The Games Research Association of Poland (Polskie Towarzystwo Badania Gier – PTBG) would like to inform you about the up-coming conference on the Social and Academic Status of Ludology, which will take place in Poznań on the 17th and 18th October 2009. It is the fifth conference in the cycle on the Culture-Generative Function of Games.

In 2009 the suggested topics for discussion are:

·    The status of ludology in Poland and abroad,
·    Problems of games research: methodological, practical, ethical,
·    Theory and practice of game design,
·    Playing and its results (positive, negative) - from the perspective of scholars, game designers, players, public opinion,
·    The society of game researchers in Poland and in the world,
·    Associations, conferences, journals, individual researchers,
·    Those who create games: from programmers to distributors,
·    Game journalists,
·    Game users: scholars, game creators, players, people of the media- the meaning of cooperation or its lack,
·    Possibilities of popularising of ludological knowledge,
·    Social and economical aspects of games,
·    Communicative and linguistics games,
·    The meaning of games in education,
·    Intercultural context of games,
·    Traditional and electronic sports,
·    Games and economy.

We have decided to direct attention towards people and organisations without whom ludology would not exist. These are not only scientists but also game designers, gamers and journalists. We hope that a discussion on the subject will not only increase our ludological consciousness but will also improve the relations between the various groups related to games.

We cordially invite all those interested in the topic of the conference, be it researchers, game creators, gamers or journalists.

Registration:
All participants are required to register at the Conference and submit applications, including their personal details, on the form found at http://www.gry.konferencja.org by September 27, 2009.

Participation costs:
The conference fee (covering organisational costs and conference proceedings) is 200 PLN; students – 50 PLN. For GRAP members the fee is 190 PLN and 40 PLN respectively (membership fee for 2010 included.)
Conference participants are free to organize their own accommodation and meals or use our recommended facilities. There are plans to publish the conference proceedings.

More information about the PTBG, the first academic ludological society in Poland, which has been in existence since 2004, can be found here: http://ptbg.org.pl/strona.php?id=11.

For further information, please, see our website or contact us under the following address: gry@konferencja.org