L’Italian Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA ITALIA) è una rete di studiosi interessati allo sviluppo e alla diffusione della ricerca sul videogioco. DiGRA ITALIA è un’associazione volontaria e no-profit. L’associazione si sviluppa attorno ai seguenti obiettivi:

Contribuire al dibattito accademico sul videogioco a livello nazionale;
Connettere ricercatori e insegnanti di lingua italiana che si occupano di studi sul videogioco attraverso l’organizzazione di conferenze, eventi e reti di comunicazione;
Supportare la partecipazione attiva alla ricerca di gruppi, generi e classi sociali poco rappresentate all’interno dell’accademia;
Incoraggiare la partecipazione di studenti, dottorandi e accademici ad inizio carriera, sostenendone il lavoro a livello internazionale;
Fornire un punto di connessione tra ricercatori di lingua italiana e giornalisti, critici ed opinionisti interessati agli sviluppi del gioco e del mezzo videoludico, facilitando il dialogo tra l’accademia e il pubblico generalista.

Io sarò presente con il mio primo intervento di carattere accademico in lingua italiana (non uso questa lingua per dibattiti accademici da circa il 2004!) introducendo il saggio realizzato con “mi pana” Euridice Cabañes dal titolo “Homozapping: un caso di studio sulla creazione di un videogioco sulla sessualità.”

Un saggio breve in cui parliamo di rappresentazione di genere e universo simbolico e sessualitàa usando il videogioco ome laboratorio di sperimentazione, analisi, studio e ricerca. 

Personalmente devo ringraziare i revisori della rivista catalana analisi che, anche se a loro insaputa, mi hanno aiutato a poter presentare un saggio solido concettualmente e ben scritto.  Questo saggio infatti, in una forma più breve e meno argomentativa, era stato presentato 1 anno fa alla rivista sopra menzionata per essere pubblicato. Il saggio fu respinto con una critica chiara, precisa e contundente spiegando i punti deboli del testo. Grazie a quella persona che si è presa il tempo e la premura di condividere la sua critica al nostro testo abbiamo potuto imparare tanto e migliorare enormemente un testo che presentava grandi lacune. Questa parte del metodo scientifico è il più interessante e produttivo. Purtroppo l’accademia si nutre poco di questo e al contrario molto di punti e badges. Ma questa è un’altra storia. 

Qui di seguito l’abstract del saggio:

Si presenta come caso di studio la creazione del videogioco “Homozapping” da parte di due dei suoi autori, sviluppato durante l’attività del collettivo ArsGames: Playlab XY01. Si introducono alcuni studi accademici sulla storia della rappresentazione dell’identità di genere e della sessualità nei videogiochi. Si presenta una breve descrizione della metodologia utilizzata per la creazione del “Playlab” e delle sue caratteristiche. Il Playlab è qui proposto come un processo di ricerca aperta e partecipata attraverso cui avvicinarsi al gioco per esplorare il suo potenziale critico, la sua capacità di creare spazi sociali e le possibilità in termini di apprendimento e autoformazione.

Successivamente si spiegano le decisioni di disegno prese durante il processo di creazione. Il gioco consiste in una raccolta di 16 video e 8 mini giochi che vengono presentati in ordine casuale al giocatore in successioni di due video e un minigioco. Tutti i video hanno un contenuto direttamente connesso con la sessualità, ponendo il giocatore o la giocatrice di fronte all’immaginario sessuale a cui siamo sottoposti quotidianamente in quanto consumatori di televisione e pubblicità. Si conclude presentando i dati di gioco raccolti durante i primi tre mesi dalla pubblicazione.

Qui di seguito le slide della presentazione nel congresso

RESUMEN

El juego es una de las actividades más serias que realizamos en nuestra vida. Del juego surgen los aprendizajes que nos permitirán desarrollar nuestras capacidades físicas, emocionales, sociales e intelectuales. A través del juego aprendemos a controlar nuestros cuerpos, a descubrir el mundo que nos rodea, a establecer normas, a usar el lenguaje para denominar las cosas y expresar lo que pensamos y sentimos. Pero el juego también puede ser una herramienta de transformación, un laboratorio de ideas donde construir nuevas y mejores formas de entender el mundo.

