Tag: game studies

Please feel free to spread the word:

ToDiGRA Special Issue CFP: Physical and Digital in Games and Play

Following the successful “Physical and Digital in Games and Play” seminar (May 29-31, 2013, University of Tampere), the Transactions of Digital Games Research Association (ToDiGRA) journal invites paper submissions for a special issue on the role of physicality and materiality in digital games, hybrid media, and mixed reality play experiences. The research carried out in such areas holds potential for providing interesting comparative work in theoretical and empirical game studies as well as inspiring new design experiments of hybrid games, playful media or augmented toys.

While this special issue is seeking articles on hybrid, physical-digital phenomena and their research questions, it is also open to submissions that mostly discuss traditional digital games or physical card, board or outdoor sports games. However, such papers should focus on positioning the role of such phenomena in an increasingly digitally augmented or mediated world.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
• Theoretical analyses of hybrid games, hybrid toys and hybridity in games
• Case-studies of hybrid play products
• Hybrid experiences in physical and digital play
• Designs of toy-media or toy-game hybrids
• Digitally augmented board game and table top game designs
• Augmented sports and exergames
• Role-playing with a mixed media component
• Cosplay practices particularly as related to digital games and game characters
• The experience, use, or value of digital copy vs. physical copy
• Game industry vs. toy industry
• Contemporary, mixed media folk games, folk toys, and player created hybridity
• 3D Printing in playful media and games
• Physical games and digital art, playgrounds and museums
• The role of physical and digital in gambling

The editors of this special issue are Professor Frans Mäyrä, University of Tampere; Dr Anu Seisto, VTT; and Dr Katriina Heljakka, Aalto University. The editors bring together a combination perspectives and expertise from digital and mixed reality game research, hybrid media research as well as from art, design and toy research.

The article submissions should be anonymized and follow the DiGRA article template (see http://todigra.org/index.php/todigra/about/submissions). The recommended manuscript length is c. 7000-8000 words. Articles with the appropriate thematic focus for the special issue will be subject to anonymous peer review. The deadline for submissions is 18 October, 2013. Inquiries and submissions (in Word or RTF format) should be emailed to frans.mayra@uta.fi

Transactions of the Digital Games Research Association (ToDIGRA) is an international, open access, refereed, multidisciplinary journal dedicated to research on and practice in all aspects of games. ToDiGRA captures the wide variety of research within the game studies community combining, for example, humane science with sociology, technology with design, and empirics with theory. As such, the journal provides a forum for communication among experts from different disciplines in game studies such as education, computer science, psychology, media and communication studies, design, anthropology, sociology, and business. ToDIGRA is sponsored by the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA), the leading international professional society for academics and professionals seeking to advance the study and understanding of digital games.

The editorial board of ToDiGRA is: Mia Consalvo, Canada Research Chair in Game Studies and Design, Concordia University; Holin Lin, Professor, National Taiwan University, Department of Sociology; Jesper Juul, Assistant Professor, New York University Game Center; Frans Mäyrä, Professor, University of Tampere, School of Information Sciences; Annika Waern, Professor, Uppsala University, Department of Informatics and Media; José Zagal, Assistant Professor, DePaul University. More of ToDiGRA: http://todigra.org/