry structures.

Research interests emphasize the socio-cultural-political-economic formations within the global video game industry, including critical analysis of 'free-to-play' models, cloud infrastructure impacts on creative labor, and boundary-policing in gaming communities. O'Donnell examines how technological systems like claw machines and random number generators reflect broader capitalist mechanisms through ethnographic engagement with developers.

Their scholarly approach bridges academic publishing critique with practical game design experience, highlighted by their MIT Press-published ethnography Developer's Dilemma exploring game developers' secretive work cultures. O'Donnell actively participates in industry events like the Game Developers Conference (GDC) while maintaining CASTAC committee affiliations.