:: Netwoman ::

:: Monday, May 26, 2008 ::

CALL FOR PAPERS

ACM FuturePlay 2008 International Academic Games Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology

November 3-5 2008,
Downtown Toronto Delta Chelsea Hotel
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Web site

Submission deadline: June 30 2008
Notification: August 15 2008
Final paper submission: September 5 2008

Overview
Since 2002, Algoma University has been hosting this international conference to advance game design and technology. Future Play features peer¬-reviewed academic research and discussion on creative and experimental game design and development. Formerly knows as the CGT Conference, Future Play brings together researchers, developers, and government partners for formal and informal engagement and examination of emergent features of computer game development for entertainment, for learning/teaching, for serious purposes and to impact society. Future Play also provides an important forum for future game development talent to gain perspective on the knowledge, skills and attitude required to succeed in the game development world. Beginning with Future Play 2007, and Algoma University College teams up with the Ontario University Institute of Technology to give Future Play attendees the chance to interact with some of the most talented people in the gaming world today.

Scope of the Conference
Future Play 2008 will focus on three main themes, and research papers presented for consideration are expected to relate to the overall theme and goal of the conference,

1. Future Game Design Theory and Technology
2. Future Game Impacts and Applications
3. Future Game Design Talent

FuturePlay addresses these issues through exciting and thought ¬provoking presentations from leaders in academia and industry, peer ¬reviewed research presentations, workshops (including design, technology, and career workshops), and exhibitions of posters, games, and the latest game technologies and systems available from industry -leading vendors.

Topics of interest to FuturePlay include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• Game and game engine design
• Artistic design for games
• Game project management and processes
• Software engineering for games
• Artificial intelligence in games
• Graphics modeling and rendering in games
• Animation and motion capture for games
• Networking and multiplayer support for games
• Sound and music for games
• Human factors in games
• Game asset creation and management
• Cross disciplinary issues in game development
• Gender issues in game development
• Serious games
• Applications of game technologies
• Games and learning (educational games)
• Social and ethical issues in games
• Game development curriculum
• Academic issues in gaming education
• Bridging the academia ¬industry gap
• Experiences and lessons learned from game development in academia and industry

Paper submissions must present original, unpublished research or experiences. Papers under review elsewhere MUST NOT be submitted to FuturePlay. Papers should properly place the work within the field, cite related work, and clearly indicate the innovative aspects of the work and its contribution to the field. The following categories of papers will be accepted:

• Full papers:
Should present original reports of substantive new work - eight page maximum. Accepted full papers will be presented in the form of a 20 minute presentation at the conference. Individual presentations will be grouped by topic into sessions by conference organizers.

• Short papers:
Should present interesting recent results or novel thought-provoking ideas that are not quite ready for a regular full-length paper. Four page maximum. Accepted short papers will be presented in the form of a poster presentation at the conference.

• Posters:
Late-¬breaking advances and work ¬in ¬progress reports from ongoing research are encouraged to be submitted as posters – two page maximum. Accepted short papers will be presented in the form of a poster presentation at the conference.

Papers must adhere to ACM formatting -- Portable Document Format (PDF) formatted in two-column conference style. Please see the ACM proceedings template available via the following URL.

All submissions will be peer reviewed and evaluated based on originality, technical and/or research content/depth, correctness, relevance to the conference, contributions, and readability. All Accepted papers (full, short, and poster) will be included in the distributed conference proceedings and the online ACM digital library.

Please submit your paper via the EasyChair conference system available via the following URL.

