ECREA Digital Games Research Section symposium
Call for abstracts and panel proposals for the ECREA Digital Games Research Section Symposium in collaboration with the Gaming Matters Research Cluster of the Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC).
7-8.11.2019, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
The 2010s are almost over, and game studies is preparing to enter another decade. The current decade has seen discussions on ludification and e-sports as well as the true breakthrough of terms such as gamification, signifying the pervasive and ubiquitous nature of games and play in contemporary societies. This symposium hosted by the ECREA Digital Games Research Section aims to look at where we have been and where we are going as a field – what could be the next steps? Where could we go from here, and what is going to happen to game studies in the 2020s? How does the multi-disciplinary field of game studies relate to the similarly multi-disciplinary field of communication studies? What kind of innovations are waiting around the corner when it comes to novel research methods or theorizing? What kind of phenomena are only beginning to receive attention, where are the remaining gaps in research?
They are inviting presentations, which may deal with any aspect of game studies or the intersection of game studies with the broader field of communication sciences. They especially encourage proposals that deal with innovations in research methods, empirical research, theory development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and other ways of renewing or re-inventing game studies. The presentations may also discuss work-in-progress research projects.
Possible topics include, but are not restricted to, the ones listed here:
- Theoretical approaches and methodological advances in digital games research
- The production, content, audiences and regulation of digital games
- Digital game culture and gaming communities
- Social interaction in and around digital games
- Social and psychological aspects of digital gaming
- Digital games in the field of education
- Communication in and about digital games
- Playful interaction in its various forms
- Avatars, identification, and self-representation in virtual worlds
- Digital game experience, gamer motivations, enjoyment and presence research
- Digital games in comparison with other forms of media entertainment
- Innovations in gaming, such as the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, and location-based gaming
Submission guidelines
Abstracts (max. 500 words + bibliography) should be submitted by April 30th 2019. Abstract should include the affiliations of the authors, a short bio of the lead author, and contact information. All abstracts should be submitted through EasyChair.
Decisions on the proposals will be made by May 7th 2019. There are plans to produce a publication, either a journal theme issues or an edited volume, based on selected seminar presentations.
Program Committee
- Marko Siitonen (University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland)
- Felix Reer (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany)
- Teresa de la Hera (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Venue
The conference will be held at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands thanks to the support of the Gaming Matters Research Cluster of the Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC).
Submit your abstract