Nordic DiGRA + GGC = true

The Digital Games Research Association is the premiere international association for academics and professionals who research digital games and associated phenomena.

This year, Nordic DiGRA is teaming up with Gotland Game Conference on the paradise island in the baltic sea. Running along side GGC, we will be showcasing papers on the subject of Gamification and how game systems are becoming more pervasive in every day life.

Innovation and transformation at GGC, Gamification and application of design at DiGRA Nordic.

Call For Papers
We are looking for papers for presentation at DiGRA.

Game systems are being used in many areas outside of what’s thought of as Games – from Air Miles and Supermarket Loyalty Schemes, Twitter and FourSquare, to Kahn Academy and Duolingo. But we’re also seeing game based learning, research (puzzles for science!) and, in a limited way, even in the last US Election.

We are inviting submissions for full papers and workshops. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • gamification
  • games in society
  • games and learning
  • games as propaganda
  • persuasive games
  • games in teaching
  • critical stances to gamification and game-based learning

Conference Location
The conference will be held at Uppsala University campus Gotland parallel with the Gotland Game Conference 2014. Map and information here.

Organizing Committee

  • Ulf Benjaminsson
  • Petri Lankoski
  • Harko Verhagen

Little Warlock wins award at Game Connection Europe in Paris

A student team from Uppsala University Campus Gotland brings home Game Connection Europe Selected Projects award “Best Social, Casual & Online”
Jerry Jonsson, Storm Potion
The team consists of Mika Edström and Jerry Jonsson who started up their company Storm Potion during their second year of studies at Uppsala University Campus Gotland. Their game, Little Warlock, was awarded several categories at Gotland Game Conference 2012 and 2013, then moved on to take home “Best Execution” at the Swedish Game Awards 2013.

During their third year they entered in Selected Projects, a competition where unsigned companies can send their projects for judging by an international jury. The 15 best projects, separated in 3 different categories, are then selected to take part at Game Connection Europe. On the morning of 3rd December at the Selected Projects Awards Ceremony, each of the nominees had five minutes to pitch their project in front of the publishers, distributors and investors at Game Connection Europe.

After the presentations Storm Potion was awarded the price in their category “Best Social, casual & Online”.

Storm Potion is also featured in “European Startups 2013 Edition, Volume 2” which lists the 100 most promising startups within the European game industry. The list is compiled by develop-online with association with UKIE.

dealspwn.com: CoBots Review | Smart Student Puzzler Tethers Us Together

Dealspawn.com Co-Bots Review

The picturesque Swedish isle of Gotland plays host to a game design campus of international renown, with alumni working throughout the biggest triple-A studios and exciting indie upstarts. Having encountered them several years ago at Gamescom and subsequently visiting the university last year as a judge at their annual conference, I’ve never failed to be profoundly impressed by the polished quality, reckless innovation and unbridled creativity that their students bring to the table.

CoBots started life as a project from a team of first-year students that blossomed into a full game, which is now available to buy from their official site and Desura. Two adorable repair robots are tasked with patching up a massive starship, floating through its corridors and maintenance tunnels as they navigate through churning gears, tight passages, air conditioning fans and malfunctioning subsystems. As they do so, two players huddle around a single keyboard, bouncing plans, advice and the occasional insult off each other.

Built around true cooperation, CoBots manages to deliver some smart 2.5D puzzling for a bargain price; an astonishing achievement from humble beginnings.

Read the full review over att Dealspwn.com

Or watch the team’s post mortem on our Youtube Channel.

Game Over / Play Again

We participated in Game Over / Play Again, a one day conference hosted by The National Library of Sweden, attempting to start the discussion on how to best gather, protect and make available this culture of ours. Despite having some international speakers on the list, they opted to run the entire event in Swedish – always a missed opportunity, we feel.

The panel discussion

Vad händer med våra datorspel och vilken bild av spelvärlden kommer framtiden att ha? Kommer dagens datorspel kunna spelas upp om några decennier? Vad vill vi att vår framtid ska ha för bild av datorspelens utveckling? Vilka åtgärder krävs för att bevara och tillgängliggöra dessa spel?
 
Vi på Kungliga biblioteket vill anordna det här heldagsseminariet i egenskap av Sveriges nationalbibliotek och nationalarkiv för ljud och rörlig bild. Vi har i vårt uppdrag att samla in, bevara och tillgängliggöra datorspel med svensk anknytning för framtida forskning. Det känns angeläget för oss att få igång diskussionen kring datorspel som en del av vårt kulturarv.

 
Det är hög tid att skapa ett nätverk där bransch, arkiv, museer, intresseorganisationer, utbildningssäten, forskare, upphovrättsorganisationer m.fl. kan mötas och föra diskussionen vidare.

Program för dagen

09.00 Kaffe och registrering

10.00 Presentation av moderatorn Orvar Säfström

10.15 Andreas Lange, Computerspielemuseum, Berlin

10.45 Jakob Moesgaard, Det Kongelige bibliotek, Köpenhamn

11.15 Kaffe och mingel

11.45 Ann-Sofie Sydow, Game Assembly

12.15 Åsa Anesäter, Dataspelsgruppen i KLYS

12.45 Lunch

14.00 Jon Manker, Södertörns högskola

14.30 Martin Lindell, DICE

15.00 Bensträckare

15.15 Panel – Vilken bild av spelvärlden kommer framtiden att ha?

          Per Strömbäck, Dataspelsbranschen

          Henrik Erngren Othén, Repository Lane

          Johan Andersson, Paradox Interactive

          Angelica Norgren, P3 Spel

          Thomas Sol Sunhede, privatsamlare

          Peter Du Rietz, Tekniska museet

          Åsa Roos, Avalanche

16.30 Summering