Loading…
A number of accepted papers will be considered for publication in the journal Loading…

Loading... is an open access journal that attempts to provide a mixed-methods approach to the study of digital games, and therefore invites not only traditional academic papers, but may reprint 'classic' works in the field, as well as provide a forum for machinima, new and open-source innovative code, product reviews, blogs, program descriptions and course outlines for games studies and 'conversations' within and across the trajectories of inquiry and activity that constitute Canadian Games Studies now and into the future.
A print-based and online journal, Loading... publishes empirical, theoretical, and design-based research on the multifaceted, multimodal, interdisciplinary subject of digital games. It invites papers which approach research and scholarship in the field of game studies from its many angles: social, cultural, technical, theoretical, procedural, artistic...
The journal aims to support current and future interdisciplinary, multi-method and multimodal approaches to the study of digital games. Its principal goal is to support both the established and fledgling work of Canadian scholars, to give them a voice on the international scene of game studies, and to establish a uniquely Canadian voice in a field that is currently described as a polarization of perspectives between the United States and Europe. Loading... will support the valuable contribution of Canadian scholarship in directing and shaping this burgeoning field.
Conference Chairs

Bill Kapralos, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Mike Katchabaw, University of Western Ontario
Jay Rajinovich, Algoma University

For Further Information
Please consult the official FuturePlay website for updates and additional conference information. General inquiries about the conference can be directed to futureplay@algomau.ca.

:: Netwoman 9:16 AM [+] ::
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Upcoming Events, Gaming Goodies & Interesting Bits

Catching up on some items I've been wanting to post:

Second Annual Canadian Games Studies Association Conference
May 31st, 2008 - UBC, Vancouver

Living Game Worlds IV - December 1 & 2, 2008
Living Game Worlds, presented by Georgia Tech’s GVU Center and the Graduate Program in Digital Media in the School of Literature, Communication and Culture,and the Experimental Game Lab, is an annual symposium held at Georgia Tech exploring emerging questions in design and theory in the production and critique of video games.

TakingITGlobal.org
TakingITGlobal.org is an online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities. It's the world's most popular online community for young people interested in making a difference, with hundreds of thousands of unique visitors each month.

5th Annual Games for Change Festival, June 2 - 4
Games for Change (G4C) provides support, visibility and shared resources to organizations and individuals using digital games for social change.
"Confirmed speakers include Jim Gee and Henry Jenkins in a keynote conversation (in honor of our Fifth!) and many others!
Exciting new activities and partners are in the works, including a day-long 101 workshop for those new to the field (aimed especially at non-profits) on the first day of the festival June 2nd, confirmed presenters there include Barry Joseph (Global Kids), Eric Zimmerman (GameLab), Heather Chaplin, (journalist/author) and Alan Gershenfeld (E-Line Ventures, formerly of Activision). Along with 2 full days of festival programming on June 3rd and 4th, there will be media and funders briefings, working group breakfasts, Expo Night and lots of networking opportunities!"

7th Conference on Interaction Design for Children - June 11-13, Chicago
"IDC 2008: Each day, we interact with hundreds of technological devices that help us organize our lives, achieve our goals, and indulge in our passions. For children today, technology is especially pervasive in all aspects of life. They learn and play using computers and other technological devices; as they grow, they build and maintain friendships using computers and mobile phones; they interact with one another virtually; and even find critical interpersonal support and therapy using computers, the internet and other technology-enhanced products."

Social Gaming Summit - June 13th, San Francisco
"The Social Gaming Summit is a one day conference focused on the intersection of gaming, immersive worlds, and social networking. Games are becoming one of the most popular activities within social networks and game developers are spending more energy figuring out how to build compelling social interaction into the games they are developing. The conference will bring together leaders in the social networking and gaming spaces to share insights into the convergence of these two worlds."

InterPlay - May 22, San Francisco
InterPlay is the premier conference on the business of games on the Social Web.

Creepy Treehouse
"In the field of educational technology a creepy treehouse is an institutionally controlled technology/tool that emulates or mimics pre-existing technologies or tools that may already be in use by the learners, or by learners’ peer groups. Though such systems may be seen as innovative or problem-solving to the institution, they may repulse some users who see them as infringement on the sanctity of their peer groups, or as having the potential for institutional violations of their privacy, liberty, ownership, or creativity. Some users may simply object to the influence of the institution."

:: Netwoman 12:32 PM [+] ::
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