Call for Papers
The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference 2008
We hereby invite scholars in any field who take a professional interest
in the phenomenon of computer games to submit papers to the
international conference "The Philosophy of Computer Games 2008", to be
held in Potsdam, Germany, on May 8-10, 2008.
Accepted papers will have a clear focus on philosophy and philosophical
issues in relation to computer games. They will also attempt to use
specific examples rather than merely invoke "computer games" in general
terms. We invite submissions focusing on, but not limited to, the
following three headings:
Action|Space
Papers submitted under this heading should address issues relating to
the experiential, interactional and cognitive dimensions of computer
game play. What is the nature of perceptual experience in game space?
How should we understand the relationship between action, interaction
and space in computer game environments? How should we think about
players' aesthetic, emotive and(/or) rational responses to what goes on
inside the game space?
Ethics / Politics
What are the ethical responsibilities of game-makers in exerting
influence on individual gamers and society in general? What role, if
any, can games serve as a critical cultural corrective in relation to
traditional forms of media and communicative practices, for example in
economy and politics? Also: what is the nature of the ethical norms that
apply within the gaming context, and what are the factors that allow or
delimit philosophical justifications of their application there or
elsewhere?
The Magic Circle
Terms such as "fictionality", "virtuality", "simulation" or
"representation" are often used to indicate specific functions of
objects in games. But what is the nature of the phenomena these terms
refer to in the interactive field of game play? And what is the
structure of gaming-processes? What is the mediality of digital games?
We are especially interested in discussions that aim at how the notion
of a self-contained "magic circle" – representing an imagined border
between play and reality, or the internal and external limits of
game-programs – is being challenged by forms of individual action and
social inter action which tend to transcend such limits.
Your paper should not exceed 25 000 characters (excluding blanks) and be
accompanied by an abstract of 300 words. Please specify the primary
focus (topic) of your submission.
Deadline for submissions is February 15, 2008. Send your paper and
abstract to .
All submitted papers will be subject to double blind peer review, and
the program committee will make a final selection of papers for the
conference on the basis of this.
Notification of accepted papers will be sent out by March 12, 2008.
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Dieter Mersch
Olav Asheim
Patrick Coppock
Espen Aarseth
The conference is a collaboration between the following institutions:
- Institute for Arts and Media, European Media Studies at the University
of Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the
University of Oslo, Norway
- Department of Social, Cognitive and Quantitative Science at the
University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Center for Computer Games Research at the IT-University of Copenhagen,
Denmark
- Philosophical Project Centre (FPS), Oslo, Norway
For more information, visit www.gamephilosophy.org
The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference 2008