En esta charla vamos a presentar algunos proyectos de la asociación cultural Arsgames que  emplean mecánicas de juego en entornos diferentes como el activismo o los datos abiertos.

PRESENTACIÓN

El título completo es: Para una sociología de los videojuegos: una práctica de estudio de los juegos digitales entre sociología digital e arte electrónico.

RESUMEN

La industria cultural de los videojuegos es una de las que más ha crecido en los últimos 20 años llegando a primar en este sector en términos de venta y consumo. En el ámbito tecno cultural se presentan como el medio electrónico paradigmático de nuestra contemporaneidad por su capacidad de aunar diferentes disciplinas y a la vez ser un fenómeno donde se producen y representan las transformaciones que se están dando dentro del marco de la sociedad de la información. Desde la sociología podemos, no solo leer los videojuegos como un espejo de la sociedad, sino que tenemos que analizar las formas en que estos contribuyen a los procesos de socialización y a los modelos de comunicación. Por esta razón entendemos que el videojuego debe ser considerado como un importante objeto de las ciencias sociales, tanto en su conjunto de fenómeno, como una herramienta de investigación. En esta conferencia se presentan algunos casos de estudio de una práctica de investigación dentro y fuera de la academia, entre la sociología y el arte electrónico que presenta el videojuego bajo esta hipótesis de análisis e investigación.

PRESENTACIÓN

VIDEO DE LA CONFERENCIA

Los juegos posibles es el título de mi tesis doctoral. La investigación se está llevando a cabo en la facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad de Barcelona bajo la dirección de la profesora Laura Baigorri. El título completo es: “Un estudio de los videojuegos que desbordan las categorías clásicas de creación y difusión entre arte, mercado y cultura de masas”



El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las peculiaridades artísticas y productivas de los juegos digitales que se escapan tanto a la definición de mainstream, o AAA, como del indie. Estos objetos digitales, llamados de diferentes formas dependiendo de su procedencia – notgames, artgames, altgames – manifiestan una voluntad de narrar a partir de lo pequeño y de lo marginal para reconstruir una idea de juego que sepa dar espacio a identidades hasta ahora excluidas.A menudo estos juegos tienen un trato autobiográfico, o una expresión crítica frente a lo real, sobre temas como la autoconciencia, el género, los estereotipos. Estos temas no sólo se plantean en la capa discursiva de lo retórico – trama, contenido, historia, sino también en la forma de jugarlos: a menudo se materializan con dinámicas libres de conceptos como competencia, ganar, morir, superar, destruyendo los códigos clásicos de los juegos normativos y estableciendo nuevas prácticas de creación.

“Los juegos posibles” se refiere a esos videojuegos que van más allá del concepto de videojuego tal como lo conocemos.
Por un lado esto es un proceso que ya se ha visto desde hace unos años en el game art, en la vertiente not-games por ejemplo, donde a partir de una inquietud artística se utiliza el videojuego como lenguaje o como campo de expresión donde establecer un orden diferente entre los elementos en juego. Así que las categorías como el ganar y el perder, vidas, muertes, energías, bonus-malus, se invierten o se intervienen para replantear un rol diferente de la práctica de juego y del mismo objeto videojuego.
Por otro lado se viene configurando una nueva generación de creadores que no procede ni se vincula con el sistema del arte y a la vez tiene una posición marginal en la industria independiente tradicional: estos autores experimentan con los lenguajes de creación videolúdicos ampliando el espectro lingüístico del medium.

