January 2011 – frans goes blog

Flip Phone futures

This is a really cool video and vision for future, worth sharing:

What is being creative? from Kristian Larsen on Vimeo.

LinkStation, TwonkyMedia, and PS3 video streaming

After getting LinkStation Duo 2TB NAS as the backup disk for our home network, I realised that it also had a built-in, DLNA compliant media server. Since we had hundreds of video clips and thousands of photos, this sounded like a great opportunity to get all those family memories to the Sony Bravia TV screen. But: nothing is so simple, in these days of IT and media “standards”. Far too large part of this weekend has been spent trying to get different parts of this new media equation to communicate with each other. A firmware update to the LinkStation produced almost usable Twonkymedia server setup (the shipped version of Twonkymedia was apparently uncompatible with the NAS firmware, making it useless). I say “almost”, since it seems that some media player clients are able to access something from this media server, some nothing. E.g. Windows Media Player in Win7 seems to show parts of the disk media contents, and you can navigate the folders. In the Sony Bravia built-in media browser you can see a few videos, but not navigate the folder structure. The best results come from using PlayStation3, where the folder navigation seems to work fine, and quite a few video files play ok. Unsurprisingly, it was those older videos we had shot with a Sony video camera that play fine in PS3, but when the videos turned into those recorded with Canon cameras, they became “unknown data”. I explored various conversion options, if I’d take the leap and produce a converted version of all those HD video files, but the video and audio codecs and file formats are a real jungle. I hoped in vain there would a single-button solution that would make the suitable conversion possible, without all that “muxing” and “demuxing” that the real digital video people seem to be doing all the time. Late at night, I finally found some kind of solution that seems to work: if you install the latest version of Windows Live Movie Maker (I also installed Expression Encoder 4, just to be sure), you can save imported Canon MOV files into various types of WMV files – and finally the “Save Movie … for Burn into DVD” option produced a file that successfully streamed from LinkStation’s TwonkyMedia server to the PS3, displaying both video and audio. The result is not comparable to the HD original, but it is the best conversion method that I could find that is almost at “single-button” level of simplicity. Hopefully someone can find something even more simple — and better quality? For a regular consumer, the entire DLNA “standardization” appears almost like a joke — I have installed and tested numerous media servers, and tried to access them from a variety of clients and players, and none had actually worked like they should. The era of interoperability is not yet here.

Triangle & Play Society

(In Finnish) Tampereen yliopiston pelitutkimusryhmä (Game Research Lab/TRIM; Informaatiotieteiden yksikkö) käynnistää kaksi uutta tutkimushanketta. ”Triangle: sosiaalisen median haasteet pelipalvelujen suunnittelulle” sovittaa yhteen kolme tutkimusaluetta, pelisuunnittelututkimuksen, pelikokemustutkimuksen sekä pelien ja virtuaalitalouden ansaintamallitutkimuksen. Tavoitteena on tuottaa sekä konkreettisia ratkaisumalleja uusien pelityyppien ja pelitapojen kohtaamiin haasteisiin, että alan kehitykseen vastaavia uusia käyttäjälähtöisiä tutkimusmenetelmiä. ”Play Society” on osahanke laajassa Next Media SHOK (strategisen huippuosaamisen keskittymä) -hankekokonaisuudessa. Play Society -hankkeessa tehtävä tutkimus tähtää leikillisyyden (playfulness) syvempään ymmärrykseen pelien ja leikillisen median kehyksessä. Hankkeessa tuotetaan lisäksi prototyyppejä tulevaisuuden palveluista ja kehitetään leikillisten kokemusten arviointiin sopivia käyttäjätutkimuksen menetelmiä. Molemmat hankkeet ovat Tampereen yliopiston ja tietotekniikan tutkimuskeskus HIITin tutkimusyhteistyötä, minkä lisäksi mukana on Tekes ja laaja joukko alan yritystoimijoita. Tutkimukset toteutetaan vuosina 2011-2012.

