In 2009 with the objective of widening the audience and reach of the initiative WiG is running a series of activities in parallel with key games events, both academic and industry, to deliver focussed work to the wider community.

Women in Games guest blogger Catherine Woolley will be covering this year's events at the Women in Games blog.

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WiG@DiGRA2009

The academic interest of WiG 2009 is represented through a strand at this year's DiGRA (http://digra2009.newport.ac.uk) to be held at Brunel University from 1st - 4th September 2009.

DiGRA is the international games studies research subject association. The benefits of this partnership include presenting WiG research to the wider games studies community, attracting a broad range of work and sharing a rigorous peer review process. With 14 accepted papers on subjects ranging from machinima to sex and videogames do keep your eyes on the DiGRA2009 site for programme announcements.

Location: Brunel University 1st-4th September 2009
URL: http://digra2009.newport.ac.uk
Contact: emma.westecott@newport.ac.uk

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WiG @ DiGRA Programme

Wednesday 2nd September
Newton South, Brunel University
Daily Delegate Rate £130 (incl member fee)
Student Day Rate £65 (incl member fee)

Early Start 9am
Wig Welcome - Emma Westecott

Chair, Helen Kennedy
9.30 - 11am
' Sex and Videogames: A Case of Misappearance
Tanya Krzywinska
More Than Just a Combo of Slaps? Representations and Experiences of LGBT Gamers On and Beyond the Screen
Ben Light

Coffee

Chair, Emma Westecott
11.30 - 1pm
Where the Women Are(n't): Gender and a North American ‚'Pro-gaming' Scene
Nicholas Taylor
Girls' Play: Context, performance & social videogame play
Kelly Boudreau
The Complexities of Performance: A Contextual Analysis of Gendered Play
Jennifer Jenson

Lunch

Chair: Hanna Wirman : Women and Productivity Panel
2pm - 3.30pm
Going with the Flo: Simulated Productive Play and the Dash games
Shira Chess
Gender Stories: Identity Construction in an Online Gaming Community
Anne-Mette Albrechtslund
Playing Productive: Pragmatic Uses of Gaming
Jessica Enevold

Tea

Chair, Helen Kennedy
Session 2.16
Killing Time in Diner Dash: Representation, Gender and Casual Games
Braxton Soderman
Balance Boards and Dance Pads: The Impact of Innovation on Gendered Access to Gaming
Alison Harvey
The Order of Play: Seeing, Teaching, and Learning Meaning in Video Games
Aaron Chia-Yuan Hung
Taking The Sims Seriously: Play, Identity, and Girls' IT Learning
Elisabeth Hayes

5pm: WiG Keynote to be announced...

6 - 7 pm WiG mixer
Music Room, Ground floor, Gaskell Building

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DiGRA Call for Papers - now ended

In partnership with DIGRA 2009, Women in Games are honoured to issue a general call for papers to be presented at this year's DIGRA event at Brunel. Information about the DIGRA conference is here http://digra2009.newport.ac.uk.

Women in Games 2009 @ DIGRA 2009
Call for Abstracts
Submission deadline: Thursday April 30th 2009
The submissions page is here: Women in Games @ DIGRA Submissions

Currently in its fifth year, Women in Games is an annual conference with the distinct aim of highlighting the most recent, groundbreaking work in computer game research and development to both academic and industrial worlds. WiG has consistently addressed the empowerment and professional development of women working in, and researching into, games and the games industry. In 2009 with the objective of widening the audience and reach of the initiative WiG is running a series of activities in parallel with key games events, both academic and industry, to deliver focussed work to the wider community.

To date the themes addressed by feminist game studies can be broadly themed in work on gendered activity in digital games and feminine preference in play style and game characteristics. Other key studies look to gender equity in game making and to the wider context of access to games. From Brenda Laurel's work in the early 90s onwards (long pre-dating any such thing as games studies); critics, commentators and the academy have offered theories and observations on the difference in play habits, styles and consumption of digital gaming exhibited by women and girls. Yet well into our second decade of work in this area what can we say we have learnt?

We believe that the time is ripe to return to core values in discussions around histories, difference and generation in game space.

For more information please contact enquiries@womeningames.com.

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WiG@Develop

The industrial interest of WiG 2009 is expressed through the provision of a WiG-sponsored keynote speaker to Develop 2009 in Brighton:
http://www.develop-conference.com/developconference09/all_sessions.html

2007 WiG keynote, Alice Taylor, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 is talking on Public Service Gaming on our behalf on Thursday 16th July. The benefits of this involvement and exposure is in increased industry awareness of the WiG initiative.

Location: Develop Conference 14th-16th July 2009
URL: http://www.develop-conference.com
Contact: emma.westecott@newport.ac.uk

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