DiGRA JAPAN: Annual Meeting

We have an annual meeting of DiGRA JAPAN in this evening. We prepare the yearly report and the promotion of DiGRA2007.

DiGRA JAPAN has been established in one years ago.

Keynotes update: Marc Prensky (games2train)

Immediate Release: Marc Prensky (game2train) is to be appeared in the plenary talks at DiGRA 2007 (DIGITAL GAMES RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2007) held in Tokyo, September 24 to 28, 2007.

Biography (http://www.marcprensky.com/):

Marc Prensky is an internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, consultant, and designer in the critical areas of education and learning. He is the author of Digital Game-Based Learning (McGraw-Hill, 2001), the founder and CEO of Games2train (whose clients include IBM, Nokia, Pfizer, the US Department of Defense and the LA and Florida Virtual Schools) and creator of the sites DoDgameCommunity.com and SocialImpactGames.com.

Marc has created over 50 software games for learning, including the world’s first fast-action videogame-based training tools and world-wide, multi-player, multi-team on-line competitions. He has also taught at all levels. Marc has been featured in articles in The NY Times and The Wall Street Journal, has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and the BBC, and was named as one of training’s top 10 “visionaries” by Training magazine. He holds graduate degrees from Yale (Teaching) and Harvard (MBA).

The Japanese translation of Marc’s new book, “Don’t Bother Me, Mom — I’m Learning” : How Computer and Video Games Are Preparing Your Kids For Twenty-first Century Success — and How You Can Help! (2006) will be published in Summer, 2007.

At this point, Prof. Edward Castronova and Mr. Marc Prensky agreed to give plenary talk at DiGRA207. In addition, we plan to invite one (or possibly two) prominent Japanese game developer for a plenary talk.
DiGRA2007 will be held from Semptember 24 to 28, and Early bird registration will be closed on July 31.

Paper acceptance rate

Immediately Release:
DiGRA2007 paper acceptance rate:

Total: 170

Acceptance rate = 0.63

Official data will be appeared when the advance program appears.

DiGRA2007 and Japan International Contents Festival

Press conference on Japan International Contents Festival was held in June 12 in Tokyo. DiGRA2007 is one of the official events.

Prof. Baba introducing DiGRA2007 at CoFesta Press Conference

News in English:

• http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1526/53/
• http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966765.html

Preparing Press Conference

Along with Japan’s Game Industry Strategy, the press conference will be held in this Tuesday, Tokyo. DiGRA2007 also will have a invited talk. Our hardest work is that we should prepare the website information in Japanese. (We have had only website in English.)

Our Japanese site is: http://digra2007.digrajapan.org/

Measles (Rubeola) outbreak in Tokyo

• http://park.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/health/hmeaslesob-e.htm
• http://hokencenterkomaba.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/caution/measles/0525UrgentNotice2.htm

We’re still alive, but our another campus was locked out in this weekend. A staff has a serious health desease, but it is not by this outbreak.