Once considered a niche, almost a subculture, video game design has evolved into a fully-realized sector and field of innovation within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs). Open Debate section of diid explores what happens when game design is hybridized with other domains of design and creative practice, both in terms of practical integration and conceptual transformation. As we introduce this volume and the contributions in it, we outline a general panorama spanning four analytic dimensions that recur in the field: theoretical concepts (theories and frameworks that reframe what design is and what it can do), approaches (developmental and participatory processes and models used to guide design work), tools (the technical systems and platforms adopted from game development), and methods (techniques and design heuristics drawn from game practice). It is an interesting topic both in itself and for the relevant contribution it is bringing by contamination to other fields of design research. As typical of our tradition, it is also an opportunity to establish stronger and more frequent scientific relationships with a network of colleagues and scientists who have made or are making interesting contributions to game design. Flaviano Celaschi
