<p>Game-based learning and open education are two areas of research that have attracted attention in recent years within the global trend of educational technology research, recognized as important subjects for study that will become increasingly popular in the next few years. This paper outlines the research trends in both game-based learning and open education, and places them in the perspective of multidisciplinary research, given the prospect of SIG's "Game-based Learning and Open Education" that was launched in 2014 by the Japan Society for Educational Technology.</p><p></p>