[Air-L] CFP + 3rd keynote announcement: DiGRA 2020

[Frans Mäyrä]

*Call for Papers & 3rd Keynote Announcement: DiGRA 2020*

Tampere, Finland (June 2-6, 2020)
https://digra2020.org/

Updates:
- We have already announced two conference keynotes, Dr Susanna
Paasonen and Dr. Kishonna Gray. Today we are happy and proud to
announce the third keynote speaker, Dr. Rilla Khaled. Dr Khaled is an
Associate Professor in the Department of Design and Computation Arts
at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada. Dr. Khaled’s research is
focused on the use of interactive technologies to improve the human
condition, a career-long passion that has led to diverse outcomes,
including designing award-winning serious games, creating speculative
prototypes of near-future technologies, developing a framework for
game design specifically aimed at reflective outcomes, and working
with Indigenous communities to use contemporary technologies to
imagine new, inclusive futures. See: https://digra2020.org/keynotes/.
- The conference submissions are still open - but it is less than a
month to the deadline of full paper, abstract and panel submissions
(29 November 2019).

DiGRA 2020 will take place in Tampere, Finland from June 3rd-6th 2020.
A pre-conference will be held on Tuesday, June 2nd. DiGRA 2020 is
co-hosted by the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies
(https://coe-gamecult.org/), a joint effort of game research teams in
three universities (Tampere, Turku, and Jyväskylä).

The theme of DiGRA 2020 is "Play Everywhere", exploring the workings
of play and games as wide-ranging cultural phenomena which have shaped
many areas of society. The ludification of culture, including
practices around games, play, and related phenomena have arguably
broadened and diversified approaches in the field. Games pervade
culture and society, play is everywhere.

We encourage reflection upon how the collapse of traditional divisions
between work and leisure, and between seriousness and playfulness,
affect both culture in general, and play and games in particular. On
the one hand, the cultural importance of playful phenomena has
increased, rendering games one of the defining expressive means of
contemporary society. They come with the promise of enhanced agency
and participation on an unprecedented scale. On the other hand, the
dominance of games and play introduces new challenges, such as the
question of videogame hegemony and its global impacts.

While game studies in the past has often underlined the hedonic,
empowering aspects of games and play, the ludification of society also
raises difficult questions around the socioeconomic and environmental
cost of game culture. Who is entitled to design, play, and enjoy games
and under what conditions?

With the theme of "Play Everywhere", DiGRA 2020 makes space for an
interdisciplinary critical debate around related question, inviting a
diversity of voices. As mainstream phenomena around games and play
grow, so do approaches and tactics at the margin of games culture.
This creates potentials for vibrant exchange, methodical variety, and
multifaceted critique. DiGRA 2020 welcomes contributions on different
game formats, expressions, and phenomena both related to digital and
non-digital games.

We are inviting submissions for the following six tracks:

- Philosophy and Theory of Play & Games: theoretical frameworks and
investigations of games and play phenomena as well as meta-reflection
on game studies methods and practices.
- Game Analyses, Criticism and Interpretation: analyses,
close-readings, and critical discussions of game texts.
- Game History and Cultural Context: explorations of game histories,
contemporary game cultures and regional game studies.
- Play and Players: empirical research on play and playful behaviour,
players, fandom, and game communities.
- Game Design, Production and Distribution: reflections on making and
research creation, processes of production and design, and the games
market.
- Serious Games and Education: research on games and play for
learning, education and therapy, gamification, and other applications
beyond game studies.

There will be several special events associated with the conference, including:

- PhD Consortium: Organized on the pre-conference conference day, this
event will allow PhD students to discuss key issues and seek feedback
from experienced scholars. It will provide opportunities for further
development of research skills that will be of help to emerging
scholars in achieving their academic goals.

- Game History Consortium: The consortium brings together game
historians and stakeholders such as museum, library, and archive
professionals, as well as game company representatives to discuss
current topics in game historical research, uses of history, game,
gameplay, and game culture preservation, and themes such as local game
histories and game industries beyond digital games. The venue is
organized in collaboration with the Finnish Museum of Games (opened in
January 2017) and the Finnish Game Preservation Roundtable Network.

- Nordic Larp: Theory and Practice: Finland, among other Nordic
countries, has a strong tradition of Live action role-playing Games
(Larp), both in practice and in research attention. In conjunction
with the conference, a half-day event will feature a Larp workshop and
a series of talks on Nordic Larps.

More thematic workshops can be proposed to the organisers (see
submission guidelines below).

*Important dates*

- Submission opens: 1 October 2019
- Full papers, abstracts and panels submission deadline: 29 November 2019
- Workshop proposals submission deadline 13 December 2019
- Announcement of review results and workshop acceptance: 20 January 2020
- Workshop submissions deadline: 14 February 2020
- Workshop submissions results: 18 February 2020
- Early bird registration & program deadlines: 13 March 2020
- Camera-ready papers & abstracts deadline: 3 April 2020
- Conference dates: 3-6 June 2020

The submissions will be handled via the EasyChair system (the link to
be provided at the website later).

