Sixth Annual State of Play Conference Discusses Future of Virtual Worlds

Organizers of the Sixth Annual State of Play Conference announced that this year's event will be held on June 19th and 20th at the New York Law School. The conference will focus on the social impact of virtual worlds and multiplayer online games. State of Play's sixth annual showing will bring together scholars, games developers, industry figures, and government leaders to examine the development and study of virtual worlds. Speakers at this year's conference will discuss whether scholars have reached a limit in the understanding of multiplayer online spaces, and will seek to determine whether virtual worlds have stalled at a development plateau. Confirmed speakers for the event include SOE's Andrew Zaffron, Metaplace's Raph Koster, Rebel Monkey's Margaret Wallace, Indiana University's Edward Castronova, and more. Additional sessions at State of Play will focus on the challenges faced by public and private institutions in online environments, educational opportunities available in virtual spaces, and the ongoing issues involving ownership of virtual property. This year's conference will also host the first Graduate Student Symposium, an event that collects 30 graduate students from around the world to present and discuss their work in the field of virtual world studies. Student presentations will receive feedback from a panel of industry leaders and experts. More information on the Sixth Annual State of Play Conference is available at its official website.