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Aesthetics of Play - A Conference on Computer Game Aesthetics

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Please note that the deadline for CFP has been reached (18 April, 2005 )

We invite proposals for papers to be presented at the conference Aesthetics of Play, to be held at the University of Bergen 14-15 October 2005. The conference is hosted by the Department of Information Science and Media Studies, and is arranged in collaboration with Norway's first game-art exhibition at Bergen Kunsthall.

We invite papers that address the diversity of cultural meanings as they are expressed in computer game technology and software. The notion of ‘aesthetics’ in this context is a broad one, encompassing the formal structures and audiovisual characteristics of games and game technologies as well as the wider epistemological, cultural and political dimensions of the gaming experience. Our aim is to contribute to the continued development of a broad cultural aesthetics of computer games, allowing us to better understand their role as mediators of cultural change. We especially want to encourage contributions that offer analytical ‘close-playings’ of particular games or genres. We invite a broad range of game-centred approaches, hoping to attract a rich mixture of highly focussed and particular investigations as well as broader more speculative work.

Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
CONVENTIONS | Game architectures. The analysis of formal, technological and narrative conventions of computer games
SOCIETY | The representations of society in contemporary game-worlds
EPISTEMOLOGY | The epistemology of computer games
BEAUTY | The audiovisual aesthetics of computer games
THEORY | Theories and methods of game analysis
INDUSTRY | Aesthetics and industrial imperatives


Abstracts of maximum 300 words should be submitted by 18 April, 2005 via the conference website. Notice of acceptance will be sent out by 10 May , 2005, and presenters will be asked to submit the full papers by 16 September 2005. All papers will be published in the online conference proceedings.

For more information contact: Eli Lea ([email protected]) for practical or administrative inquiries, Rune Klevjer ([email protected]) for academic inquiries.

  UPDATES
13 OCTOBER, 2005
Online registration has now closed. Registration on site, NOK 300 per day.
12 OCTOBER, 2005
Conference venue address: Ulrike Pihils hus, Prof. Keysersgate 1. Look for a pale blue and pink house. Please phone Eli on 0047 99 44 14 14 if you have any problems finding us. See map (430 k), opens in new window.
30 SEPTEMBER, 2005
Programme, travel section and front page have been updated.
6 SEPTEMBER, 2005
Web site has been updated with Submission Guidelines for presenters
18 AUGUST, 2005
Programme has been updated
9 JUNE, 2005
Abstracts and preliminary programme have been added to the web site.
21 MAY, 2005
The accommodation page has been updated with special conference offers and information about budget accommodation.
19 APRIL, 2005
The deadline for CfP has now been reached.
16 APRIL, 2005
Confirmed keynote speakers:
Games: The Art of Simulation
Espen Aarseth
IT University of Copenhagen

What Am I Doing in Vietnam?
Jon Dovey
University of Bristol

28 MARCH , 2005
Registration is now open.
22 MARCH, 2005
The opening of the registration has been postponed from 21 March to 28 March
25 FEBRUARY, 2005
Call for papers has been published. Submit abstract
18 FEBRUARY, 2005
The conference web site has been launched.

 
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