CV
Education
2023 PhD Communication, Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University (Supervised by Dr. Mia Consalvo).
2018 MA Media Studies, Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University.
2015 BA Western Society and Culture, Liberal Arts College, Concordia University.
Professional Appointments
Assistant Professor (Part Time). 2024-2025. Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Postdoctoral Fellow. 2025. Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Assistant Professor (Limited Term Appointment). 2023-2024. Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Sessional Instructor - COMS 360: Mass Media. Fall 2021. Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Sessional Instructor – COMS 333: Games, Media and Culture. Winter 2021. Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Books
Consalvo, M., Lajeunesse, M. and Zanescu, A. (2025). Streaming by the Rest of Us: Microstreaming Videogames on Twitch. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Journal Publications
Zanescu, A. (Accepted). ‘The Trap of Articulated & Blockbuster Resonance in Games,’ DGS: Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Soziologie.
Zanescu, A. (Forthcoming). ‘Cybermania ’94: The First Game Awards & Televised Prestige,’ Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies.
French, M., Swiffen A., Fiedler I., Bordeleau E., Hurl C., Hoebanx P., Chugh N., Hastings C., Jourdenais P.O., Kairouz S., Lajeunesse M., Monson E., Zanescu A. (In Review). “Financialization x Gamblification: Key Concepts for the Critique of Cryptocurrency Exchanges.” Critical Gambling Studies.
Eklund, L.., and Zanescu, A. (2024). ‘Times They are A changin’? The Evolution of Female Protagonists in the Assassin’s Creed Franchise’, Games and Culture. doi: 10.1177/15554120241246575.
Zanescu, A., French, M. and Lajeunesse, M. (2021) ‘Betting on DOTA 2’s Battle Pass: Gamblification and productivity in play’, New Media & Society, 23(10), pp. 2882–2901. doi: 10.1177/1461444820941381.
Zanescu, A., Lajeunesse, M. and French, M. (2021) ‘Speculating on Steam: Consumption in the gamblified platform ecosystem’, Journal of Consumer Culture, 21(1), pp. 34–51. doi: 10.1177/1469540521993928.
Book Chapters
Zanescu, A. (Forthcoming) “Blockbuster Games: Industrial Strategy Meets Genre”, in Epistemic Genres: New Formations in Digital Game Genres, eds. Gerald Voorhees, Josh Call, Betsy Brey and Matthew Wysocki. London, England: Bloomsbury
Zanescu, A. (Forthcoming) “Counter-Balkanism in The Witcher”, in Colonial Intersections in Video Games ed. Andrei Nae. Berlin, Germany: De Gruyter.
Book Reviews
Zanescu, A. (2021) ‘Book Review: Addictive Consumption: Capitalism, Modernity and Excess’, Journal of Consumer Culture. doi: 10.1177/14695405211022435.
Non-Refereed Publications
Zanescu, A. (2023) Blockbuster Resonance in Games: How Assassin’s Creed and Magic: The Gathering Simulate Classical Antiquity. Doctoral Dissertation, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Zanescu, A. (2018) Counter-Balkanism in The Witcher & Gwent: A Historical Reinvention Past the Balkan Paradigm. Masters Thesis, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Grants & Awards
2025 SCMS Travel Grant & Media Industries SIG Sponsorship - 400 USD
2021 TAG Project Funding, Co-Producer, Humour and Games (Season 2); Connecting to Game - 1000 CAD
2021 TAG Project Funding, Co-Producer, Humour and Games (Season 1) -1000 CAD
2019 – 2023 Fonds de Recherche du Quebec (FRQSC) Doctoral Award (B2Z) – 84 000 CAD
2018 – 2021 Doctoral Graduate Student Scholarship (Communication) - 48 000 CAD
2018 – 2019 Concordia Merit Scholarship - 10 000 CAD
2017 – 2018 MA Graduate Student Scholarshop (Media Studies) - 14 500 CAD
2017 – 2018 MA Graduate Student Scholarshop (Sociology and Anthropology) - 3 000 CAD
2016 – 2017 ReFiguring Innovation in Games (ReFiG), Lead Investigator, Encoding Through Streaming – 1 500 CAD
Keynotes
Zanescu, A. (2022). Monetization Strategies in Games: A Typology of Distribution and Service Models. Futures of Gambling Studies, RANGES Network, Montreal, October 5-6, 2022.
Invited Talks & Workshops
Zanescu, A. & Eklund L. (Forthcoming) A Conversation About Gender & Assassin’s Creed, MultiPlay: The Network for Multidisciplinary Research on Digital Play and Games, Online.
Zanescu, A. (2024) Une approche culturelle aux jeux. Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, November 28, 2024.
Zanescu, A. (2023) Les jeux AAA et leur étude. Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, November 2, 2023.
Zanescu, A. (2022) Les Jeux dans le Contexte Médiatique et Technologique Contemporain. Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, November 4, 2022.
