Pre-conference events, 23 Monday 2018 (University of Tampere, Pinni B building, Kanslerinrinne 1)
12.00 – 13.00 INVITED TALK (OASIS, 2nd floor): Christopher Paul (Seattle University) will talk about his new book Toxic Meritocracy of Video Games: Why Gaming Culture Is the Worst (University of Minnesota Press).
13.00 – 14.00 LUNCH (Restaurant Minerva, 2nd floor)
14.00 – 17.00 WORKSHOP on Comparative Game Industry and Production Studies (1st floor, B1029-30) – Invitation-based, primarily for the seminar speakers; If interested, contact workshop coordinator Olli Sotamaa
18.00 – CASUAL DINNER (Plevna Brewery Pub & Restaurant, Itäinenkatu 8) – If you’re in town already on Monday, join us for a casual get-together. Grab something to eat or just have a drink in a good company.
Day 1, Tuesday 24 April 2018 (Museum Center Vapriikki, Alaverstaanraitti 5)
8.30 Registration
9.00 – 11.00 Welcoming words & Session 1: Game Publishing and Funding
- David Nieborg, Call of Candycraft – What the Activision Blizzard Acquisition of King Digital Entertainment Can Tell Us about Game Making Today
- Heikki Tyni, “I participate because…”: Backer Perspective on Games Crowdfunding
- Maria O’Brien, Spatialisation of Culture: A Political Economic Approach to State Aid Policy for Video Game Production within the EU
- Olli Sotamaa, Kristine Jørgensen & Ulf Sandqvist, The Effect of Funding Policies on Making Games: A Nordic Comparison
11.00 – 11.30 COFFEE
11.30 – 13.00 Session 2: Game Design
- Petri Lankoski & Mirjam Palosaari Eladhari, The Impact of Design Approaches
- Edward Morrell, On Player Decentered Design
- Janne Paavilainen, Ville Kankainen & Jonne Arjoranta, Design Guidelines for Hybrid Board Games
13.00 – 14.00 LUNCH (Restaurant Valssi)
14.00 – 14.30 Commentator keynote – Casey O’Donnell
14.30 – 15.30 Introduction to the Finnish Museum of Games + COFFEE
15.30 – 17.00 Session 3: Design Platforms
- Mia Consalvo & Dan Staines, Reading Ren’Py: Game Engine Affordances and Design Possibilities
- Matti Karhulahti & Pawel Grabarczyk, History of Videogame Making from the Viewpoint of Local Multiplayer Design
- Jaakko Stenros, Parliament of Shadows
19.00 – Reception at the University, Kanslerinrinne 1, Pinni B, 2. floor, OASIS space (Snacks, drinks, games etc.)
Day 2, Wednesday 25 April 2018 (Museum Center Vapriikki, Alaverstaanraitti 5)
9.30 – 10.30 Session 4: Players/Authors
- Christopher Paul, Making Games by Playing Better: Theorycraft, The Meta, Analytics, and the Optimization of Play
- Hanna Roine, Making Games into Works of Popular Culture: Paratexts and Resurrection of the Author
10.30 – 11.00 COFFEE
11.00 – 12.30 Session 5: Ethical Perspectives
- Chen Yingrong, Making Games Ethical: Authenticity in Chinese Game Policies
- Kati Alha, Free-to-Play Games: Design Guidelines
- Lies van Roessel, Fun first? How Free-to-Play Game Developers Differentiate between Acceptable and Objectionable Monetization Mechanisms
12.30 – 13.30 LUNCH (Restaurant Valssi)
13.30 – 15.00 Session 6: Jamming the Education
- Jonas Linderoth & Björn Sjöblom, Breaking the Rules of Game Design – How to Design Educational Games
- Mikko Meriläinen, Game Jamming for Learning and Teaching: A Review of the Literature
- Jeanette Falk Olesen, Case Study of a Game Jam as a Transforming Design Space
15.00 – 15.30 COFFEE
15.30 – 16.30 Session 7: Game Industry Dynamics
- J.Tuomas Harviainen, Sören Kock & Miikka J. Lehtonen, Coopetition in the Finnish Game Industry A Longitudinal Qualitative Study
- Vincianne Zabban & Hovig Ter Minassian, “Should I stay or Should I go?” French Game Makers Biographies in a “Global Games” Era
16.30 – 17.00 Commentator keynote – Annakaisa Kultima, Game Design Praxiology
Making Games 