game studies – Page 33 – frans goes blog

Contextual Gaming in IR9.0

I think I have managed to successfully submit the full paper into the Internet Research 9.0 conference system (no confirmation messages, so I cannot be really sure). Here is the revised short abstract — see you all in Copenhagen!

Play in the Mobile Internet: Towards Contextual Gaming
Frans Mäyrä

Abstract

As use of Internet from broadband-enabled mobile devices is becoming more common, studying the particular characteristics of mobile usage gains new importance. This paper discusses the role of services like Flickr and Facebook from the perspective of “contextual gaming” – the appropriation of mobile and networked media for playful purposes in a social context. Applying Roger Caillois’ distinction between paidia and ludus, the paper will introduce both free-form and improvised, as well as more rule-bound and competitive developments into playful, social media. The paper will conclude with both some criticism of the increasingly pervasive and continuous entanglement in socially charged technologies, while also welcoming the empowering and liberating potentials in this process.

Advisory for MLL

Today I had again a visit to Helsinki, through kind invitation by the executives of MLL (Mannerheimin Lastensuojeluliitto, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare – the biggest organisation of its kind in Finland). I am bringing the perspectives of digital culture and game studies to the media education work that the association is carrying out, hopefully playing some small part in increasing “games literacy” in our country. Links: http://www.mll.fi/ & http://www.mll.fi/in_english/

Games research spearheads the University Alliance

There are some details still to be sorted out, but this is now official: games research has been selected as one of the spearhead areas that will be supported in the new Finnish University Alliance. The University Alliance is formed by three universities: University of Tampere, University of Jyväskylä and Tampere University of Technology. Games research has been granted the spearhead project status together with the research into the future of learning, so there will be particular interest in the connections of games and learning in the Alliance. The overall aim is to strengthen the Finnish academic work on games research by uniting the forces and having finally a large games research centre in this area. More (in Finnish): http://www.yliopistoallianssi.fi/karkihankkeet.html.

Art & Science Goes Kapakka

Just a quick note: I will be speaking in Helsinki, in 16th August (Saturday) in Art Goes Kapakka, science talks session, about our relationship to technology and discussing social media. For more, go to http://www.artgoeskapakka.fi/ and click “Tiede on Taidetta – Science Is Art”.

DiGRA 2009 dates and place set

Recent news from DiGRA: the next DiGRA conference will take place in the UK, in Brunel university 31st August – 4th September 2009. News post in DiGRA site is here (more will follow later this year).

Suomi Areena panel

The panel talk in Pori was fine, I guess, even while other high-profile events taking place around same time in Pori took their toll in the audience figures. Anyways, thanks to RAY for organising the event. It was also very nice to meet and talk with Jaakko Suominen, Mika Pantzar, Sonja Kangas and others. With Laura and Luka we did little summer excursion afterwards and visited the white sands of Yyteri beaches.

Suomi Areena stage in Pori

16.07.2008 on Flickr – Photo Sharing!

Speaking in Pori & in Finncon

Just a note: even while still being in holidays, I will also be doing a couple of talks — the first will be tomorrow, in “Suomi Areena” which is part of the Pori Jazz festival. I will be participating in a panel on the future of gambling / money gaming. Next week I will be in the annual science fiction & fantasy researcher meeting, and giving a talk on the fantasy and research of future homes — both of these in the Finncon 2008 event in Tampere. More: http://www.suomiareena.fi/ & http://2008.finncon.org/

Mass Effect

Summer and games: not really football or Olympic field sports to my taste, but every now and then I cannot resist a proper RPG adventure. This summer it is Mass Effect from Bioware. I am not so much a fan of first person shooters, but occasional action sequences are ok when they are integrated as parts of a larger, fascinating universe as in Mass Effect. The game is very cinematic, and that sometimes means gameplay locked on rails, but when the outcome works fine as a science fiction movie, I do not complain. Problem is really that as we need to do other things during daytime, it is only nights that are available for gaming… Also fine voice acting, by the way (from Mark Meer/Jennifer Hale for the protagonist, and likes of Martina Sitris, Lance Henriksen and Seth Green in other roles).

Game Studies summer school

I am taking part in the PhD seminar organised by the Nordic Games Research Network, taking place this week in Dronninglund slot (Queen’s-Meadow Castle?), Denmark, great location, great discussions.

GameSpace workshop on extended game experience

Today in Helsinki (Radisson SAS Hotel), participating in a workshop of GameSpace research project; this day is dedicated to game experience from the “extended” or holistic perspective, meaning paying attention also to the way one gets information about games, how one is able to access the game, and how game invites repeated gameplay sessions (or not). Interesting presentations from GameSpace team (Janne Paavilainen, Annakaisa Kultima), and Aki Järvinen (Veikkaus), Nokia (Jussi Holopainen, Hannu Korhonen), Olli Sotamaa (Univ. of Tampere, Games as Services project). This is the last workshop in the project, but the project itself will finish (with final reporting) next fall. Fascinating work, both this part, and the entire project.