[ecrea] CFP: Game Studies Area: 2018 PCA/ACA National Conference.

Game Studies Area: 2018 PCA/ACA National Conference.


The Game Studies area of the National Popular Culture Association and 
the American Culture Association Conference invites proposals for papers 
and panels on games and game studies for the Popular Culture 
Association/American Culture Association National Conference to be held 
Wednesday, March 28 through Friday, March 31, 2018 at the J.W. Marriott 
in Indianapolis, Indiana.


The database for proposal submissions opens *July 1*.


Below, please find:


I. Topics of Interest


II. Suggestions for First Time Submitters


III. Submission Process


IV. Information about the Conference


V. Contact Information


----------------------------------------------------------------------

**

*I. Topics of Interest*


The organizers seek proposals and papers covering all aspects of gaming, 
gaming culture and game studies.Proposals can address any game medium 
(computer, social, console, tabletop, etc) and all theoretical and 
methodological approaches are welcome.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:


-- new game mediums and platforms


-- representation or performance of race, class, gender and sexuality in 
games


-- gaming culture, game specific cultures, and multicultural and 
cross-cultural issues


-- game development, design, authorship and other industry issues


-- game advertising, reviews, packaging, promotion, integrated marketing 
and other commercial concerns


-- political and legal entailments such as regulation, censorship, 
intellectual property


-- ludology, textual criticism, media ecology, narratology, etc as 
paradigms for games studies


-- player generated content in MUDs and MMORPGs, Mods, maps and machinima


-- game genres, platforms, consoles, console wars and connections to 
other media


-- serious games for education, business, healthcare, (military) 
training, etc


-- space and place in games, play spaces, virtual/physical communities, 
mobile gaming and localization


-- digital literacy, discourse practices, social norms and norming, the 
politics of play


-- public discourse/controversy over violence, militarism, sex, 
criminality, racism, etc in games


-- game pedagogy and classroom practices, gamification, learning as play


*II. Suggestions for First Time Submitters*

**

We know that many people interested in presenting in Game Studies are 
new to the field, or come from departments without much institutional 
support for it. We welcome you! You’ll find that our area is a welcoming 
and collegial community. Although when you first come to study games, it 
might seem like there’s not a lot of scholarship on the topic, there is 
actually a robust body of work. As with any field, we encourage you to 
try to familiarize yourself with some of the major threads of that 
discussion so that you don’t find yourself rehashing old arguments, like 
the ludology vs. narratology debate. Similarly, know your audience! You 
will be talking to a group of scholars who are just as excited about 
game studies as you, so you don’t have to worry about spending time in 
your talk defining what games are or defending the validity of their 
study. Focus on what you are bringing that you feel is new to the 
discussion/debate.

**

*III. Submission Process*


The Game Studies area of the National Popular Culture Association and 
the American Culture Association Conference, which began as the Video 
Games Studies area in 2003, has the most enduring footprint of any North 
American academic organization that gives serious attention to the 
social and cultural impact of games and gaming. The area continues to 
grow and offers two avenues for scholars to participate and present 
their work.


*A. Paper Proposals*


For individual paper proposal submissions, please submit a 250-word 
(maximum) abstract by *October 1, 2017*.Submissions must be made online 
at http://conference.pcaaca.org/ 
<http://conference.pcaaca.org/.>.Detailed instructions for using the 
online submission system can be found at 
http://pcaaca.org/national-conference/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-conference/.

**

*B. Panel Proposals*


For panel submissions, please submit a 250-word (maximum) panel 
abstract, as well as 100-word abstracts for each individual 
presentation, by *October 1, 2017*. Panel proposals must be emailed to 
(digitalgames.pcaaca /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(digitalgames.pcaaca /at/ gmail.com)>. Be 
sure to include the proposed title of the panel, the organizer’s name, 
affiliation, mailing address, and email, as well as this information for 
all panelists. Each panelist must also submit their paper individually 
at http://conference.pcaaca.org/. Panel submissions may take the form of 
debates, dialogs, roundtable discussions, thematic panels, (or other 
format,) and should be designed to last approximately eighty minutes.

**

*IV. Information about the Conference*

**

*A.* So that there will be ample time for discussion, each individual 
paper presentation should be designed to last approximately twelve to 
fifteen minutes (there will typically be four presentations per session 
with time for Q&A).

**

*B.* Technology for use during presentations may be limited. More 
information about the conference can be found at http://www.pcaaca.org/

**

*C.* Presenters will be required to join either the Popular Culture 
Association or the American Culture Association prior to attending the 
conference, as well as pay a registration fee for the conference. 
Information about these fees can be found at 
http://pcaaca.org/national-conference/membership-and-registration/.

**

*IV. Contact Information*


Questions and concerns can be sent to (digitalgames.pcaaca /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(digitalgames.pcaaca /at/ gmail.com)>, or may be directed to one of the 
area chairs listed below.

**

*Matthew Wysocki*, Department of Communication, Flagler College

(mwysocki /at/ flagler.edu)


*Nicholas Mizer*, Editor, The Geek Anthropologist

(nicholas.j.mizer /at/ gmail.com)


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