Video Games, Cartography, Virtual Worlds, Game Studies, Sociology :: Call for Proposals – Deadline: April 25, 2009.
The How They Got Game Project at Stanford University is currently seeking papers that explore the connections between mapping, cartographic practices, and electronic gaming for an illustrated book that will be published in 2010. Specifically, we are interested in representations of spaces in video games through the aid of maps and mapping tools.
Video games establish new topographies and new geographies that – while making obvious references to pre-existing models – create a new understanding of the world and its spaces. Our goal is to show and explain how digital spaces [i.e. video games and virtual worlds] are being mapped by a new generation of cartographers.
Topics might include:
– History and evolution of mapping in games
– Origins and evolution of strategy guides
– Uses of modern cartographic tools (e.g. Google Earth) for video games
– Uses of innovative displays for mapping/visualizing games
– Case studies of key games that use innovative cartographic solutions
– Legal issues related to cartography in gaming
– Visual display of game related information on-screen and off-screen
– The relationship between traditional (analog) and digital ludic cartography
– Travelogues in virtual/game spaces, Psychogeography 2.0
Please send a one to two page proposal by April 25th to Matteo Bittanti at bittanti@Stanford.edu and/or Henry Lowood at lowood@Stanford.edu and/or bonnie de varco at devarco@cruzio.com. Languages: English and Italian.
Interdisciplinarity will be a key feature of this project. Authors are encouraged to include high-resolution images in their essays and to use pictorial material in a creative, rather than complementary, way in their essay.
Authors of papers accepted be notified by June 1, 2009. In addition to the book, we are currently evaluating various spin-offs (e.g. an exhibition, an online archive etc).