El objetivo principal del trabajo es analizar cómo estas prácticas creativas aportan al objeto videojuego en su totalidad, tanto desde el arte como desde la creación industrial, nuevas subjetividades así como nuevos temas que hasta ahora no han tenido ningún espacio de representación en los sistemas clásicos de producción de videojuegos. La hipótesis de trabajo es que estas experiencias ayudan a dibujar un concepto de juegos de los posibles que elude la idea de videojuego normativo  “licuando” su lenguaje en el contexto de la tecno-cultura y así estableciendo casos límite que pueden convertirse en la nueva normalidad  de la cultura popular del videojuego en en el futuro .
Siendo una propuesta de tesis mixta el trabajo de investigación está acompañado por un proceso de creación artístico que genere propuestas a partir de los conceptos y modalidades investigadas. Con tal fin se desarrollará a lo largo de esta investigación un videojuego como primera aproximación a la al concepto de videojuego y sexualidad como uno de los nuevos temas que ésta investigación pretende alumbrar. Asimismo se pretende generar una practica laboratorial como parte del proceso de investigación sobre creación video-lúdica abierta a la ciudadanía.

Objetivos principales:

Analizar los nuevos temas y prácticas creativas de la última generación de creadores de videojuegos que se posicionan en el marco de la creación marginal y alternativa poniendo en primer plano esos juegos que exponen temas procedentes del análisi post marxista, feminista y decolonial.
Valorar cómo estas producciones alternativas rompen y/o expanden la noción misma de juego digital.

Objetivos secundarios:

Averiguar si los videojuegos alternativos están relacionadas de alguna forma con la cultura libre y las licencias copyleft y analizar la peculiaridades de esta relación
Crear un videojuego que plante un acercamiento crítico al tema del género y de la sexualidad
Generar prácticas de creación con videojuegos con actores sociales ajenos a este lenguaje

Trabajos de creación:

Debido a la naturaleza mixta de mi proyecto de investigación, tanto teórico como práctico, dos estudios de casos relacionados con la creación de videojuegos se desarrollan bajo el estudio.
El primero, Homozapping es un videojuego que cuestiona nuestro imaginario sexual, producto de PlayLabXY01, el laboratorio de experimentación con videojuegos sobre sexualidad organizado por ARSGAMES en el Centro de Cultura Digital MX de la ciudad de Mexíco en 2014-2015. Ha sido publicado bajo la etiqueta Sello Arsgames y bajo el paradigma de la creación abierta. Puedes encontrar el juego aquí y más información aquí.

El segundo está bajo una dura revisión y a pesar de haberse desarrollado como prototipo se necesita producir una segunda versión del evento. Se llama “Ludotopía” y es un laboratorio de juegos radicales y ciudadanos. La idea central detrás de eso es unir el mundo y la práctica del activismo social con los que proceden del diseño del juego. Al utilizar el diseño de juegos como una herramienta de análisis social y crítica, pretendo estudiar una nueva práctica de co-creación e hibridación donde los ciudadanos puedan crear juegos y así reflexionar y proponer soluciones a su realidad.

The February 21th, 2015, at the Third Open Data Day organized by the Open Knowledge Foundation, was held  the Open Knowledge Workshop – Open Arts at the department of mathematics and computer science of the University of Catania (Italy). On this occasion, rather than stick to the topic of open data by public authorities, the organizers decided to tackle the broader issue: the paradigms of Open Knowledge. All this with a particular focus on the production, promotion and enjoyment aware of the artistic and cultural heritage.

The first intervention was in fact held by a digital artists: Stefano Roveda.

Stefano Roveda told us about some of the interactive installations and distributed systems he worked with Studio Azzurro, an historical yet really important italian collective of artists to which he belongs. Was very interesting see how he, and his group, needed a lot of creativity in order to solve technological issues that today are much much easier. By doing that Stefano demonstrated us not just great invention spirit but to have put the basis of what interactive and digital art have been in Italy and how still  matter what they did.

After Stefano Roveda I was invited to speak.

I presented Soñando Satélites as a case study in order to make a collective analysis around the topic open data – open knowledge. Projects like the Palestinian Space Agency, in fact, demonstrate how satellites are narrative art platforms that help to rethink old paradigms about geographical space. If its true we can use a lot of data from space devices because they are open by design, like TLE, what is exactly the object of our actions then? Do we have a goal?

