ECREA Symposium: "Games, Media and Communication: Quo Vadis?"

Call for abstracts and panel proposals for the ECREA Digital Games Research Section Symposium in collaboration with the Gaming Matters Research Cluster of the Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC).

7-8.11.2019, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

The 2010s are almost over, and game studies is preparing to enter another decade. The current decade has seen discussions on ludification and e-sports as well as the true breakthrough of terms such as gamification, signifying the pervasive and ubiquitous nature of games and play in contemporary societies. This symposium hosted by the ECREA Digital Games Research Section aims to look at where we have been and where we are going as a field - what could be the next steps? Where could we go from here, and what is going to happen to game studies in the 2020s? How does the multi-disciplinary field of game studies relate to the similarly multi-disciplinary field of communication studies? What kind of innovations are waiting around the corner when it comes to novel research methods or theorizing? What kind of phenomena are only beginning to receive attention, where are the remaining gaps in research?

We are inviting presentations and panels, which may deal with any aspect of game studies or the intersection of game studies with the broader field of communication sciences. We especially encourage proposals that deal with innovations in research methods, empirical research, theory development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and other ways of renewing or re-inventing game studies. We are also open to discussing work-in-progress research projects.

Possible topics include, but are not restricted to, the ones listed here:

• Theoretical approaches and methodological advances in digital games research

• The production, content, audiences and regulation of digital games

• Digital game culture and gaming communities

• Social interaction in and around digital games

• Social and psychological aspects of digital gaming

• Digital games in the field of education

• Communication in and about digital games

• Playful interaction in its various forms

• Avatars, identification, and self-representation in virtual worlds

• Digital game experience, gamer motivations, enjoyment and presence research

• Digital games in comparison with other forms of media entertainment

• Innovations in gaming, such as the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, and location-based gaming

Submission guidelines

- ABSTRACTS: should be max. 500 words + bibliography, and include the contact information of the author(s).

- PANEL PROPOSALS: should include 1) a 300-word rationale for the panel, 2) a 150-word abstract describing each participant's contribution, and 3) contact information for each panelist. Each panelist must be willing to register for and attend the symposium if the panel is accepted.

Abstracts and panel proposals should be submitted by April 30th 2019 through EasyChair.

Decisions on the proposals will be made by the end of May 2019. There are plans to produce a publication, either a journal theme issues or an edited volume, based on selected seminar presentations.

Program Committee

• Marko Siitonen (University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland)

• Felix Reer (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany)

• Teresa de la Hera (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Venue

The conference will be held at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands thanks to the support of the Gaming Matters Research Cluster of the Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC).