FDG 2010: The 5th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games
19-21 June 2010, at Asilomar Conference Grounds, Monterey, California.
http://fdg2010.org/

*** Important Dates ***
Workshop Proposals:                 18 Sep 2009 (past)
Paper and Poster Submission:         5 Feb 2010
Doctoral Consortium Submission:     12 Feb 2010
Author Notification:                29 Mar 2010
Demo Submission:                     2 Apr 2010
Registration for Authors:            9 Apr 2010
Camera Ready Papers:                23 Apr 2010
Conference:                      19-21 Jun 2010

LATEST NEWS
===========

* Invited Speaker: James Gee

James Gee, Mary Lou Fulton Presidential Professor of Literacy Studies
at the Arizona State University and the author of “What Video Games
Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy”, “Good Video Games and
Good Learning: Collected Essays” as well as other influential books
and research papers is the first Invited Speaker for FDG 2010.

* Advertisement in the November issue of Communications of the ACM

The November issue of CACM features a full page ad for FDG 2010. You
can download a copy of the ad from
http://fdg2010.org/downloads/FDG2010-acm-ad-small.pdf to distribute to
your colleagues and students. If you would like some color flyers to
distribute at the next conference you are attending, please contact
Yusuf Pisan yusuf.pisan@uts.edu.au and we will get some flyers out to
you.

* Workshops at FDG 2010

There will be 3-4 workshops held in conjunction with FDG 2010. See web
page for details of the workshops and on submitting papers to
workshops. Please note that selection and publication of the papers
for the workshops is the responsibility of specific workshop
organizers and is not conducted by the FDG Program Committee.

* Panels at FDG 2010

In addition to invited speakers from industry and academy leaders,
peer-reviewed papers and tutorials, FDG 2010 will have panels on
topics related to games. If you have any burning suggestions for panel
topics or people you would like to see on the panel, please email Ian
Bogost ian.bogost@lcc.gatech.edu

OVERVIEW
========
FDG 2010, the International Conference on the Foundations of Digital
Games, is a focal point for academic efforts in all areas of research
and education involving games, game technologies, gameplay and game
design. The goal of the conference is the advancement of the study of
digital games, including new game technologies, capabilities, designs,
applications, educational uses, and modes of play.

FDG 2010 will include presentations of peer-reviewed papers, invited
talks by high-profile industry and academic leaders, hands-on
tutorials and topical panels on a range of subjects related to games
research and education. We invite researchers and educators to share
insights and cutting-edge results relating to game technologies and
their use.

PAPER and POSTER SUBMISSIONS
============================
FDG 2010 will accept both full paper and poster submissions. Authors
may choose to submit their papers and posters to the general
conference or to a specific theme area. The seven theme areas for FDG
2010 are described below.

1) Artificial Intelligence
Track Chair: Magy Seif El-Nasr, Simon Fraser University

We solicit papers on artificial intelligence research that provides
novel solutions to traditional game AI problems (e.g., path planning,
camera control, terrain analysis, user modeling, tactical/strategic
and decision making), supports novel game concepts or gameplay
elements (e.g. interactive drama, narrative/character development and
NPC belief/attitude/emotion modeling), provides automated or
semi-automated solutions to game production challenges (e.g., game
design, content creation, testing and procedural animation), or
describes the integration of AI technologies (e.g., machine learning,
logical inference and planning) into game AI architectures.

2) Computer Science and Games Education
Track Chair: Andrew Phelps, Rochester Institute of Technology

The Computer Science and Games Education Theme Area invites
researchers and educators to submit papers illustrating the latest
advances and innovation in curricula for games and computer science,
in both formal and informal educational contexts. All papers must show
rigorous and compelling evaluation. Topics of interest include, but
are not limited to: game design and development curricula, effective
practices and infrastructure for the use of games and game
technologies in Computer Science courses and programs, Web-based
(adaptive) educational games and interdisciplinary collaboration among
computer scientists and others to create games in educational
contexts.

3) Game Design
Track Chair: Tracy Fullerton, University of Southern California

The Game Design theme seeks detailed reports of creative practice and
methods, as well as the exploration and development of innovative
gameplay forms and mechanics. Design postmortems that rigorously
analyze the intent and effect of particular solutions, mechanics,
structures or gaming situations are very welcome.  Also, research on
new models for player involvement, design for learning, participatory
design, iterative player-centered process, and investigations into the
relationship between hardware and software platforms and design are
strongly encouraged. Submissions may discuss theoretical designs or
implemented ones, but should provide evaluative evidence and rigorous
analysis of outcomes.

4) Game Studies
Track Chair: Mia Consalvo, MIT

Game Studies as a field is broadly interdisciplinary, welcoming a
variety of theoretical, methodological and computational approaches to
the study of games and play. This year, we particularly seek
submissions that investigate areas such as player experience, game
ontology, the social and cultural aspects of gameplay, cross-cultural
or global analyses, networked play (including consoles), game
aesthetics and criticism, casual and serious gaming and analysis of
new and emerging phenomena. All submissions must provide rigorous
analysis and present evaluative evidence.