It is interesting how the jurisdiction over outer space and important declarations like the Bogotá’s declaration of 1978 open up questions about governance of this common knowledge we have as humans. The outer space and satellites cases, are not just about the space but represent a different way to thinks about the commons (resource) in general.

And I believe that is very interesting addressing this topics from the arts

This post is available only in spanish

This is an experimental laboratory in which we use  the body as a means of interaction and creation in real time to the scene. During the five days we inquire through the use of non-proprietary software, technology devices such as sensors, cameras, controllers and practical way to experience the performative creation.

Goals

1. Experimenting with audio / video live creation from the body and movements on stage
2. Developing a mutual dialogue between who works with the body and who works with machines
3. Studying models of human-machine interaction useful in dance performances
4. Introducing the use of some software even for the control of sensors and audio / video data in real time
5. Developing strategies for technological interaction beyond technology

Workshop content

During the five days long workshop, in daily meetings of three hours each, we  explore the world of possibilities provided by the new technologies in relation to the body, movement and performative creation. Although the workshop is not intended to generate a performance as final work, an important part will be devoted to personal and collective creation.

Day 1: Introducing the tools

Introduction to human-machine interaction, ecology interaction and software used

Day 2: interaction as a trigger event:

During this module we train in the use of simple “sound actions” for commands audio and video events. With this module we seek for sound coordination, interpretation and performative action

Day 3: interaction and quality of the movement:

During this module the human-machine relationship and the principles of the quality movement as performative process behind the technology of motion tracking and sensor data is  explored.

Day 4: interpretation, synchronization and control:

During this module we play with the rational interpretation of the movements, synchronized event and the use of mobile devices (and others) to control the performative space.

Day 5: Contact and interaction:

In this last module contact with other organs and the use of the whole body as digital puppetry is investigated

Method

We work on the area of intersection between different disciplines with a special focus on art, science and technology. We alternates the work with software to the one with body proposing different interaction tests. We stimulates the autonomous search from the technical concepts shared during the workshop. Participants are invited to bring relevant examples and practical issues related to the lab topic.

Basic Requirements

Space:

– open space where 20 people can do physical exercises comfortably.

Materials:

– Blackboard, markers or chalk board and pencil

– Paper and markers in various colors

– Tape

– Tables, chairs and electrical connections for laptops max 20

Addressed to

The lab is open to artists working with new media, dancers, performers, video artists, actors and all those people who want to develop a body work in relation to technology. No prior knowledge of computers is necessary but an experience with real-time audio-visual technologies is desired.

This workshop is held by Luca Carrubba and Gina Castilla

Introduction

This is a laboratory for experimentation with body sensors and audio visual creation in real time. During five days we inquire through the use of software, technology devices such as sensors, cameras, controllers and experience practically.

Goals

1. Experimenting with some biosensor
2. Understanding how OpenSoundControl protocol and data interconnection works
3. Introducing the use of some software for audio / video real-time manipulation
4. Conduct a brief audio visual performance

Addressed to:

Musicians seeking interaction with video, multimedia artists interested in creating interactive, dancers and performers. During the workshop will use cross-platform (Linux, Mac, Windows) software, connectable to any vjing program.

This workshop has been taught in:

VisualFFF festival, Ambato, Ecuador, in August 2014

Superior Academy of Arts of Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia, in January 2015

Program

The workshop lasts five days with daily sessions of four hours.

Day 1:

Introduction to computer tools

– Vjing and live creation

– Installation and first approach

Day 2:

An introduction to computer network

– The OpenSoundControl protocol

Day 3:

Introduction to sensors and software connections to video

– Use of video sensors (webcam, kinect, and microscope)

– Use of biosensors (galvanometer and pulse meter)

Day 4:

introduction to using accelerometer and gyroscope. Preparation of visual material and interaction.

