OVERVIEW

Mobile Games rely on physical movement of players in a world that weaves the real environment and virtual dimensions together. They combine two gaming traditions in a novel way, which have been mutual exclusive till now: outdoor games and computer games.

Game design is facing new challenges. Currently only few games exploit the potential, which is offered by augmented and mixed reality, global networking, location-awareness and sensors. Theory and methodology to survey mobile gaming experiences are far from maturity. The question is, how to understand mobility and physical movement within mixed game worlds? How to study gaming experiences of mobile players, who are moving independently through urban space? What are the roles of the player's community and its culture for playing games?

Development and design of mobile games are challenging us with core issues of ubiquitous computing, the complexity of mobile, distributed systems, the particular dynamics of game situations and the changing contexts, the diversity of actors, using the technology, and the issues of interaction beyond the desk, encompassing the player’s body, multiple human senses and diverse usage modes. The diversification of hard- and software leads to additional challenges regarding interoperability and calls for flexible frameworks supporting the integration.

This workshop aims to increase the perception of mobile gaming as a rich domain for research in many directions in the German-speaking science and market area. We invite researchers and developers to exchange their experiences, identify urging research issues and to look for ways how to exploit and enhance the basic conditions for research in this domain.

TOPICS OF INTEREST

We invite technical papers and position statements to be submitted to the workshop. The workshop topics include, but are not limited to:

Experience and design of mobile games: • mobile gaming experience and gaming activities • physical movement in mixed reality settings and embodied interaction • mobile games in everyday life: the magic circle of play and its spatial, temporal and social expansions • reinterpretation of traditional games as digital mobile games • mobile edutainment - the didactical potential of mobile games • serious games: teaching complex processes based on pervasive technology • mobile gaming as testbed for business cases

Technical challenges of mobile games: • augmented and mixed reality in mobile games • gaming context: predictable and unforeseeable context dimensions • user interfaces for mobile games • graspable interaction: sensors and actors in mobile games • technologies for location-awareness and positioning • recording and replayability of mobile games • supporting the large variety of hard- and software systems: problems and solutions • using technological limitations creatively

DATES AND DEADLINES

Paper submission: April 28, 2008 Notification of authors: June 2, 2008 Camera ready version due: July 1, 2008 Workshop Mobile Gaming '08: September 9, 2008

FORM OF SUBMISSION

The workshop aims to offer a forum for presentation and discussion of new research results. It focuses on mobile games and further applications with a playful character. Location, other context, and mobility of users should be basic design aspects of the considered applications.

Submissions might be written in German or English and should not exceed six pages. Format must obey the LNI standard. Details about LNI as well as templates for Word and LaTex are available on the workshop's website.

Since printing will be black and white authors should be careful when using colored images or diagrams.

PUBLICATION

Accepted papers will be included in the Workshop Proceedings of Informatik 2008. The proceedings will be published by the Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI).

ORGANIZERS

The workshop is jointly organized by: Pascal Bihler, Universität Bonn Barbara Grüter, Hochschule Bremen Irma Lindt, Fraunhofer FIT, St. Augustin Holger Mügge, Universität Bonn

PROGRAM COMMITTEE

• Linda Breitlauch, MediaDesign Hochschule Düsseldorf • Wolfgang Broll, Fraunhofer FIT, St. Augustin • Armin B. Cremers, Universität Bonn • Jürgen Fritz, Fachhochschule Köln • Julian Kücklich, University of Ulster • Peter Möckel, Deutsche Telekom Laboratories, Berlin • Stefan Müller, Universität Koblenz • Albrecht Schmidt, Universität Duisburg-Essen • Clemens Türck, Ravensburger Spieleverlag, Ravensburg • Steffen Walz, ETH Zürich

CONTACT DETAILS

Workshop web page: http://sam.iai.uni-bonn.de/mobile-gaming Please contact the organizer Pascal Bihler, email: bihler@iai.uni- bonn.de