Games Convention Online
Teaming up with the Hans-Bredow-Institut.
GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE
(31 July - 2 August 2009)
Leipzig, 12 March 2009
From 31 July to 2 August 2009, the Leipziger Messe will be presenting the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE - the first separate platform in Europe for what is now the most dynamic market in the game industry: browser, client and mobile games. The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will be accompanied by an international Dialogue Conference, scheduled from 31 July to 1 August as part of the Business Center in Leipzig. The media research institute at Hamburg University, the Hans-Bredow-Institut für Medienforschung, is the specialist cooperation partner and in consultation with the Leipziger Messe, the institute will be preparing the two-day conference programme. The shared aim is to facilitate fruitful exchange of experiences, findings and perspectives between the industry, scientific research and social protagonists.
Silvana Kürschner, strategy director, Games Convention Global, explains the concept for the new event: "With the Dialogue Conference, we give the European gaming industry the opportunity for the first time to talk to one another about the characteristics of online business. For its topics, we refer to market experiences in Asia and North America. Cooperation with the Hans-Bredow-Institut gives us in addition a partner who combines practical competence wtih scientific know-how."
In its research and transfer centre "Digital Games and Online Worlds", the Hans-Bedow-Institut für Medienforschung takes an interdisciplinary look into the phenomenon of gaming. Through pure research, but also with product and sector-specific studies, it sets out to contribute to a better understanding of the various social, market economy, technological and societal factors influencing digital games and online worlds. With the "Spielen im Netz" study ("Gaming on the Net") which it presented in 2008 on the systematisation of the phenomenon "online games", the institute provided a basis for specialist discussion of this type of game.
"We are delighted that the organisers have asked us to prepare the concept for the conference as part of the Games Convention Online. Objective and neutral expertise is the best prerequisite for beginning a constructive dialogue between industry, politics, science and society regarding an object of rapidly growing economic and social importance", says Dr. Wolfgang Schulz, director of the Hans-Bredow-Institut.
Conference Programme Divided into Three Subject Areas
The Dialogue Conference at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will be built around three key topic sections dedicated to the areas of "Market, Technology & Products", "Use & Potential" and "Society & Policy".
The section "Market, Technology & Products" deals with the economic development of online and mobile games. It will look at the existing product categories and trends, the characteristics and peculiarities of the industry as well as convergence developments. The relationship of the still young industry to other branches of industry, as well as the status of Germany as production location, are also on the agenda.
The second basic section "Use & Potential" is primarily concerned with empirical investigations. Here, studies on use, analyses of use, potentials and risks will be examined, as well as the emergence of online and mobile gaming communities.
Finally, the topic section headlined "Society & Policy" examines socio-political questions relating to the issues of protection of children and young people, data protection, consumer protection and in-game regulation. The core of conference activity will be accompanied by plenary speeches given at the beginning and at the end of the event.
Further information is available on the internet at: www.gamesconvention.com.
Contact for the Press:
Nancy Pfaff, Press Officer
Phone: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8186
Fax: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8182
E-mail: n.pfaff@leipziger-messe.de
Contact for the Conference:
Ulrike Geissler, Project Manager
Phone: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8288
Fax: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8282
E-mail: u.geissler@leipziger-messe.de
Contact at 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
On the Internet:
http://www.gamesconvention.com