[arg_discuss] Call for Papers: Extending Experiences

[Adam Martin]

http://www.ulapland.fi/eexp/

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University of Lapland, Faculty of Art & Design, Department of Media
CALL FOR PAPERS, BOOK "EXTENDING EXPERIENCES"

While players of video games have always been waiting for the next
generation of technology, less fuss is made about next-generation
experiences. If such experiences are already there, what are they like?
What would be the 21st-century-equivalent to the experiences of Andy
Capp's Tavern's customers who rushed into the bar to play Pong until the
machine got jammed with coins? Ask a script writer, a political mod
artist, a middleware developer, a computer game researcher, and someone
who has traded off his social contacts in real life for a high-level
character in a MMOG – and you will be overwhelmed by the diversity of
what makes an experience worth striving for.

Department of Media at the Faculty of Art & Design of the University of
Lapland and Mediapolis Innomedia project will publish a
multidisciplinary book on player experiences in early 2007. The book
will be a compilation of peer-reviewed articles. Respecting the
department of Media's tradition of combining research with design, the
book aims to piece together contemplations from researchers, designers,
and those in-between, within or outside the academia. The working title
or a catchphrase of the book is "Extending Experiences". On one hand,
the extending might mean creating games that allow new kinds of
experiences or are more emotional, maybe by implementing innovations
regarding for example gameplay, graphics, sound or the interface. Also
the players are creative. Their use of games in a way designers did not
intend alters their experiences. On the other hand, the extending takes
place concept-wise. In the wake of new forms of games and playing new
types of players get introduced to digital games. Thus, the concept of
player experience has to assimilate very different takes on how, where,
when and why games are played and experienced. No matter from which
viewpoint one looks at the player's experience, it seems that it poses
challenges for those trying to observe or analyse it, not to mention
those who are trying to understand it in order to be able to design
something new.

Topics that the authors are invited to be address from the viewpoint of
the players experience include, but are not limited to the following,
and case-studies with an artistic or an industrial perspective are also
welcomed.

Games
- Game genres and gameplay concepts, abstract games, story-based games
- Game design "trends", e.g. movie-like games with no HUDs
- Graphics and sound; audiovisual styles, cel-shading, photorealism,
sound-based games
- Different player setups; one or many, local or online, one-vs-one,
team-vs-team, etc.
- Avatars and other player representations
- Innovations; new gameplay concepts, platforms, input devices,
interfaces, AI
- Different types of games; online multiplaying (both hc & casual),
mobile and portable games, pervasive and VR games
- Content; games not only for entertaining, i.e. "seriousness" of games,
in-game advertising

Players
- Different player groups and motivations; e.g. newbie, casual, hc,
professional, senior, grrl, and mom gamers
- The role of "fun" in players' experiences
- Player identities
- Games as media for human relations
- Players' goals, emotions, motivations, expectations
- Consequences of playing
- Borderline activities; guild/clan webfora, mods, machinima, real-money
trade of in-game assets

Methodological challenges for research and design
- Games as form of art, propaganda or education
- Design research from all viewpoints
- Philosophy of the experience
- Game-related experiences vs. other experiences
- Player's experience compared to user's/reader's/viewer's experience
- The applications of cognitive psychology, affective computing, HCI,
Media Studies, etc. on understanding the players' experiences

IMPORTANT DATES

All papers will be reviewed by an independent review committee, which
will provide written feedback on each paper. NB: Due to popular demand,
the abstract submission deadline has been extended from the original.

June, 19. 2006 Abstract submission (was: June 5th)
June, 26. 2006 Notification of acceptance (was: June 12th)
Sept, 5. 2006 Submission of full papers
Jan, 10. 2006 Submission of final papers

SUBMISSION INFORMATION AND FORMATTING GUIDELINES

Abstract
The abstract will summarise the contents of the paper and should contain
from 150 to 200 words.

Please submit the abstract along with the additional information in
plain text format using the electronic submission form on the website at
http://www.ulapland.fi/eexp/

For more details, please visit the book's web page.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE REVIEW BOARD

The line-up of the review board will be announced later on the book's
web page.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE EDITORS

Please visit the book's web page to view the editors' bios.