CFP: ISPCAN European Regional Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect

I will be speaking as one of the keynotes in this conference, here spreading the word about its CFP:

The 12th ISPCAN European Regional Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect arranged by the University of Tampere and ISPCAN (International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect), together with NASPCAN (The Nordic Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect)

Time: 18 – 21 September, 2011
Place: Tampere Hall, Tampere, Finland
Theme: Challenging Social Responsibilities for Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse and neglect are issues which challenge practitioners, decision makers and researchers as well as parents, children and communities: whose responsibility is it to react, respond and care and how should it be done? The Conference offers a multiprofessional and multidisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners, activists and decision-makers – not forgetting children and young people themselves – to share views and experiences by arranging plenaries, workshops and informal social meeting places. The Nordic, European and global perspectives will support our joint efforts to promote the well-being and safety of children and their families globally.

Tentative conference sub themes:

Social responsibility in every-day practice: tools, ethics and assessment
Multiprofessional cooperation between authorities and experts
Child and youth involvement and participation
Abuse and neglect in socio-cultural contexts: global rights, local challenges
Methods and ethics in child abuse research

For more information: http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/hoito/tapahtumat/childabuseandneglect2011/general_information.html

About the conference keynotes: http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/hoito/tapahtumat/childabuseandneglect2011/keynotes.html

Arvo ja raha Internetin fantasiapeleissä

(Here is the – Finnish – abstract of my tomorrow’s talk in Tieteen päivät event in Helsinki):

Peleihin liittyvä rahankäyttö on yksi ulottuvuus pelien arvon ja merkitysten tarkastelussa. Perinteisissä rahapeleissä raha näyttäytyy panoksena, voittoina ja tappioina, ja rahallisen arvon merkitykset määrittävät pitkälti pelin luonnetta. Viihdepelien rahaan ja arvoon liittyvät ulottuvuudet ovat jääneet vähemmälle huomiolle. Viihdepeliteollisuuden tuotteiden myyntiarvo ylitti 60 miljardia dollaria vuonna 2009 ja viihteellisiin pelimuotoihin liittyvät kasvunäkymät on taantumankin aikana arvioitu hyviksi. Perinteisen pelimyynnin ja pelilaitteisiin liittyvän liiketoiminnan rinnalle on kuitenkin kehittynyt erilaisia uusia arvonmuodostuksen alueita, jotka osin hämärtävät raha- ja viihdepelien tiukkaa eroa.

Fantasiapelit ovat mielenkiintoinen pelikulttuurin osa-alue, missä kehityksen monimuotoisuus tulee hyvin esiin. Laajimmillaan fantasiapelaamiseen sisällytetään esimerkiksi fantasialiigapelit, missä todellisten urheilijoiden menestys vaikuttaa fantasiajoukkueen ”omistajalleen” keräämiin pisteisiin. Tämäntyyppisen pelaamisen voi katsoa tarjoavan lisäarvoa ja -jännitystä aktiiviselle urheilun seuraajalle, mutta esimerkiksi Ilta-Sanomien Liigapörssi-peli tarjoaa parhaiten menestyneelle virtuaalivalmentajalle myös tuhannen euron rahapalkinnon. Virtuaalinen ja arkitodellisuuden arvonmuodostus ovat tiiviisti kietoutuneet yhteen.