– Use of the wiimote, tablet and smartphones

– Experimentation, testing and tests

Day 5:

Creative laboratory and shows

Ocupando el juego: el método artístico y la creación de juegos experimentales

Hay una relación históricamente cierta entre los juegos experimentales y el método de creación artístico de cierta arte digital. Tomando la  experiencia del  Playlab como referencia de los procesos de hibridación que marcan una nueva tendencia dentro del desarrollo de videojuegos, vemos como  nuevos sujetos sociales, hasta hace poco excluidos, aparecen ahora en la escena video lúdica .

El fracaso, la ambigüedad y la improvisación son los pilares de un actitud que va en  contra del metodo cientifico y  que ayuda a definir algunos fenomenos contemporaneos en relación al videojuego

 MIRA Lab is an international event for artists, developers, curators, agencies and public working with creative technology for performances, shows and visual arts in real time.

MIRA Lab empowers people in the visual arts field through the mutual exchange of skills and experiences. MIRA Lab is defined to be an international event that promotes p2p, puts theemphasis on the process, and promotes the creativity through innovative activities

During the 2013’s edition of the festival Estereotips has been invited to give a public talk about our artistic practice and the centrality of coding as new literacy.

Below you can find a very simple slide with the main concept expressed during the talk.

Only available in spanish.

Accepted paper for Student Usability in Educational Software and Games: Improving Experiences book. It has been wrote together with Euridice Cabañes Martinez as Arsgames members. Below the full abstract. Download the full article 

1. Present context:

We are immersed in what Lévy and Kerckhove define as the “third age of communication”, in which “a new language has taken shape that is even more universal than the alphabet, i.e. the digital language. An age that has followed those of orality and of writing”. (ref)

The so-called “new media”, based on the technological advances derived from the digitalization of contents, have brought about a revolution in the domain of audiovisual languages. This implies not only that a new type of contents being is being developed, but ―simultaneously and inextricably― a new way of relating to them has appeared and, in this sense, the interactivity that emerges from the use of new technologies is determinant: “The interactivity modifies not only the way an author deals with her task, but also the contents themselves that she creates and even the role of the spectator. In fact, the latter is now usually more properly called user” (Marín, 2009).

2. Implications of this educational context:

Every education system must carry out a previous analysis of the social context if it is to achieve the aim of providing students with an effective education. And, as shown above, this context is characterized by a massive consumption of the new media that is not accompanied by an appropriate knowledge of their codes and languages, especially when those are the languages that are modeling new cognitive styles and configuring modes of appropriation of reality.

In this context, education should provide students with a “digital literacy” that allow these users of the new communication and information languages to code and decode messages, as well as to develop a full awareness of its use that involve a critical and creative utilization.¹

This is important inasmuch as we are no longer mere receivers of the information created by a small and limited number of producers, not only because ICT have multiplied exponentially the number of content generators, but also because we ourselves are producing those contents.

3. The role of video games

Video games are one among other usual forms in which we are related to technology.²

Moreover, video games represent a paradigmatic example of interactive narrative structures which make possible ―within a ludic environment― the training of students to acquire the technical know-how required for the use of computers and to facilitate the development of certain competences related to the new media. There are several different ways of introducing these technologies into the classroom, that range from using conventional video games with educational purposes to using educational video games proper or, bearing most interest to us, to teaching students how to create their own video games. As Neil Gershenfeld, researcher at the MIT, has pointed,“it is when people are able to create their own technology that passion gets aroused”. Undoubtedly, playing video games can be very amusing and educational, but being able to generate your own video games bears a greater interest and at different levels:

Firstly, in our highly technological society in which computers are ubiquitous, it is not sufficient to know how to use the basic tools, but it becomes increasingly necessary to acquire programming knowledge that allow a full-fledged utilization of those tools. Learning to program video games provides with this knowledge within a very stimulating environment for users.

Secondly, if, as seen above, in the digital era we are not only content consumers but we also produce them, we will need the technical knowledge required to generate contents and express ourselves in the new media. In this respect, learning to program video games is extremely useful in that it involves learning to use audio and video, to generate interactive contents, etc.

