[Air-L] CFP: Location-Based Mobile Games (edited book)

[Daniel Sutko]

Please distribute widely. Apologies for cross posting.

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CALL FOR PAPERS for Edited Book

Hybrid Reality Games:
Reconfiguring social and urban networks via locative media

Edited by:
Adriana de Souza e Silva, Ph.D. (Communication, North Carolina State
University)
souzaesilva at ncsu.edu

Daniel Sutko (Communication, North Carolina State University)
dmsutko at ncsu.edu


Description:
Games are pervasive activities in human culture. The strong success  
of video
and computer games during the last 20 years can make us forget that the
physical environment has always been the primary playful space. But if
computers helped take games to digital spaces, the popularity of mobile
technologies takes them back to the physical. The pervasiveness of  
mobile
phones, which allow us to walk around urban spaces connected to the  
Internet
and each other, encourages the creation of a new type of game arena that
takes place simultaneously in physical and digital spaces. In these  
games,
communication, collaboration, and interaction occur in a combination  
of the
physical and the digital—in hybrid spaces. In such games the players’
mobility and position in space indeed matter. Hybrid Reality and
Location-based games transform the players’ perception of urban  
spaces, as
well as the intrinsic definition of game space.

This edited book invites essays that critically investigate the
inter-relations among mobile technologies, location-based activities,  
and
playful / social spaces, with the ultimate goal of finding  
interconnections
between games and social networks. Submitted essays should focus on  
three
main areas:
(1) The history of games as social environments, with particular  
emphasis on
MUDs and RPGs, as predecessors of hybrid reality/location-based gaming.
Essays in this part of the book are encouraged to explore how game
communities are formed, how players in these types of games  
contribute to
the creation of the game space, game content, and the social  
relationships
inside and outside the game.
(2) Theoretical papers about location aware games, differentiating these
types of activities from previous game theories on video games. Besides
theoretical papers, we also welcome case studies on current location- 
based,
hybrid reality games, urban games, and pervasive games. In summary,  
we look
for defining an overarching concept for the different types of multiuser
games that employ mobile technologies as interfaces.
(3) Essays that investigate games beyond the pure entertainment  
approach,
including articles that explore uses of hybrid reality, location  
aware and
pervasive activities in educational contexts, media arts, training,
corporate environments, and other similar activities. Essays might draw
connections among gaming, education, art, and other location-based
activities.

These are suggested research themes, but similar topics will also be
considered.

The book will be directed at academic readers, but should be  
attractive to
the gaming community and industry insiders, as well. Abstracts of  
500/700
words describing the proposed papers are due by December 15th, 2007 with
those accepted due in final form by June 15th, 2008. Submissions may  
be in
the form of empirical research studies or theory-building papers and  
should
be 5000/7000 words (in English). Abstracts must include a brief  
biography of
the author(s). Proposals and inquiries should be sent electronically to
souzaesilva at ncsu.edu .


Deadlines:
Paper abstracts: December 15th  2007(500/700 words)
Notification of accepted abstracts: January 15th 2008
Full papers: June 15th 2008 (5000/7000 words)


About the editors:
Adriana de Souza e Silva is an Assistant Professor at the Department of
Communication at North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the  
director of
the Mobile Gaming Research Lab (http://mglab.chass.ncsu.edu). She is  
also a
faculty member of the Science, Technology and Society Program at  
NCSU. In
2004/2005, Dr. de Souza e Silva was a Senior Researcher at the UCLA  
Graduate
School of Education and Information Studies (GSE&IS) at CRESST  
(Center for
the Study of Evaluation). She holds a Ph.D. on Communication and  
Culture at
the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From 2001 to 2004  
Dr. de
Souza e Silva was a visiting scholar at the UCLA Department of Design |
Media Arts. Her research focuses on how new media (mobile) interfaces
reconfigure our relationship to space and create new social  
environments via
media art and hybrid reality games games. She holds a Masters degree in
Communication and Image Technology at the Federal University of Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
http://www.souzaesilva.com
http://mglab.chass.ncsu.edu


Daniel Sutko is a second-year Master’s student in the Department of
Communication at North Carolina State University. He teaches public  
speaking
and is the research assistant for the Mobile Gaming Research Lab at  
NCSU.
His research centers on the relationship between media and social/ 
spatial
practices, with a particular focus on new media literacy.