[game_edu] Meaningful Play 2008 Special Issue of IJGCMS

[Brian Winn]

Meaningful Play 2008 and the International Journal of Gaming and  
Computer-Mediated Simulation (IJGCMS) has partnered to bring a special  
issue of the IJGCMS containing top papers from the Meaningful Play  
2008 conference. The International Journal of Gaming and Computer- 
Mediated Simulations (IJGCMS) is a peer-reviewed, international  
journal devoted to the theoretical and empirical understanding of  
electronic games and computer-mediated simulations.

Meaningful Play 2008, which takes place October 9-11, 2008, is an  
interdisciplinary academic conference that explores the potential of  
games to entertain, inform, educate, and persuade in meaningful ways.  
The conference includes thought-provoking keynotes from leaders in  
academia and industry, peer-reviewed paper presentations, panel  
sessions (including academic and industry discussions), innovative  
workshops, roundtable discussions, and exhibitions of games.

Submissions are sought from both researchers and practitioners in  
academia and industry. Graduate and advanced undergraduate students  
are also encouraged to submit either jointly with an academic/member  
of industry or alone.

While any topic related to games for entertainment and learning is  
appropriate to submit to Meaningful Play 2008, topics of particular  
interest include:

1) Exploring meaningful applications of games

* Games to change attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors (including social  
impact games and personal health games)
* Games to stimulate creativity or innovation
* Games to build social skills
* Games to advertise (advergames) and persuade
* Games to exercise specific cognitive functions
* Games to explore personal beliefs and help make decisions
* Games to build knowledge and skills (games for learning)
* Serious games for history and cultural heritage learning

2) Issues in designing meaningful play

* Game design for specific audience segments
* Player types and play styles
* Story and storytelling in games
* Competitve and cooperative play (single player, multiplayer and  
massively multiplayer)
* Balancing entertainment and serious goals
* Repurposing entertainment games for serious purposes
* Unintended and unexpected effects of games
* Using psychology and neuroscience to design and understand games
* Evaluation and assessment of game impacts
* Barriers to the adoption of serious game

Submission deadline is July 1, 2008.

Complete details on Meaningful Play 2008 are available at:
http://meaningfulplay.msu.edu