Zanescu, A. (2021) Étude des jeux: Theories et Methodes, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, November 15, 2021.
Zanescu A. (2021) Les Jeux en tant que Litérature/Politique/Commerce, Collège Lionel-Groulx, Sainte-Thérèse, April 12, 2021.
Zanescu A. (2020) IMN 118: Les Jeux en tant que Litérature/Politique/Commerce, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, November 9, 2020.
Conference Activity
Zanescu, A. (Submitted). The Spike Video Game Awards Are Dead, Long Live the Game Awards: Reconsidering Awards Shows as the Struggle for a Field of Cultural Production. DiGRA 2025 (Digital Games Research Association), Valletta, Malta, June 30-July 5, 2025.
Zanescu, A. (Submitted). Filmic Prestige in Games: Ghost of Tsushima & Kurosawa’s Japan. CGSA 2025: Canadian Game Studies Association, Montreal, Canada, June 7-July 1, 2025.
Zanescu, A. (2025). The SXSW Gaming Awards: Divergent Cultural Capital & Failed Legitimation. SCMS 2025: Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Chicago, USA, April 3-6, 2025.
Zanescu, A. and Eklund, L. (2024). Shifting Patterns of Female Representation Across Assassin’s Creed. DiGRA 2024 (Digital Games Research Association), Guadalajara, Mexico, July 1-5, 2024.
Zanescu, A. (2024). Blockbuster Games & Legitimation Through Film. CCA 2024: Canadian Communication Association, Montreal, Canada, June 18-21, 2024.
Custodio, A. and Zanescu, A. (2024). Genshin by the Numbers: Triangulating Gameplay, Advertising, and Fandom. CGSA 2024: Canadian Game Studies Association, Montreal, Canada, June 15-17 2024.
Zanescu, A. (2024). The Game Awards: Prestige and (Re)Territorializing Success in Video Games. SCMS 2024: Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Boston, USA, March 14-17, 2024.
Zanescu, A. (2023). Making Antiquity Resonate in Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Odyssey and Articulated Resonance. DiGRA 2023 (Digital Games Research Association), Sevilla, Spain, June 19-23, 2023.
Ganzon, S. C. and Zanescu A. (2023). Making the Revolution Resonate: From la Conquista to El Generalissimo. DiGRA 2023 (Digital Games Research Association), Sevilla, Spain, June 19-23, 2023.
Zanescu, A. (2023). Thematic Cardboard: A Card Game Thematic Analysis Toolkit. CGSA 2023: Canadian Game Studies Association, June 6-9, 2023.
Zanescu A. (2023) Blockbuster Logics & Cultural Resonance in Games. ICA 2023: 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference. Toronto, Canada, May 25-29, 2023.
Zanescu A. (2023) Magic: The Gathering in Theros: Cultural Simulation, Resonant Greekness & Media Franchising. SCMS 2023: Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Denver, USA, April 12-15, 2023.
Zanescu A. (2022) Designing Magic: The Gathering’s Amonkhet: Egyptianness and the Limitations of Cultural Resonance. FDG’ 22: The 17th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, Athens, Greece, 5-8 September, 2022.
Zanescu A. (2022) Magic: The Gathering, Blockbuster Logics & Resonance. GENeration Analog, 27-28 July, 2022.
Zanescu A., Consalvo M., and Lajeunesse M. (2022) Living on Twitch: an Ethnography of Fatigue. DiGRA 2022 (Digital Games Research Association), Krakow, Poland, July 7-11, 2022.
Zanescu A., Consalvo M., and Lajeunesse M. (2022) Twitch as Metaplatform: Conglomeration & Platform Power. Global Perspectives on Platforms & Cultural Production, 1-2 June, 2022.
Zanescu A., Iantorno M., and Lajeunesse M. (2022) 3 Contests in a Trenchcoat: Video & Arcade Top 10, Games Broadcasting & 90s Canadian Gamer Capital. CGSA 2022: Canadian Game Studies Association, May 31-June 3, 2022.
Lajeunesse M., Zanescu A., and French M. (2022) The Social Value of Cosmetic Items in DOTA 2. CGSA 2022: Canadian Game Studies Association, May 31-June 3, 2022.
Zanescu, A. (2021) Counter-Balkanism in the Witcher: A Simulation of Cultural Identity, Colonial Discourse in Videogames, Center for American Studies, University of Bucharest, September 19, 2021.
Zanescu A., Lajeunesse M. and French M. (2019) Gaming DOTA Players: Iterative Platform Design and Capture. DiGRA 2019 (Digital Games Research Association), Kyoto, Japan, 6-10 August 2019.
Consalvo M., Lajeunesse M. and Zanescu A. (2018) Why did we think we wanted to become Twitch affiliates? Researching play by self-streaming on Twitch. AoIR 2018 (Association of Internet Researchers), Montreal, Canada, 10-13 October 2018.