Fantasiaroolipelit ovat osaltaan laajentaneet pelaamisen merkityskirjoa 1970-luvun varhaisvaiheistaan lähtien. Nämä pelit pyrkivät tarjoamaan kokemuksen sisäisesti johdonmukaisesta vaihtoehtotodellisuudesta. Pelaaja luo fantasiamaailmaan hahmon, jonka kokemusten, varusteiden ja voimien kartuttamiseen liittyy oma, itseisarvoinen merkityskokemuksensa. Samalla raja fantasian ja arkimaailman välillä on kuitenkin häilyvä. Pelaajat raportoivat pelissä saavutetun itseluottamuksen, kielitaidon tai tiimityön kokemusten siirtyvän rikastuttamaan myös ei-virtuaalista arkielämää. Raha koetaan toisinaan uhkatekijäksi fantasiaroolipeleissä: miljardiluokkaan laajentuneet virtuaalihyödykkeiden markkinat tekevät mahdolliseksi ”ostaa rahalla menestystä” aiemmin autonomiseksi koetussa fantasiatodellisuudessa. Samalla fantasiapelien yksi keskeinen sisältö liittyy pitkäveteiseen ja vaativaan ”fantasiatyöhön”, jonka tavoitteena on pakottaa pelaaja käyttämään aikaa kuukausimaksuperusteisessa pelimaailmassa. Laajojenkin fantasiapelien muuttuessa parhaillaan ilmaispeleiksi, on tämä arvon ja ansainnan logiikka murtumassa, ja tilalle kehittyy nopeasti uusia virtuaalisen ja reaalisen työn, viihteen ja kuluttamisen yhdistelmiä.

Tieteen päivät 2011

(This event will be in Finnish.) Puhun tämän vuoden Tieteen päivillä kahdessa eri sessiossa, molemmissa “arki” yhteisenä nimittäjänä:

To 13.1. klo 14.30-16.30 Rahapelaaminen yhteiskunnan arjessa
Päärakennus, sali 6 (3. krs)
Järjestäjä: Pelitoiminnan tutkimussäätiö
Puheenjohtaja: professori Olli Alho
Valtiotieteiden tohtori Tuukka Tammi (A-klinikkasäätiö): Miten ongelmapelaamisesta tuli osa yhteiskunnallista arkea?
Professori Frans Mäyrä (Tampereen yliopisto): Arvo ja raha Internetin fantasiapeleissä
Professori Pauliina Raento (Helsingin yliopisto): Rahapelaaminen pilakuvissa
(http://www.tieteenpaivat.fi/tp2011/lahesnormaalia/index.html)

Vuoden Professorin julkistus ja Proffan arki (14.1.2011, HY Pieni juhlasali)
Professoriliitto julkistaa Vuoden Professorin 2011 Tieteen päivillä perjantaina 14.1.2011 klo 10.00.
Julkistuksen jälkeen professorin työn arkea valottavat videoinserteissä filosofian professori Timo Airaksinen (Helsingin yliopisto), kasvatuspsykologian professori Kaarina Määttä (Lapin yliopisto), näyttelijätyön professori Kati Outinen (Teatterikorkeakoulu) ja avaruustähtitieteen professori Esko Valtaoja (Turun yliopisto).
Videoinserttien lomassa eri alojen professorit keskustelevat arkipäivästään. Keskustelussa ovat mukana Professoriliiton puheenjohtaja Maarit Valo, professori Timo Airaksinen, professori Frans Mäyrä sekä Vuoden Professori.
(http://www.tieteenpaivat.fi/tp2011/ajank.html)

DiGRA 2011 CFP

It is important to spread the word, copying the DiGRA 2011 CFP text here, for the official link, go to: http://www.digra.org/news_new/114.

THINK DESIGN PLAY
5th International Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) Conference
14-17 September 2010

Hosted by the Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands

www.gamesconference.org

Call for participation

———————-

After Leveling Up in the Netherlands (2003), Changing Views in Canada (2005), Situated Play in Japan (2007) and Breaking New Ground in England

(2009) the 5th DiGRA Conference returns to Utrecht for Think Design Play

The goal of the DiGRA conference is to advance the study of games and playfulness. DiGRA 2011 seeks to connect game research to the creative industries and society by fostering the development of an integrated practice of game research, design, engineering, entrepreneurship and play. The conference is designed as a physical and online playground for meaningful dialogue between all players in the field of games. Whilst the conference will include the presentation of (peer-reviewed) papers and practice, invited talks and workshops, we are also very interested in supporting alternative forms and processes through which to participate and stimulate debate and discussion.

Topics

——

The focus of the 2011 DiGRA conference is on integrated practices of game research, the creative industries and society (think: game design, engineering, entrepreneurship and play). We invite contributions on all topics and perspectives.

