Games Research Methods seminar

Seminar at the University of Tampere, 8-9 April, 2010
What are the approaches and methods that are useful while studying games, play and related phenomena? The dynamic nature of interactive game form, the changing strategies adopted during actual play, as well as the multiple research questions that surround the design, implementation, distribution as well as the social uses of games all present their distinctive requirements for the methods that are suitable for their study.

A rich collection of different scientific and scholarly approaches has been adopted to use in the games research. At the same time the researchers have found it often necessary to modify the established practices to better address the ludic nature of their subject of study. For example, the ethnographic methods as practiced in the history of anthropology do not necessarily fit the study of virtual game worlds without some adjustments. Similarly, the methods that have been designed in computer sciences to study usability issues of computer software are not always optimal for the study of game play experiences. Also, requirement for researchers to play games themselves presents also unique demands to the working practices and facilities of games researchers.

‘Games Research Methods’ seminar invites presentation from multiple topics and points of view, in order to facilitate dialogue and exchange of ideas among the research community. The organiser, University of Tampere Games Research Lab invites theoretically as well as more practice oriented papers, as well as case studies that show particular approaches being used in actual analysis.

• Abstract Deadline: January 15, 2010
• Notification of Acceptance: January 30, 2010
• Full Paper deadline: March 6, 2010
• Seminar dates: April 8-9, 2010