Zanescu A., French M., Lajeunesse M. (2018) Betting on the Battle Pass: An Ethnography of DOTA 2 & The International 2017. CGSA 2018: Canadian Game Studies Association, Regina, Canada, May 30-June 1, 2018.
Zanescu A. (2017) Yasumi Matsuno’s Balkanism. Replaying Japan, Strong Museum of Play, Rochester, NY, August 23, 2017.
Zanescu A., Lajeunesse M. (2017). Encoding Through Streaming. CGSA 2017: Canadian Game Studies Association, Toronto, Canada, May 31, 2017.
Zanescu A. (2017) Civilization in Decay: Semiology of Watchmen and the Enlightenment. Meeting Points: Media Studies Graduate Conference, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, 25 April, 2017.
Zanescu A. (2016) The Computerized Orchestra: A Historical Genealogy of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Japanese Chiptune. I/O Symposium, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, November 25, 2016.
Departmental & Campus Talks
Zanescu, A. (2023) Blockbuster Resonance, a Framework. TAG: Technoculture, Art, Games, Concordia University, Montreal, March 8, 2023.
Zanescu A. (2022). AC Origins, Blockbuster Logics & Museum Tours, COMS 369, Concordia University, September 28, 2022.
Zanescu A. (2020) Betting on/in Video Games, SOCI-ANTH 298, Concordia University, October 13, 2020.
Zanescu A. (2019) Digital Heterotopias: From the Balkans to Aotearoa as Commodified Game Worlds, TAG Symposium, Concordia University, June 13, 2019.
Zanescu A. (2019) The Development of Games Studies from a Sociological into a Communications Sub-field, Sociology & Anthropology Department, Montreal, Canada, February 13, 2019.
Zanescu A. (2017) Procedural Rhetoric & Newsgames, ENGL 255, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, October 13, 2017.
Zanescu A. & Lajeunesse M. (2017). Keynote: Consuming DOTA 2. Consuming Pleasure Games 2017, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, September 22, 2017.
Teaching Experience
Communication Studies
Communication, Culture & Popular Art - Winter 2024, Winter 2025 (Professor, COMS 462-532, Concordia University).
Advanced Topics in the Photographic Image - Fall 2024 (Professor, COMS 415-542, Concordia University).
Games, Media and Culture - Winter 2024 (Professor, COMS 333, Concordia University).
Television Studies - Fall 2023 (Professor, COMS 426-526, Concordia University).
International Communication - Fall 2023 (Professor, COMS 473-545, Concordia University).
Visual Communication & Culture - Fall 2023, Winter 2024 (Professor, COMS 369, Concordia University).
Mass Media - Fall 2021 (Instructor, COMS 360, Concordia University, Online)
Games, Media and Culture - Winter 2021 (Instructor, COMS 333, Concordia University, Online)
Research Experience
2017 – 2023 Research Assistant, Streaming at the Margins, mLab, Concordia University, Supervised by Dr. Mia Consalvo.
2017 – 2023 Research Assistant, Responsible Gaming, Research Chair on Gambling, Concordia University, Supervised by Dr. Martin French.
2019 Research Assistant, Indie Game Discoverability Project @ GamePlay Space, Milieux Research Institute, Concordia University, Supervised by Dr. Bart Simon.
Service to Profession
2024 SCMS, Manuscript Review, Track Organizer
2023 Nordic DiGRA, Manuscript Review
2022 ICA, Conference Review
2022 New Media & Society, Manuscript Review
2021 Loading (The Journal of the Canadian Game Studies Association), Manuscript Review
2021 – 2024 CGSA (Canadian Game Studies Association), Conference Review
2018 HICSS (Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences), Conference Review
Organizational & Extracurricular Service
2019 – 2020 Coordinator, Concordia Doctoral Students Association, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
2018 – 2019 Coordinator Elect, Concordia Doctoral Students Association, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
2016 – 2018 Student Representative, Technoculture, Art and Games, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Languages
English (fluent), French (fluent), Romanian (native), Spanish (working proficiency)
Affiliations & Memberships
ICA (International Communication Association)
SCMS (Society for Cinema and Media Studies)
EAA (European Association of Archaeologists)
DiGRA (Digital Games Research Association)
FDG (Foundations of Digital Games)
ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)
CGSA (Canadian Game Studies Association)
mLab, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
TAG (Technoculture, Art and Games), Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Milieux (Institute for Arts, Culture, Technology), Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Research Chair on Gambling, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
HERMES (Research Team on Lifestyle and Multidisiciplinary Research), Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
References
Mia Consalvo - Professor and Canada Research Chair In Game Studies & Design, Communication Studies - Phone:(514) 848-2424 ext. 2574 Email: Mia.Consalvo@concordia.ca
Fenwick McKelvey - Associate Professor, Communication Studies - Phone:(514) 848-2424 ext. 8673 Email: fenwick.mckelvey@concordia.ca
Martin French - Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology - Phone:(514) 848-2424 ext. 2110 Email: martin.french@concordia.ca