Submission and deadlines

————————

Submissions are subject to peer review. Submissions should be in ACM SIG format and PDF (http://www.acm.org/sigs/publications/proceedings-templates). Full papers will be published in conference proceedings, special issue journals as well as at the Digital Library of Digital Game Research Association on the DiGRA website (http://www.digra.org/dl).

Papers (individual or multi-author): submit an abstract of 600-800 words.

Full papers (optional): manuscripts of up to 7.000 words will be accepted for review. These will be reviewed and judged separately from abstract submissions. You do not need to submit an abstract in order to submit a full paper.

Alternative forms: we are also very interested in supporting alternative forms and processes through which to participate and stimulate debate and discussion, think: posters, panels, roundtables and workshops but feel free to move beyond!

Abstract papers and alternative forms submission: 21 February 2010
Notification of acceptance: 12 April 2010
Full paper submission: 18 April 2010
Full paper notification of acceptance: 17 June 2010
Camera ready version: 8 August 2010

The 5th DiGRA conference is hosted by the Utrecht School of the Arts The Utrecht region is the prime location in the Netherlands for activities related to game design and technology. The Utrecht School of the Arts is one of the largest art and culture-oriented institutes in Europe. The institute links design education and research to the creative industries and society. The DiGRA conference is hosted by the Faculty of Art, Media & Technology where creative design & research are practised in the combined fields of games, media and music, for entertainment as well as meaningful application. Together with Utrecht University, the Utrecht School of the Arts founded the Dutch Game Garden, an incubator for new game companies. and participates in the extensive GATE game research program.

Great Gamification Debate (GDC)

I am not travelling to the US personally, but here is something that looks very interesting in this year’s Game Developers Conference: The Great Gamification Debate, featuring (taken from the GDC 2011 Schedule):

SPEAKER/S: Jesse Schell (Schell Games), Ben Sawyer (Digitalmill), Jane McGonigal (Institute for the Future), Ian Bogost (The Georgia Institute of Technology), Noah Falstein (The Inspiracy), Margaret Robertson (Hide&Seek), Ross Smith (Microsoft) and Margaret Wallace (Playmatics)
DAY / TIME / LOCATION: TBD
TRACK / FORMAT: Serious Games Summit / Panel
DESCRIPTION: Only platform FanBoy wars have created a more passionate debate then the overall fracus between gamification’s current proponents and its detractors. Strong opinions exist on both sides of the pro/con debate that it seems suitable to have an actual honest debate over the merits, incarnations, and future of gamification. Featuring a who’s who of passionate GDC regulars and gamification developers who’ve deployed actual solutions into the field, this session will provide a unique debate format hosted by the Serious Games Summit advisory board and moderated by Noah Falstien of The Inspiracy. Assigning sides via a coin-toss to force each participant to prepare arguments for and against despite their own heartfelt positions The Great Gamification Debate will present all attendees with a deep critical analysis of the emergent space’s strengths and weaknesses. Both sides will compete to win the debate. Once the final opinion is fielded and a winner is declared each participant will be allowed a final closing moment to speak to whatever personal opinion they still hold but were unable to express in the heat of competition.

Hopefully all you who go there, participate!

Surface Detail

I was happy to read something non-work-related over the holidays, this time a new SF novel from the Culture series by Iain M. Banks, titled Surface Detail. The world(s), the setting, all the interesting directions opened up by high technologies, advanced civilizations and post-human evolution are there, as well as the witty dialogues and entertaining AI characters familiar from earlier books. The main political angle this time is critique of religious fundamentalism – or one can at least read the artificially created Hells and the war over them that way. For a fuller, yet snappy review, see e.g. here:

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2010/11/surface-detail-hides-deep-questions-in-new-banks-novel.html

2010 in review (blog stats)

WordPress.com is appararently automatically generating this kind of status reports at the start of a new year of blogging:

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 9,400 times in 2010. That’s about 23 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 64 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 762 posts. There were 17 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 11mb. That’s about a picture per month.

The busiest day of the year was December 21st with 241 views. The most popular post that day was The most amazing 450 page presentation ever.