Computer Games and Digital Cultures Conference Call for Papers June 6-8, 2002 Tampere, Finland --- :: --- Computer Games and Digital Cultures (CGDC) conference is organised by the Hypermedia Laboratory, University of Tampere. It is arranged in co-operation with the University of Turku and the IT University of Copenhagen, the UIAH Medialab, Helsinki, and partners in the digital content industry. The conference continues the series of international game studies conferences opened by Computer Games and Digital Textualities (Copenhagen, March 1-2, 2001). Deadline for proposals January 30, 2002 --- :: --- Overview Computer games have rapidly become a significant and expanding field of entertainment industry and modern culture. The research and development of games has reached an important phase. Various conceptual and theoretical models to understand games and their working are being created, while the games themselves are growing into new dimensions with their online and multiplayer capabilities. The transition into the world of mobile gaming is creating even more challenges and further possibilities. The Computer Games and Digital Cultures conference offers a comprehensive view into the current state of digital games, and their research, as well as forums for interdisciplinary discussion. Conference includes presentations from leading experts, both from the academic research institutions and game industry, including the opening words by Espen Aarseth (University of Bergen), keynote presentations by Greg Costikyan (Unplugged Games, USA), Steven Poole (author of the "Trigger Happy", UK) and designer of games like Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief and Deus Ex, Warren Spector (Ionstorm, USA). Agenda Computer games have grown into an increasingly important cultural form, that has a profound impact on the way interactivity, digital aesthetics and online environments are currently understood. The conference will explore the aesthetic as well as narrative and structural issues of computer games, while also functioning as a bridge and intermediary between the academic research and professional gaming community. The approach of conference is interdisciplinary and comprehensive; the analysis of games and the gaming communities will advance the study of interactive media, create fruitful exchange of perspectives with the professional game developers, and further the development of digital culture. Workshops The CGDC has two parts, the first day consisting of workshops that explore the pragmatic and creative issues of games as a form of culture and industry. The participants can register for this day separately, or for the whole three-day conference. The participants may submit proposals for workshops, focusing on creative design processes, dynamics of gameplay in particular game types, or, e.g., issues related to technical implementation or economics of contemporary game projects. Workshops with an academic focus are also invited. The first day will also include keynote workshops, to be announced later. In addition, participants are encouraged to offer suggestions for topics for the panel discussions. Research Papers The second and third days are dedicated to the research papers dealing with games. Both specific analyses of games as a form of art and entertainment are welcome, as well as more general approaches dealing with the cultural practices related with games and social activities in online environments. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to: - design and analysis of games, - communication and community in relation to games, - online and mobile gaming. Since the aim of the CGDC is to foster dialogue between the game developer and researcher communities, organisers wish that even the more theoretical papers would include concrete examples or references to games or game-related practices. The paper and workshop proposals should be submitted in the form of abstracts by the end of January 2002. The deadline for full papers is April 8, 2002, and papers will be included in the printed conference publication. There is a half an hour time reserved for presenting each paper in the programme. The Conference Publication The publication including the conference proceedings will be delivered to the participants at the conference. Submission Format The proposal for a research paper should consist of an abstract of at least 1000 words. A short biography of the author should be included. The proposal for a workshop has no fixed format. Rather, innovative topics and creative working practices are encouraged. The workshop proposals should include a description of the topic, goals and methods applied in the workshop. The time available for a workshop process is either three hours (a half-day workshop), or seven hours (a full day workshop). A proposal should state which alternative it is describing. All proposals should be submitted through the online form at the CGDC web site. Further Inquiries: For further information and updates on the conference programme, please consult the conference website: http://www.uta.fi/cgdc (the official website opens in December 2001). The organising committee can be reached through professor Frans Mäyrä (frans.mayra@uta.fi; the conference programme) or conference producer Carolina Pajula (carolina.Pajula@uta.fi; the conference arrangements). --- :: ---