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<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meeting
Game Researchers</span></b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Center for Advanced Gaming and Simulation (AGS) and the Dutch chapter
of DIGRA
organize meetings for game researchers four times a year. The meetings
normally consist of two lectures, followed by some drinks for further
discussions.
The meetings will be held in English. <br>
<br>
The next meeting is scheduled on Friday, February 19, 15.00 - 18.00
hrs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
note, the location is slightly different from our earlier location in
Helios.
We meet at the <b>Belle van Zuylenzaal, Academiegebouw Utrecht</b><span
style="">. You must access this room through the main
entrance of the Academiegebouw at </span>Domplein 29, 3512 JE Utrecht. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Participation
in this meeting is free. It is necessary though to register. <b>Please
register
below.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Program
on Friday, February 19</span></b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">15.00 Welcome
with coffee and tea<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Social play as
design framework </span></b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Tanja
Sihvonen, University of Tampere, Finland<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 36pt;"><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">How does the
dynamic of play change when people start
gaming online? What kind of possibilities are there for players to
alter their
own gameplay experiences, both within the given ruleset of the game and
against
it, as well as on the metalevel of gaming itself? It has been suggested
that
the metalevel of gaming (‘gaming the system') is the result of the
reappropriation of metarules, the player's negotiations over the rules,
which
may eventually constitute a vital component of their actual gameplay.
Online
social interaction often plays a key role in this kind of reframing. In
this
presentation I will suggest that the internet does not act merely as a
distribution channel for games but also an agent of change in itself.
It
provides incentive for users because it allows the formation of
communities and
the acquisition of social significance in particular ways. It is hard
to
exaggerate the importance of social media (such as Facebook) as the
facilitator
of these processes. The question then remains, how does this kind of
‘participatory design' of the playworld transform the context in which
gameplay
acquires social significance, and how can we study it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">The appeal of
digital games for an older audience</span></b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> by Bob de
Schutter, Catholic University of Louvain<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 36pt;"><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">This research
project explored the use of digital
games among older adults. To provide a set of ‘benchmark data' with
respect to
the uses and gratifications of these players, an exploratory survey was
administered among 124 individuals, aged between 45 and 85 years old.
The
findings from this study were used as a basis for a qualitative
Grounded Theory
study among 35 respondents aged 50 to 70. The project provides a rich
description of the meaning that digital games have in the life of older
players, with a specific focus on the role of perceived need
gratification in
the assignation of meaning towards digital games.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">An
introduction to DiGRA Flanders </span></b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Bob de
Schutter</span><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br>
While academic game research in Flanders has grown exponentially over
the last couple of years, Flemish game researchers were fragmented
throughout the country. As this was not a beneficial situation to
conduct high quality game research, informal meetings with members of
many Flemish research groups exposed a mutual desire to organize a
collaboration on a structural level. Considering the multidisciplinary
and international merits of the Digital Game Research Association, a
Flemish DiGRA chapter proved to be the perfect fit for the
communication and collaboration platform Flemish game researchers
aspired. During this presentation, I will introduce the members of its
organisation, as well as the past and future activities of DiGRA
Flanders<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">17.15 Drinks <b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt;"><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">To register
for the meeting on Friday, February
19, 15.00-18.00 hrs. please follow this link:</span></b><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br>
</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"
lang="NL"><a href="http://gate.gameresearch.nl/index.php?pageID=105"><span
style="" lang="EN-US">http://gate.gameresearch.nl/index.php?pageID=105</span></a></span><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><br>
</o:p><br>
Kind regards, <br>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Marinka Copier
(DiGRA), <br>
Mark Overmars
(AGS) and <br>
Jeroen Jansz (DiGRA).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Prof. Dr. Jeroen Jansz
FHKW - Department of Media and Communication
Erasmus University Rotterdam
P.O. Box 1738
NL-3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 10 408 24 53
Email: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jansz@fhk.eur.nl">jansz@fhk.eur.nl</a>
Website: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.fhk.eur.nl/personal/jeroen_jansz/bio/">http://www.fhk.eur.nl/personal/jeroen_jansz/bio/</a>
Visiting address:
L-Building, Room L2-33
Woudestein Campus, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam
Route and Location:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.eur.nl/english/addresses/">http://www.eur.nl/english/addresses/</a>
</pre>
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