Keynote

Alea iacta est! – Game-On

“The die is cast” – a phrase coined by Julius Caesar in 49 B.C. when he crossed the river Rubicon, which was the boundary between ancient Italy and the province of Cisalpine Gaul, could be used as a metaphor for the technological decade we are heading to. We are learning while we are playing – nothing new so far – of course. But the digital technology allows us to play even more complex games in order to understand the complexity of our world much easier and faster than ever. Interactive and networked based communication in a playful, an emergent and narrative environment also lowers the boundary for Knowledge Media Design and Cognitive Design, which extends the socio-technical dynamic process of “semper et ubique” learning.

Structure is the key to complexity! We are programming the code while we are simulating our world. We are trying to optimize our AI routines as good as we can from the point of scientific and social research – whether randomly, empirically or through the rules of chaos retrieved and analyzed – but we should not forget, that these are tools meant to please us and simplify communicating between human beings. True or false – that might be the question at the end of the day.

Content is king! This issue is still most relevant and must be seen as a important matter of concern apart from the entertainment industries interests, or commercial and technological aspects. Where do we go and what do we expect in the future? Beside exploring our world as a gaming environment: what is the scientific knowledge and what are the key qualifications and disciplines we have to teach and our students will have to develop further to improve the benefits for future generations?

Still need a few more design related buzz words? Intermediation – Real Time Interaction – Autonomous Graphic User Interfaces – Consistent Immersion – Game Studies – this keynote will also discuss some of these strategies accompanied by visual examples of student works at the Institute for New Media.

I would like to welcome our guests to this 3 days event in Braunschweig as well as invite them to attend numerous interesting discussion panels, workshops and presentations and encourage everybody to open their minds to the variety of game related topics – no matter wether they are technical, contextual, audio-visual or socio-cultural driven. We have to consider these aspects on an academic level and therefore should use this Game-On platform for an intensive exchange and opportunity for networking between our universities. Alea iacta est!

Prof. Eku Wand
Institute for New Media (IMF)
Braunschweig University of Art (HBK)