For more information please contact Emma Westecott at enquiries
womeningames [ punto ] com (enquiries[at]womeningames[dot]com).
Over the past 3 years, The Women in Games conference has become the European forum for women working in and around the computer games industry. The event is characterised by its mix of women from industry, the academy and other sectors of society united in their passion for games. WIG 2007 is interested in continuing this tradition and broadening the dialogue on games to a wider context by seeking contributions from more traditional media disciplines, gender studies and the ICT sector.
Games combine visually led, screen-based arts with performance media to create a gaming experience. The art of gaming is one of action; it is about the player and their performance within the game context. Further than this it is of interest to deepen our exploration of what the unique characteristics of the game experience are in order to celebrate and expose new form, WIG is in a unique position to express a feminine perspective on these possibilities.
Working from the perspective that digital games are a modern expressive art form, increasingly culturally recognised as such, WIG 2007 invites a focus on game aesthetics, performance and play in the context of the following strands:
1. The Big Game
There are a handful of games that have broken out to become international bestsellers that appeal to all types of player and are commonly acknowledged to be mass market. We invite detailed analysis and readings of games in this category in order to better understand why and how these titles transcend existing markets.
2. Other Players
We all play in different ways and from different contexts, and yet the notion of mass market often caters to the lowest common denominator, chasing the tail of last year¹s top sellers to justify huge development budgets. In our fractured post modern environment the possibility for cheaper product focussed at niche markets is growing. This strand seeks to explore a range of play contexts and styles in order to expose and celebrate other players.
3. Non-Games
The interrelationship between play and digital games cannot be taken as read; many game tasks are repetitive and tedious, more like work than play.
At the same time there is much digital play that takes place outside the game frame. This strand calls for submissions that explore the ways in which playfulness can open up possibilities for new form of experience.
4. The Performance of Play
It has been 20 years since Brenda Laurel¹s initial research linking computers and theatre; further work has recently emerged celebrating performance aspects of game play within the context of digital game form. We invite contributions that explore what performance means in the game play context.
5. Situated Play/ers
We would be particularly interested in presentations or workshops that looked at games in the context of digital consumption more generally. Here we would welcome contributions from those interested in studying games in relation to broader issues around domestic leisure forms particularly those which are able to draw from or develop the work in feminist media studies and research from within the field of study of ICT uses and practices. We are also actively seeking to encourage wider considerations of embodiment and aesthetic practices in game play.
The problem of encouraging women into the ICT industries are manifold and any efforts to encourage a broader gender balance need to operate on a range of levels, from childhood upwards. It is vital to encourage girls and women to be confident and comfortable working with technology and to provide strong and visible role models for this and the next generation of game designers.
Key Dates:
20/11/06 Call for Abstracts released
26/01/07 Submission deadline
16/03/07 Notification
Types of submission:
Submissions can be made within the following categories: full paper, short paper, poster, panel or student forum. All submissions will be anonymously peer-reviewed by the Women in Games steering committee.
The conference materials are intended to be published in two different ways this year. Firstly, we are hoping to secure a contract to publish a selection of papers that closely address our theme in an appropriate academic journal. Details should be available before the anticipated submission deadline so check the website regularly for updates. Secondly, we are gathering selected papers from this conference along with selected papers from the three preceding Women in Games events in order to publish these in a Women In Games digest again we are still working out the fine detail of where and when this will be published. There will be no automatic publication of conference papers but we are requesting that you follow a specific set of deadlines in relation to your research/contributions if you would like to be considered for either of these volumes.
Full papers
Full papers are reports of completed research and will entered in to a peer review process for both of the publications. Papers may address any of the areas identified in the conference topics. Submissions should report original work, which has not been previously published. You should expect to have around 20 minutes to present your work and 10 minutes for questions and discussion.
Electronically submit a cover sheet, which includes the paper title, the name, address, phone and fax numbers, and email address of each author and a 30 word summary that will be suitable for inclusion in the programme and on the website to introduce the paper. Submit an abstract, not to exceed 1200 words, which must include - at the top of the first page - the paper title and a statement as to whether the research is completed or the anticipated date of completion. Any paper proposal extending beyond the 1200 words will be excluded from consideration.
