Was Soziologen so machen...Under the Mask: Perspectives on the Gamer

Under the Mask: Perspectives on the Gamer
June 5-6th 2009
Research Institute for Media Art and Design
University of Bedfordshire
Luton Campus, Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire, UK

Who is the Gamer? Is the User one persona or numerous? Is their identity static or dynamic? What are the differences, if any, between casual, hardcore and professional Players? How does the social setting affect performance? What are the rituals, rules and argot held as standard within these cultures? How has the industry catered, and continued to cater to these varied subjective positions?

This conference aims to address the issues that surround the Player of videogames as contributor, consumer and propagator of specific cultures, not only through presentation and discussion, but also through actively engaging with games and Gamers.

Eminent designer and author Ernest Adams will provide the keynote this year.

Once more, a number of Professional Gamers will be attending the conference to demonstrate their expertise and share their experiences, whilst throughout the day competitions will be held on the various formats available, with a variety of game hardware and software prizes on offer. In creating such an environment, the organizers hope that
the participants will able to explore the sociological, psychological, and ludological issues in a game-playing context.

These include:
What takes place between Player and screen? Do original control interfaces (Guitar Hero,Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo Wii, mobile games et cetera) affect social behaviour? Does genre affect the mode of participation, reception and positioning of the Gamer? What role does gender assume in game culture? Are there consequences of play for
Gamers, psychologically, socially and culturally?

Also of interest is the notion of the fan in games: fiction, art, walkthroughs, and game interpretations - what do these communities have to say on the place of the User within their communal/cultural hierarchy?

Call for papers:
• New methodologies or adapted methodologies for studying the Gamer;
• Case studies of Players interacting with novel control interfaces;
• Case studies of Users in social settings;
• Case studies of the relationship between gender and games;
• Case studies of Gamers in competitive/professional settings;
• Methodologies relating to Psychoanalysis and Analytical Psychology;
• Genre and its relation to Player performance;
• The role of competition, casual and social gaming within game culture and
• Presentations/Analyses of Fan fiction and Fan Art.

Topics may include: sport simulations, MMOGs, first-person shooters, performance games (Dance, Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero etc), mobile games, original control hardware, sociological methodologies (adapted and new), audience reception, gender studies, psychoanalysis/ analytical psychology, behavioural case studies, professional gaming,
competitive gaming, social gaming, ‘girl’ games, game art, fan fiction, fan art, and so on.

Abstracts of 250 words, accompanied by contact details and a brief biography to be received by the 30th of April to: gamer@beds.ac.uk

Conference Organizers

Prof Luke Hockley
Dr Gavin Stewart
Steven Conway

Contact Details
c/o Dr Gavin Stewart
A105
School of Media, Art & Design
University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton LU1 3JU

For further information, please go to:
http://underthemask.wikidot.com/
Copyright Andreabild: The Lemming :)