E. Jules Maier-Zucchino

E. Jules Maier-Zucchino is a Ph.D Candidate in Communication Studies. His SSHRC-funded doctoral research explores how the concept of leadership is simulated in single-player videogames, critiquing the individualistic and authoritarian values that often underpin these depictions. He furthers this investigation by designing games that encourage players to critically reflect on how leadership is presented in games as well as the leadership structures present in their daily lives. Through this research, he seeks to illuminate how games can contribute to fostering more egalitarian and distributed leadership values. 

Jules has also worked as a research assistant alongside Dr. Mia Consalvo, contributing to research and design projects including the journal article “Dilemmas of a Disco Cop”  and the videogame “Stream Evil.” This work focused largely on ethical decision-making within videogames. He supplements this research with explorations of broader media and cultural studies topics including visual cultures, media’s influence on subjectivity formation, and how stories are adapted across media. 

Jules is a member of Concordia University’s mLab and Technoculture Art and Games (TAG) lab. His work has been presented at international conferences such as DiGRA and SCMS, and has been published in the journal Games and Culture.

Thesis title: Playing the Leader: Critiquing the Ideology of Leadership in Single-Player Videogames

Publications:

de Heuvel, B, Maier-Zucchino, E. J., Roberts, J. Spatzner, J., & Consalvo, M. (2026). Stream Evil [Windows]. Concordia University. https://auraculum.itch.io/stream-evil

Maier-Zucchino, E. J. (2025).The Inquisitor’s Path: Leadership in Dragon Age: Inquisition. In C. Tomlinson (Ed.), The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Dragon Age (pp. 20-37). Play Story Press.

Consalvo, M., Maier-Zucchino, E. J., & Marinov, R. (2022).The Dilemmas of a Disco Cop: Ethically Well Played Experiences in Disco Elysium. In J. P. Zagal (Ed.), Well Played: A Journal on Video Games, Value and Meaning [A Special Issue on Ethics], 11(1), 5-36.

Maier-Zucchino, E. J. (2022). Developing Meaning: Critical Violence and Eudaimonic Entertainment in the Seventh Console Generation. Games and Culture, 13(3), 380-401. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120221100817

Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-jules-maier-zucchino-29a212143/?isSelfProfile=true