[ecrea] G|A|M|E - The Italian Journal of Game Studies / Call For Paper

CALL FOR PAPERS

ALL OF US, PLAYERS

Pathways in the diffusion of digital gaming: relocations, pervasiveness, 
gamification

G|AM|E – Issue 1 – out December 2011

 Deadline for submission of abstracts: July 15th, 2011

For its first issue, G|A|M|E proposes an inquiry into the diffusion of 
the videogame medium outside of its established contexts: a phenomenon 
that leads us to reconsider the object of our research as part of a 
wider media ecology.


Transformations in interface design make it difficult to map the 
boundaries of video gaming as a field, and, with the spread of a ludic 
paradigm, many other products are being turned into games.

From the logic of gamification to geo-localization, and from mobile 
applications to the ludic sociability of Farmville, we are witnessing 
videogames' invasion of the spaces and temporalities of everyday life.

We are inviting scholars from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines 
to tackle this subject, focusing on the issues specific to this new 
challenge in the field of game studies.



Key questions and issues:

Today, the videogame medium is targeting user-friendliness and 
accessibility through interface design. How do such interfaces encourage 
traditionally non-gaming audiences to approach and engage with the 
medium? Who are today's gamers, and how do they behave as media users? 
What kind of innovations have emerged from the interfaces of the new 
generation of consoles and gaming-oriented smart phones (Move, Kinect, 
Wii Mote, accelerometers, etc.)?

In which ways have these interfaces affected existing gaming practices? 
Is it possible to trace a genealogy of human-computer interfaces, or do 
the latest rounds of innovation represent a fundamental break, allowing 
for an entirely novel set of experiences? Can one find examples of 
strategies in videogame design that explicitly aim to transcend the 
previous norms and boundaries of the gaming experience? Is it possible 
to analyse these strategies? If so, how?

The videogame medium is enmeshed in wider processes of the relocation, 
mobilisation, and dematerialization of technological devices. The use of 
mobile machines and the obsolescence of material supports could lead to 
a rethink of textualization in and of games. Are we in need of new and 
specific media-theoretical tools? Can we draw analogies between these 
shifts in videogames and recent changes to the structure, framing, and 
re-location of movies and audio-visual media?

Between videogames and other media, we seem to be witnessing an emerging 
on new, hybrid cultural forms. How successful are these hybrid mediums 
at extending extant gaming practices beyond their traditional contexts? 
What kinds of developments and projects are staking a claim on this 
media space, and on what platforms and devices (interactive films for 
the iPhone, alternate reality games, applications available through 
leading companies' e-stores, etc.)? Within the new genres and styles 
enabled by these hybrid media, can we find any evidence of the long arm 
ofgamification? What are the consequences of these processes on social 
practices? In what ways did videogames influence other media by leading 
them to a reconfiguration of their own strategies and processes? What 
kind of gaming practices have migrated to the broader context of new 
media, and what influence did they exert on social interaction?

With the productive and distributive strategies of the videogame 
industry undergoing profound transformation, alongside sudden changes in 
the discourses and social practices of the medium, academics and 
commentators should question their existing methodological choices – 
particularly in their approach to history. Is it possible to conceive of 
a historical approach to the study of videogames, balancing the field's 
technological focus with a conscious examination of aesthetic and social 
concerns? Can we identify specific events or conditions in videogame 
history which anticipated the expansion of this gaming paradigm into 
other fields of culture?

Social discourses on video games are changing rapidly. The industry 
promotes a casual and easy-going image of gaming and gamers. The initial 
scepticism towards video games expressed in the past by columnists, 
commentators and intellectuals appears to be fading in strength and 
importance. What is the status of videogames in today's social 
discourse? Is the medium moved beyond the margins of culture, and, if 
so, how can we hope to evaluate its relevance in a contemporary context?

Not only have videogames transcended their role as part of a distinct 
subculture, but they are exhibiting a profound influence over the form 
and content of all other media. Non-gaming interfaces are becoming 
increasingly game-like, social life on the Internet is adopting 
competitive models, and marketing is ever-more dependant on gaming 
dynamics. How are videogames changing the marketing, advertising and 
production models of the entertainment industry? Are there specific 
examples that might provide subjects for investigation and analysis? Can 
we see any particular features of videogame and media production which 
are acting as conduits for the spread of gamification?

Submitting a proposal

G|AM|E welcomes any proposals concerning the general theoretical issues 
of this CFP, as well as analyses of one or more significant texts 
(videogames, audio-visuals, books and graphic novels, etc.).
Proposals may be submitted in both Italian and English. Abstracts should 
not exceed 800 (eight hundred) words, not including bibliography. 
Completed articles will be accepted for review.  Final contributions 
should not exceed the limit of 5.000 (five thousand) words, or 30.000 
characters. All proposals will undergo an anonymous peer review process.

(gameitalianjournal /at/ gmail.com)



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