[Previous message][Next message][Back to index]
[Commlist] CfP: Conference "Beyond Play"
Wed Jun 19 11:23:56 GMT 2024
======================================================
Call for Paper
Beyond Play: The Transformative Power of Digital Gaming in a Deeply
Mediatized Society
(30.09. - 02.10.2024)
International conference at the University of Bremen, Germany
https://beyondplay2024.org <https://beyondplay2024.org/>
======================================================
Digital Games and gaming are carriers, accelerators and subjects of
change in media culture and society. In this capacity they serve as an
interlink between media industries, digital technologies, media
cultures, and social practices, making them ideal cases to analyze
contemporary transformation processes in the context of (deep)
mediatization, digitalization, and datafication.
This conference call hence builds on the premise that to understand the
significance of digital games and gaming in a deeply mediatized society
we need to look beyond play, i.e., the contents of games and
the interaction with games alone. We call to go beyond reducing games to
mere playing, examining their placement and connection within digital
media environments as gamevironments to research how our communicative
practices and their contexts transform through games, as well as how
these games are reshaped through communicative practices. A perspective
that goes beyond play indicates that researching games and gaming also
allows for insights into the deepening of the mediatization and
datafication of society.
It is quite obvious to consider digital gaming a central aspect of the
spread of digitalization in virtually all areas of social life: Computer
and console games, as well as mobile games, are now an integral part of
deeply mediatized lifeworlds across generations. They have become one of
the dominant sectors in the media industry in terms of economic
relevance and ubiquity. Games and gaming have been catalysts for the
emergence of unique media cultures, playing a crucial role in mediatized
everyday culture for several generations of players. Game development
has become well-established and professionalized, fostering innovative
forms of media expression, communication contexts, and peripheral media
(e.g., video game journalism, game streaming, fan-fiction, modding).
Additionally, under the concept of gamification, principles of gaming
and playful elements are increasingly transferred to non-gaming contexts
(e.g., health prevention, educational settings). This positions computer
games and gaming as a comprehensive subject of research in communication
and media studies as well as an indicator for transformation processes
in media, culture and society that extend the scope of gaming.
======================================================
We invite submissions that explore the transformative power of digital
gaming in deeply mediatized society, how gaming shapes mediatization,
digitalization and datafication of society and how games and gaming are
conversely shaped by the same processes. We invite conceptual,
theoretical and methodological contributions as well as empirical
studies from all disciplines. Topics to be addressed include but are not
limited to
*
The transformative power of digital gaming for the proliferation and
diffusion of new digital technologies, devices and imaginaries
*
The transformative power of digital gaming for representation,
inclusion and the negotiation as well as transformation of social
norms and values
*
The transformative power of digital gaming for media and
communication environments around playing and beyond (e.g., games
journalism, game streaming, Let’s plays, reviews and walkthroughs;
gamification and language use in non-gaming settings; serious games)
*
The transformative power of digital gaming for individual and
collaborative communicative practices and experiences (e.g.,
informal learning, co-creation, modding,etc.)
*
The transformative power of digital gaming in the context of the
media manifold (e.g., transmedia storytelling, franchises across
multiple platforms and multiple media formats)
*
Conceptual and methodological challenges and innovations for
researching the transformative power of digital gaming in deeply
mediatized societies
*
The impact of digitalization and datafication on digital games and
gaming
*
The transformative power at play in the gaming (related) industries
*
The transformative power at play in the academic, ethical, and
regulatory evaluation of gaming
======================================================
Formats: papers, pre-arranged panels, roundtables
This conference welcomescontributions in various formats:
*
Papers: Normally the paper presenters can expect to have approx. 15
minutes for the presentation and 5-10 minutes for discussion.
*
Closed panels (120 minutes): we encourage pre-arranged panels. These
panels will have 3-4 papers per panel session and probably a
critical response. Normally the paper presenters can expect to have
approx. 15 minutes for the presentation and 5-10 minutes for
discussion.
*
Roundtables (120 minutes): these are pre-arranged sessions where a
group of scholars (usually no more than five) discusses
themes/issues of general scholarly interest in front of (and
subsequently with) an audience for the duration of a single session.
The roundtables should address a topic from an interdisciplinary
perspective. While a roundtable can include short (5 minutes)
contributions, the aim is to create a lively debate rather than
focus on any one presenter.
*
Poster format: There will be also the possibility to present your
work in form of a poster. These posters will be accessible
throughout the whole conference and there will a time slot where
everybody can present his/her poster.
In addition, we are in the middle of organizing the possibility to play
the games analyzed and discussed during the conference in a gaming
studio which will be accessible throughout the conference.
======================================================
Submission Deadline
Abstracts (350-500 words) for all formats should be submitted by email
as an anonymized pdf-file no later than 30.06.2024 to
(beyondplay2024 /at/ uni-bremen.de) <mailto:(beyondplay2024 /at/ uni-bremen.de)>. An
additional file should include title, four to six keywords, name of
author(s), institutional affiliation, and contact details for each
author. All submissions will undergo double blind peer review. Authors
will be notified of proposal acceptance/rejection until 14.07.2024.
======================================================
The event is hosted by the Centre for Media, Communication and
Information Research ZeMKI (https://zemki.uni-bremen.de/en/
<https://zemki.uni-bremen.de/en/>) at the University of Bremen in
Germany and supported by the ECREA Digital Games Research Section
(https://ecrea.eu/Digital-Games-Research/
<https://ecrea.eu/Digital-Games-Research/>) and the International
Academy for the Study of Gaming and Religion - IASGAR
(https://iasgar.uni-bremen.de <https://iasgar.uni-bremen.de/>).
Additionally, IASGAR is hosting its annual IASGAR Research Day as
pre-conference workshop on September 28thin a hybrid form – at site at
the University of Bremen, Germany, and online.Exclusively for
early-stage researchers, graduate students and doctoral students, the
workshop welcomes research on media-centered approaches, perspectives of
game developers and publishers, andviewpoints of gamers. Further
information:
https://iasgar.uni-bremen.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IASGAR_Call_For_Applications_2024.pdf
<https://iasgar.uni-bremen.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IASGAR_Call_For_Applications_2024.pdf>.
Further information: https://beyondplay2024.org
<https://beyondplay2024.org/>and
http://beyondplay2024.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CfP_Beyond_Play_2024.pdf
<http://beyondplay2024.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CfP_Beyond_Play_2024.pdf>.
---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------
[Previous message][Next message][Back to index]
