From April 6-9, 2011, philosophers and academics will be meeting to discuss some of the most important and pressing issues of the 21^st century: video games and identity. The Philosophy of Computer Games is an international conference that will be held in Athens, Greece. The conference is open to scholars in any field researching computer games. The theme of the conference is Player Identity, but other relevant topics will be considered.

The conference was just recently announced, so it’s too early to know what people will be presenting. As far as I know, this is the first conference on video games and philosophy. I am excited that the worldwide phenomenon of computer and video gaming is finally garnering attention beyond the fear that video games are training simulators for violent behavior. With 67% of American households playing computer and/or video games*, researchers need to study the impact gaming has on individual behavior, notions of self, private property, intellectual property, group behavior, economics and society in general. What are video games teaching about how we treat others? What skills (good and/or bad) do video games teach? Can video games help to solve major world problems like global hunger, global warming, the energy crisis, racism?

Here’s the link to the conference announcement: http://groups.google.com/group/fa.philos-l/browse_thread/thread/8beeebf685f3d3a8/d765093e32211204?lnk=raot

* - Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Essential Facts 2010 (http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_Essential_Facts_2010.PDF)