back GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE CONFERENCE (News from: 07/16/2009) Communities, Virtual Worlds and the Challenges Facing the Industry are the Key Focuses for the First Event The world's first ever dialogue conference on the subject of online and mobile games is being held in Leipzig on 31 July and 1 August 2009 as part of the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. The aim of the international event is constructive interchange between the main protagonists involved in online gaming from the worlds of research, business and politics. Coordinated by the Hamburg Hans-Bredow-Institut, more than 100 speakers will turn their attention to the particular characteristics of the online gaming world, its influence on society and the emerging trends. "From an unusual perspective, with systematic analyses and application-related research results, we are bringing the industry new, sound findings. The aim of the internationally presented conference is not to read the tea leaves, but to look beyond the industry's own patch", as Silvana Kürschner, Strategy Director GC Global, makes clear. Alongside a general overview of the current state of the "online gaming" phenomenon, the conference will also take a closer look at aspects of formative influence for the future of this sector, both in scientific terms and for the industry. This primarily involves the significance of gaming communities and sustainable dealings with them, interaction between the virtual and the real world as well as possible technical, economic and social challenges in the coming years. 1. Communities as the new Pivot and Hub Online games - particularly those involving several people playing and communicating with one another - reflect social worlds. The pivot and hub here are communities of networked gamers. From the point of view of the online publisher, these communities represent a decisive capital asset: the more loyal the individual guilds and clans, the easier it is for companies to establish new games and in turn, new business models. Whether these work out financially is in the hands of the gamers. Their vote decides on success or failure. Compared to classic sales channels, this produces a shift in the balance of power between the individual protagonists. How do gaming communities come into existence? What are the decisive factors here? And: what conflicts of interest will providers have to take into account in future? These questions will be raised in detail at the Dialogue Conference in the course of many talks and panel discussions. Friday, 31 July: 16.30: Olli Sotamaa, "What is the role of the user as a content producer?" Saturday, 1 August: 9.00: Marko Siitonen, "Where two or three are gathered together – Community-building processes in games and game-related networks" 9.30: Panel discussion, "Mouse replacing dice - Are social games the new parlour games?" 11.00: Julien Wera, "One for all, all for one - Emergence and conditions determining the loyalty of user communities" 11.30: Nic Suzor, "Gods, dictators, democracies - Funktion and rights of communities - New forms of community management" 12.00: Panel discussion, "Communities as co-developers, marketing tool and source of income – Role conflicts preprogrammed?" 2. Interactions between Online Games and Gamers' Real Lives Whilst traditional solo player games are experienced independently of other gamers, online games open up extensive social networks. Communication between gamers is to the fore here. They share their experiences both in the game and in real life. This has an impact on perception, with a noticeable blurring of the borderline between the individual gamer in his real environment on the one hand, and his avatar in the virtual world on the other. One of the central themes at the Dialogue Conference will be what effects this has on business models, on regulatory issues and on an increasingly digitalised society. The following events take up the issue of interactive impacts between the online and offline world: Friday, 31 July: 14.30: Frank Biocca, "The 'online-me' - What does research know about the behaviour of gamer and avatar?" 14.30: Ilpo Koskinen, "Games non-stop and everywhere - The role of mobile games to pass the time and as companions" Saturday, 1 August: 10.00: Eyjólfur Guğmundsson, "Shutting up shop - Who needs self-contained national economies in virtual worlds - and who doesn't?" 11.00: Jochen Konrad, "Entertainment, sport, learning, career - How gaming gets serious" 11.30: Richard Bartle, "VL-to-RL-API - What influence does the virtual world have on the real one and where are the points of transition?" 12.00: Panel discussion, "Farewell to the 'magic circle' - Expansion of society into the digital world? Virtual worlds as social worlds." 3. The Industry's Self-perception and an Online Game Culture: A Look into the Future Short production cycles, technical innovations and rapidly changing media consumption - online games are operating in an extremely dynamic environment. What is still current today, can already be overtaken tomorrow. To have a successful presence on the market in future too, it is necessary to assess the coming trends and social developments. As the first event of its kind, the GCO sets out to help here. A range of talks looks at the upcoming challenges such as regulatory interventions (consumer protection, data protection, protection of the young) and cultural debates. Scenarios are discussed, as well as the industry's opportunities to influence these. From a long-term perspective, it is a matter of the industry developing its own culture. Friday, 31 July: 13.45: Winfred Kaminski, "Politics and public discourse - Computer games as a social phenomenon" 14.45: Panel discussion, "Cultural progress or declining moral standards? – (Supposed) new opportunities and dangers" 16.00: Patrice Chazerand, "Online labelling and dynamic contents - Current challenges for the protection of young people" 16.30 Uhr: Panel discussion, "The product market as a black box - Who ensures transparency and media competence?" Saturday, 1 August: 10.00: Jan S. Vosswinkel, "(Un)informed consumers - What standards are imposed by consumer protection in terms of distribution and use?" 12.30: Christian Roth, "The outcome of minus and plus - An overall view of the risks and positive impacts of game use" 14.00: Panel discussion, "The industry's future - Innovative technologies, up-and-coming professionals and artistic freedoms = never-ending growth?" 14.00: Panel discussion, "Evolution of rights or evolution of industry culture as response to the regulatory challenges?" 14.00: Final discussion, "Back then, 2009. The future of the industry". Times and Conference Fees The Dialogue Conference at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is being held in the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL). The conference begins at 9.00 in the morning, the final talk ends each day at around 18.00. Anyone wishing to attend can register to do so quickly and easily online at www.gamesconvention.com. The programme with all talks and speakers is also available in full on the website. A three-day ticket including trade visitor admission to the trade show costs 300 euros, a one-day ticket is only 200 euros. Upon presentation of valid ID, students and trainees receive a 50 per cent reduction. Professional association members pay 250 euros for the three-day ticket and 150 euros for a one-day ticket. Contact for the press: Torsten Anke Phone: +49 (0) 341 / 6 78 - 81 98 Fax: +49 (0) 341 / 6 78 - 81 82 e-mail: t.anke@leipziger-messe.de Contact for the Conference: Ulrike Geissler, Project Manager Phone: +49 (0) 341 / 6 78 - 82 88 Fax: +49 (0) 341 / 6 78 - 82 82 e-mail: u.geissler@leipziger-messe.de Contact for the Hans-Bredow-Institut: Christiane Matzen, PR Department Phone: +49 (0) 40 / 450 217 - 41 Fax: +49 (0) 40 / 450 217 - 77 e-mail: c.matzen@hans-bredow-institut.de Internet: http://www.gamesconvention.com