4. Scratch:

The developers of Scratch, the research group “Lifelong Kindergarten” of the MIT MediaLab, know these advantages and have created a new, user-friendly programming environment that enables the exploration of basic programming principles without the syntax complications characteristic of other languages.

The idea underlying this ‘software’ is to leave behind the lines of code and to make possible programming of animations as if it were like playing with a LEGO toy, that is bringing together ‘bricks’ that contain all sorts of instructions. This feature makes programming easier and more intuitive than other programming languages, although it requires a learning period. This program has been designed for children from 8 years up, although it can be used by adults as well.

The intention of Scratch creators is to make programming accessible to anyone, since it was designed pursuing educational goals, as Mitchel Resnick, one of the people in charge of the program, explains: “We want the children to be creators. We want them to do interesting and dynamic things with the computer”.

5. Conclusions:

If in the digital era we confront a new language, we should not only understand the values and meanings that are transmitted through the new media, but it is also urgent to know its grammar (basic programming notions), given the fact that unless we master this, we will only be receivers and we will never be able to express ourselves in such language, though.

That is the reason why learning to program video games is not only a way to develop basic skills for the use of technology, but it provides the necessary knowledge in order to analyse the processes that govern the functioning of video games ―and, in general, that of every audiovisual language― and to identify the conceptual framework and the values they support.

References:

Alfageme González, M. B. & Sanchez Rodríguez, P. A. (2003) “Un instrumento para evaluar el uso y las actitudes hacia los videojuegos”. Pixel-Bit. Revista de Medios y Educación , 20, 17-32

Jenkins, H. Confronting the Chalenges of the Parcipatory Culture: Media Education for the 21^st Century. Available at: http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/files/working/NMLWhitePaper.pdf

Marín, A. (2009) New media ¿viejas o nuevas realidades? [On line document]. Available at: http://mosaic.uoc.edu/2006/10/20/new-media-%C2%BFviejas-o-nuevas-realidades/

Pérez Rodriguez, M.A. (2009) Un nuevo lenguaje para una comunicación global. Available at:

http://www.uhu.es/agora/version01/digital/numeros/03/03-articulos/monografico/pdf3/perez.PDF

Pérez Tornero, J.M. (2000): «El desarrollo de la sociedad de la información del paradigma de la cultura de masas al de la cultura multimedia», en PÉREZ TORNERO, J.M. (Comp.): Comunicación y educación en la sociedad de la información. Barcelona, Paidós; 17-34.

Rodríguez, A. (2009) Inteligencias en conexión. Hacia una sociedad de la Web. Available at:

http://www.javeriana.edu.co/relato_digital/r_digital/cibercultura/cibercultura.html

Scratch en la educación escolar: http://www.eduteka.org/modulos.php?catx=9&idSubX=278

2Alfageme González, M. B. & Sanchez Rodríguez, P. A. (2003) “Un instrumento para evaluar el uso y las actitudes hacia los videojuegos”. Pixel-Bit. Revista de Medios y Educación , 20, 17-32

Download the full article 

Only available in spanish

The aim of this workshop is to learn simple programming strategies for the creation of audio and video software tools for live performances. Generative or interactive piece of software that let artist creates and controls a video stream or an audio processing in real time.

In 5-6 days long workshop you will learn the basis of Pure Data language, how to manipulate or create a video and how to play with audio. At the end of the workshop all participants will play a jam session together in the Lab space or exhibit their prototypes

This workshop has been run at Area10 (London, U.K.) and N.K. (Berlin, Germany) both in 2010 in collaboration with Oscar Martin aka Noish

Download workshop’s paper

Download workshop’s puredata patch 

Workshop’s goal is to learn to edit video with free software. This workshop is organized in 4 different session, each one about 4 hours, more one day more of practice. It is divided in two moduels; pre-production and editing.

In the first one module you will learn to think about video, grab from a handycam and organize your video material for editing. In the second one you will learn how to use video editing application like Cinelerra and Open Movie Editor.

Only available in italian.

Download lecture notes (in italian)