A great place to visit, good people and a nice broad interdisciplinary conference.

Aphra.

Future and Reality of Gaming (F.R.O.G.)
Vienna Games Conference, 17.-19. October 2008
Call for Papers

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Digital games have become a driving factor of contemporary cultural, social, and economic development. They are enablers of global cultural exchange and serve as entry points for media participation. However, the cultural, social and economic significance of games usually remains underestimated or misunderstood by the general public.

In 2007, the City of Vienna decided to host “Game City”, a high profile event bringing together representatives of the games industry, non-profit organizations, academia and the general public for the discussion of the current state of computer games, digital youth cultures and games research. One key element of “Game City” was the Vienna Games Conference, which had the objective of serving as a
public information platform as well as an international networking event for game researchers of various disciplines.

Due to the overwhelming success of this concept, the “Game City” event and the Vienna Games Conference will be held again in the fall of 2008.

In October 2008, the Vienna Games Conference will address issues related to the “Future and Reality of Gaming” (F.R.O.G.) sharing cutting edge research and insights on the future of the games industry, game design, game theory, game culture and education. The conference aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas and current research findings regarding innovative theories, concepts and practice models in an engaging and convivial atmosphere.

Game theory
* Trans-disciplinary methods in game research
* New frontiers in game studies: ludology/narratology post mortem?
* Border cases: transition from games/leisure to simulation/science

Game design and game industry
* Applied game studies: how game scholars and practitioners learn to listen to each other
* Innovative forms of gaming (e.g. Alternate Reality Games)
* Innovations in game design, development and production
* New forms of interactivity and revolutionary game interfaces
* The rise of independent gaming (e.g. casual games, art games)

Education and society
* New methods and theories for game-based learning
* Theory and practice of „new media literacy“
* Possibilities and limitations of teaching through digital games
* The interrelation of games culture, politics and society

Consumption and appropriation
* Professionalization of gaming cultures (e.g. eSports)
* Community building: player generated content
* Games as a new mass culture
* Novel insights into game cultures

We encourage participation from a wide range of disciplines including Education, Cognitive Psychology, Computer Science, Cultural Anthropology, Arts (e.g. fine arts), Human-Computer Interaction, Media and Communication Studies, Philosophy and Social Science.

Interested authors are requested to submit an extended abstract of approximately 1500 to 2000 words due 28th of March 2008 exclusively as email attachments (doc-files or rtf-files) to eva.frick@univie.ac.at.

All abstracts will be reviewed and judged on originality, quality and relevance to the conference. All accepted papers will be published and accessible as an open access publication by the Vienna University Library (October 2008).

In a second review-process suitable papers will be selected for an additional publication in printed proceedings (spring 2009).

Important dates
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Abstract submission: March 28, 2008
Notification: April 25, 2008
Full paper: October 3, 2008
Conference: October 17-19, 2008

Conference Fee
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– Early Bird (April 25 – June 26, 2008): € 150,- (€ 50,- for students and staff members of youth organisations)
– Regular (June 27-Octopber 19, 2008): € 180,- (€ 65,- for students and staff members of youth organisations)

Program Co-Chairs
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Claus Pias (University of Vienna)
Martin Pichlmair (Vienna University of Technology)
Herbert Rosenstingl (Austrian Federal Ministry for Health, Family and
Youth)
Doris Rusch (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Christian Swertz (University of Vienna)
Michael Wagner (Danube-University Krems)

Program Committee Co-Chairs
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Eva Frick (University of Vienna)
Christoph Klimmt (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)
Konstantin Mitgutsch (University of Vienna)
Claus Pias (University of Vienna)
Martin Pichlmair (Vienna University of Technology)
Maja Pivec (University of Applied Sciences FH Joanneum)
Herbert Rosenstingl (Austrian Federal Ministry for Health, Family and
Youth)
Doris Rusch (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Sabrina Schrammel (University of Vienna)
Christian Swertz (University of Vienna)
Michael Wagner (Danube-University Krems)

Contact
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Mag. Eva Frick
University of Vienna
Department of Educational Sciences
Garnisongasse 3/3/43, 1090 Wien
T: +43 1 4277 – 467 42
M: eva.frick@univie.ac.at
HP: www.bupp.at/frog