Conference Aims

The purpose of this conference is to initiate an investigation into how current research on computer games touches upon philosophical issues. In line with this purpose, the conference is interdisciplinary, drawing together researchers from diverse fields such as: philosophy, computer game-theory, semiotics, aesthetics, sociology, psychology, and anthropology.

The conference is a collaboration between the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo, Norway; the Philosophical Project Centre (FPS), Oslo, Norway; the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT-University of Copenhagen, Denmark; the Department of Social, Cognitive and Quantitative Science at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy; and the Department of Arts and Media, European Media Studies at the University of Potsdam, Germany.

The 2008 conference is the third international instalment of "The Third Place", an ongoing project on philosophical problems arising from the increasing cultural and societal significance of computer games.

The first instalment, the international conference "The Third Place: Computer Games and Our Conception of the Real", was a shared initiative of FPS in Oslo and the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT-University of Copenhagen . It took place at the IT-University of Copenhagen from May 20-21, 2005.

The second instalment, the international conference "The Philosophy of Computer Games: An Interdisciplinary Conference", took place in Italy at the Department of Social, Cognitive and Quantative Sciences of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, from January 25-27, 2007.

Organization

The program committee consists of the following people:

• Espen Aarseth, director of the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT-University of Copenhagen (chair)
• Olav Asheim, professor at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo
• Dieter Mersch, professor at the Department of Arts and Media, European Media Studies at the University of Potsdam
• Patrick Coppock, university researcher at the Department of Social, Cognitive and Quantitative Science at the University of Modena/Reggio Emilia
• Hallvard Fossheim, assistant professor at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo

The organizing committee consists of the following people:

• Michael Liebe, Ph. D. candidate at the Department of Arts and Media, European Media Studies at the University of Potsdam (chair)
• Stephan Günzel, assistant professor at the Department of Arts and Media, European Media Studies at the University of Potsdam
• Anita Leirfall, assistant professor at the University of Life Sciences, Ås and Ph. D. candidate at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo
• John Richard Sageng, Ph. D. candidate at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo
• Tarjei Mandt Larsen, Ph. D. candidate at the Department of Philosophy, University of Tromsø

The review board consists of the following people:

• Adam R. Briggle, University of Twente
• Anita Leirfall, University of Bergen/Oslo
• Annakaisa Kultima, University of Tampere
• Bo Kampmann Walther, University of Southern Denmark
• Cynthia Haynes, Clemson University
• Dan Pinchbeck, University of Portsmouth
• Edward H. Spence, University of Twente
• Grant Tavinor, Lincoln University
• Hanna Sommerseth, The University of Edinburgh
• John Richard Sageng, University of Oslo
• Jonathan Frome, University of Central Florida
• Michael Liebe, University of Potsdam
• Miguel Sicart, IT University of Copenhagen
• Nicolas De Warren, Wellesley College
• Ole Ertløv Hansen, Aalborg Universitet
• Olli Leino, IT University of Copenhagen
• Ragnhild Tronstad, University of Oslo
• Ren Reynolds, Virtual Policy Network
• Richard Clarkson, University of Durham
• Stephan Günzel, University of Potsdam
• Tarjei Mandt Larsen, University of Tromsø