5) Graphics and Interfaces
Track Chair: Steven Feiner, Columbia University

The Graphics and Interfaces theme seeks papers on all aspects of
computer graphics and user interfaces that are specifically related to
digital games, including but not limited to: animation, modeling,
rendering, 2D and 3D user interfaces, collaborative user interfaces,
mobile user interfaces, tangible user interfaces, design of
(interfaces for) Web 2.0 game focused web applications, integration of
web-based and computer/console based game worlds, augmented reality
and virtual reality, and novel interaction devices and displays.

6) Infrastructure (Databases, Networks, Security)
Track Chair: Mark Claypool, WPI

The Infrastructure track invites submissions that focus on the many
aspects of improving systems support for digital games.  Suitable
papers should describe novel networks, operating systems or database
systems that are especially designed for games, or make novel use of
existing systems to support games. Topics of interest include:
networked game architectures, network protocol design for games,
latency compensation and synchronization methods, mobile and/or
resource-constrained game platforms, software and middleware support
for networked games, content delivery and adaptation, services for
supporting networked games, cheat detection and prevention, networking
and security for Web-based games and game portals, database engines
and database optimization for games, distributed database techniques
and consistency models for networked games, and data management for
games that cross physical and virtual worlds.

7) Learning in Games
Track Chair: Elisabeth Hayes, Arizona State University

Learning in Games invites papers that investigate how games contribute
to intellectual, creative, social, and embodied forms of learning in
and outside the classroom, for learners of all ages. Studies focused
on educational games as well as the learning potential of COTS games
are welcome. Research on the design of games for learning, the
outcomes of game-based learning, and learning that occurs in the
social contexts and interactions around games (such as within fan
communities) should be submitted to this track. Papers on the
professional training of game developers should be submitted to the
Computer Science and Games Education track.

All paper and poster submissions will be rigorously peer reviewed for
their technical merit (where applicable), significance, clarity and
relevance to the advancement of the study of games. All full papers
must describe a completed unit of work and show rigorous and
compelling evaluation of the ideas they present. Poster submissions
should describe novel work in progress that is not at the same level
of research maturity as a full submission.

Full papers must not exceed eight pages, but can be shorter. We will
review for quality not length! Poster submissions must not exceed two
pages. All submissions must be submiteed via
https://easychair.org/login.cgi?conf=fdg2010 and must comply with the
official ACM proceedings format using one of the templates provided at
http://www.acm.org/sigs/pubs/proceed/template.html

All accepted paper and poster submissions will be published in the
conference proceedings. For a paper or poster to appear in the
proceedings, at least one author must register for the conference by
the deadline for camera-ready copy submission.

Papers from FDG 2009 and its predecessor (GDCSE 2008) are included in
the ACM Digital Library and we anticipate that all paper, poster, and
doctoral consortium publications from this year’s conference will
appear there as well.

Submissions must not have been published previously.  In addition, a
submission identical or substantially similar (or even a subset or
superset) in content to one submitted to FDG should not be
simultaneously under consideration at another conference or journal
during the entire FDG review process (i.e., from the submission
deadline until the notifications of decisions are emailed to authors).

WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
==================
The workshops portion of the conference provides an informal setting
for new developments to be discussed and demonstrated. We invite
proposals for full-day and half-day workshops focused on specific
topics related to the broader themes around games. We are particularly
interested in topics that will bridge different communities.

Proposals should include: A 2-page extended abstract, the objectives
and expected outcome of the workshop, the planned activities, the
background of the organizer(s), the anticipated number of
participants, and the means for soliciting and selecting
participants. Proposal should be emailed directly to the Michael
Mateas, Workshop Chair, at michaelm@cs.ucsc.edu.

DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM
===================
The FDG Doctoral Consortium provides an opportunity for a limited
group of Ph.D. students to discuss and explore their research
interests and career objectives with a panel of established games
researchers and industry professionals. The consortium has the
following objectives: (1) to provide a setting for mutual feedback on
participants’ current research and guidance on future research
directions; (2) develop a supportive community of scholars and a
spirit of collaborative research; (3) support a new generation of
researchers with information and advice on academic, research,
industrial, and nontraditional career paths; and (4) contribute to the
conference goals through interaction with other researchers and
participation in conference events.

Students whose submissions to the Doctoral Consortium are accepted for
presentation will receive complimentary conference registration and
some support for their travel/housing expenses.

FDG 2010 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
=============================

Conference Chair
Ian Horswill, Northwestern University

Program Chair
Yusuf Pisan, University of Technology, Sydney

Doctoral Consortium Chair
Zoran Popovic, University of Washington

Workshops Chair
Michael Mateas, University of California, Santa Cruz

Panels Chair
Ian Bogost, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tutorials Chair
Robin Hunicke, That Game Company

Local Arrangements Chair
Marilyn Walker, University of California, Santa Cruz

Webmaster
Karl Cheng-Heng Fua, Northwestern University

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
======================

Please see http://fdg2010.org/ for this year’s conference and
http://foundationsofdigitalgames.org/ for past years, including:

Table of Contents for FDG 2009: http://portal.acm.org/toc.cfm?id=1536513
Table of Contents for GDCSE 2008:
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1463673
Proceedings for GDCSE 2007:
http://www.eng.unt.edu/ian/Cruise2007/madgdcse2007.pdf