Nordic Game 2006 – Research Program - Open Call

Call for presenters for an academic symposium 
"Understanding the Player" at Nordic Game 2006. 
19-20 September. Malmö, Sweden.

After two years under the banner Nordic Game Potential, the Nordic region's premier game industry event is now simply known as Nordic Game. The event will feature programs for research, development, public interest, distribution and retail, as well as a business marketplace. This year the academic track has been extended and will include keynotes from 
Julian Dibbell and Mary Flanagan. More information about the event is available at: 
http://nordicgame.com/

We hope to bring together the most interesting and exciting researchers, not only from the Nordic region but from around the globe, to focus on this year's theme: "Understanding the Player." We are counting on your help to make this happen.

Our aim is to put together a line-up of speakers that reflects the breadth and depth of what understanding players entails in terms of research. Everything from ethnographic studies of gamers in their "natural habitats" to experimental studies of the player fit the theme. When we try to define what games are within the field of game studies, there is a tendency to do so from a formal perspective, putting such things as rules and winning conditions in focus, and leaving the actual players of the games lurking in the shadows, only implied through words like effort or attachment. Players, and the social and cultural aspects of games, are often represented but rarely made the focal point. Meanwhile, in the game industry, interest in the player is increasing. Just as software developers have realized that their products need to be 
user-centered, game developers are showing an increasing desire to understand how, why, and where people play games.

The academic symposium at Nordic Game 2006 will consist of eight 30 minute presentations running over the two days. If you would like to give a presentation, we ask that you write an abstract outlining your talk and send it to Mikael Jakobsson, chair of the academic symposium program committee.  The planning is already well on its way, so we would like to ask you to submit your abstracts as soon as possible to increase your chances to be selected for 
participation. Send title and abstract outlining 
the talk (max 500 words) to the following e-mail 
by August 15th at the latest: 
mikael.jakobsson@k3.mah.se.

Abstracts received will be reviewed by the academic symposium program committee consisting of: Mikael Jakobsson, Associate Professor. Malmö University (chair), Simon Niedenthal, Associate Professor. Malmö University, and T.L. Taylor, Associate Professor. IT University of Copenhagen. The selected presenters willbe given free access to the entire event.