[Air-L] Call for Chapter Proposals, Book Project on Video Games

[Matthew Wy.]

Call for Chapter Proposals, Book Project on Video Games

“Issues of Control: Reading and Playing Video Games” (tentative title)

The word control has many implications when it is used in connection with video games. Obviously on a basic level, unlike other media, if a player does not control the game, there is no experience. You must participate to keep the story moving forward. Enjoyment of the experience can also connect to control. For many players, pleasure comes from the equilibrium between the player’s control over the game and the game’s control over the player.

This book seeks to explore the nature of control in the area of video games. The chapters presented in it are intended to explore a range of ideas.

Possible chapters/ideas to explore include:

- What does it mean to truly control a game?
- Freedom of choice for gamers
- How different genres might impact control
- How control is central to questions of design
- How might games’ narratives or game play ‘control’ the player
- Does controlling a game in the virtual world influence our concepts of control in the non-virtual world?
- How might we re-conceptualize playing games thanks to new forms of video game controllers like the Wii or Xbox’s Kinect?


If you would like to propose a chapter for this project, please send a short author(s) bio as well as a 750 word abstract along with title to Matthew Wysocki (mwysocki at flagler.edu). The deadline for receipt of all proposals is June 30, 2011. I will attempt to notify all correspondents by July 31 regarding the status of their submission. Completed draft manuscripts will be due by November 30.

Matthew Wysocki
Assistant Professor 
Department of Communication
Flagler College