More information will be updated into the conference website: www.digra2020.org.

*Submission Guidelines*

We welcome a range of contributions to DiGRA 2020: full papers,
extended abstracts, panel and doctoral consortium participation, and
workshop proposals.

Full papers and extended abstracts will be peer-reviewed, published on
the conference website and published in the conference proceedings
available via open-access through the DiGRA Digital Library:
http://www.digra.org/digital-library. Panel proposals will be
peer-reviewed and published on the conference website, but will not be
included in the conference proceedings published through the DiGRA
Digital Library. Workshop proposals will be selected by the conference
organizers based on non-anonymous submissions.

All except workshop submissions should be made via EasyChair, which
opens on 1st October 2019. Workshop proposals should be sent directly
to the conference email.

Authors are asked to direct questions to the program chairs Sabine
Harrer, Tomasz Z. Majkowski and Hanna Wirman.

- Full Paper:

Full papers are expected to be 5000-7000 words plus references,
submitted as anonymized pdf on DiGRA Submission Template. Submissions
must be original, which means that they have not been published or are
under peer review elsewhere.

Full papers are peer-reviewed publications of original game studies
research, presenting mature, complete research. Authors must present
accepted full papers at the DiGRA conference. Accepted manuscripts
will appear in the Proceedings of the 2019 DiGRA International
Conference, which is published in the open access DiGRA Digital
Library.

- Extended Abstract:

The suggested length for an extended abstract is 500-800 words, with a
maximum of 1000 words, excluding references (only key references
should be included), submitted as anonymized pdf using the DiGRA
Submission Template. Give a short description in the abstract field of
the conference management system, but there is no need for extended
abstracts to contain an abstract.

The purpose of an extended abstract is to demonstrate a contribution
interesting to DiGRA audiences. An extended abstract might describe a
study or research program that is underway, but might also describe a
pending program of research. It might outline findings, or it might
establish and discuss a research question. It might describe the
study's method or methodology, or it might focus on outcomes and
results. It might describe work that is planned, work that is in
progress, or work that has been completed.

Accepted extended abstracts will appear in open access DiGRA Digital Library.

- PhD Consortium Submission:

Selection for the PhD consortium will be based on an extended abstract
based on ongoing PhD research project, with a maximum of 1000 words,
excluding references (see Extended Abstract guidelines, above). They
should be submitted to PhD Consortium track, as NON-anonymized pdf,
with a short description in the abstract field of the conference
management system (there is no need for a doctoral consortium
application to have an abstract). Submissions must use the DiGRA 2019
submission template.

- Panel:

A panel session will typically occupy a single conference session and
have a duration of 80 to 90 minutes. Panel proposals should have a
maximum length of 1000 words, excluding references, plus a 100 word
biography of each participant. They should include: the focus or topic
of the panel; a description of why the topic will be of interest or
relevant to DiGRA attendees; a list of confirmed participants and a
description of their background and expertise. Panel proposals will be
peer-reviewed.

Panels should be submitted as pdfs on DiGRA Submission Template (optional).

- Workshop:

The conference workshops are three to six hours long sessions focused
on a particular game-related topic. Workshops provide an opportunity
for new ideas, theories and trends to be presented and discussed.
Workshops can also be practical tutorials.

Concise workshop proposals of no more than 1000 words (excluding
bibliography) should include major objectives and expected outcomes of
the workshop, the justification for the workshop informed by current
trends and research, the format and activities planned for the
workshop, the organizers' background, the anticipated number of
participants and the way they will be selected.

Please note that the submission  should not be anonymous as the
organizers' background is very important in the decision-making
process for workshops.

Submit workshop proposals directly by email to by 13 December 2019.

- Number of submissions per author:

Authors cannot submit more than two papers and/or extended abstracts
at DiGRA 2020, including PhD Consortium submissions. An individual can
be co-authors on as many full papers and extended abstracts as they
like, but cannot submit more than two as main author/presenter. If the
limit is exceeded, only the two first submissions will be reviewed.

The limit does not include participation in panels or workshops.

Please follow the latest news and possible updates to these guidelines
at: www.digra2020.org.

Welcome to Tampere!

On behalf of the organising team;
-- 
   Frans Mäyrä, Professor, ITC/COMS/TRIM/Gamelab, TUNI.fi
   Director, Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies
   ** mail: ITC, 33014 Tampere University, Finland **
   ** frans.mayra at tuni.fi / fransmayra at gmail.com **
   https://coe-gamecult.org www.fransmayra.fi www.unet.fi