Short papers
Submissions are solicited of short papers that address any of the conference topics. Authors are encouraged to submit late-breaking research results and work in progress that show the latest innovative ideas. Short paper submissions should report original work and must not have been published previously nor be a condensed version of previously published papers. Short papers will be considered for inclusion in the Women In Games digest. You should expect to have around 10 minutes for the presentation of your work followed by around 5 - 10 minutes for question and discussion.
Electronically submit a cover sheet, which includes the paper title, the name, address, phone and fax numbers, and email address of each author and a 30 word summary that will be suitable for inclusion in the programme and on the website to introduce the paper. Submit an abstract, not exceeding 600 words, which must include - at the top of the first page - the paper title and a statement as to whether the research is completed or a work-in-progress. Any paper proposal extending beyond the 600 words will be excluded from consideration.
Posters
Poster submissions addressing any of the areas identified in the conference topics are invited. Authors are encouraged to demonstrate work in progress and late-breaking research results that show the latest innovative ideas. Electronically submit a cover sheet, which includes the poster title, the name, address, phone and fax numbers, and email address of each author and a 30 word summary that will be suitable for inclusion in the programme and on the website to introduce the poster. Submit a two-page summary, which will be used as the basis for review. Posters will not be included in the proceedings.
Panel, Workshop, Masterclass
Suggestions from industry and academia are welcomed. Electronically submit a cover sheet, which includes the theme for the panel discussion, the name, address, phone and fax numbers, and email address of the chair for the panel and a 500 word statement explaining the panel with 250 word individual abstracts for each panellist. Successful candidates will be responsible for enlisting panel members and chairing the panel. Panel should normally involve 3 - 4 participants and you will have around 90 - 120 minutes for all presentations and discussion.
Student Forum
Under-graduate and Graduate students are encouraged to present at the student forum to be held during the conference. Electronically submit a cover sheet, which includes the presentation title, the name, address, phone and fax numbers, and email address of each author and a 30 word summary that will be suitable for inclusion in the programme and on the website to introduce the presentation. Submit an abstract no longer than 1000 words summarising the research activity, which will be used as the basis for review. Successful candidates will present their work at the conference.
Conference Language
WiG 2007 is an international conference and contributions are welcomed from all parts of the world. However, the official written and spoken language of the conference is English. Please remember that the delegation will include international representatives from industry and academia and appropriate ("jargon-free") language should be used at all times.
Important dates:
26/01/07 Submission Deadline in all categories
16/03/07 Notification of Acceptance sent to all participants
01/04/07 Speakers/Contributors Registration Deadline
15/04/07 Deadline for Open Registration
19-21/04/07 Women in Games 2007
All participants will be provided with further details and guidelines on the publication procedures at the event. It is our hope that we will be able to provide a free copy of the digest/proceedings to all attendants but there is a possibility that there may be a small charge for this publication - again we will notify participants at the event.
Submissions procedure
Appointed members of the steering committee and programming committee will review all abstracts anonymously.
Format your abstract according to the style sheet. To ensure anonymity please omit your name and contact details from the abstract that you submit for review. Complete the cover sheet (Word) or cover sheet (rtf) with your personal details and submit it, with your abstract, electronically to submissionswomeningames [ punto ] com (submissions[at]womeningames[dot]com)
Successful applicants only will be notified. Upon notification of acceptance please ensure that the paper you intend to submit for publication is written in accordance with the requirements listed on the style sheet and submitted to submissionswomeningames [ punto ] com (submissions[at]womeningames[dot]com) by the relevant deadline.
Short papers are not to exceed 6 pages and full papers are not to exceed 16 pages, including references.
Click here for the style sheet for Women in Games papers. This is in Adobe Acrobat format.
Style sheet .pdf (9K)
Click here for the cover sheet, available either in Microsoft Word (.doc) or rich text format (.rtf).
Cover sheet in Word format (24K)
Cover sheet in rich text format (14K)
Send submissions to submissionswomeningames [ punto ] com (submissions[at]womeningames[dot]com)
The Women in Games 2006 conference will highlight to both the academic and industrial world the most recent, groundbreaking work in computer game research and development.