| This book presents a current research scope and perspective of Simulation and Gaming. Theoretical problems of Simulation and Gaming will be examined with a view to improving the social sciences through the introduction of the techniques and concepts of Simulation and Gaming. The fields of economics, political science, psychology and business management can all be radically improved by introducing such techniques of Simulation and Gaming as the Agent-Based Modelling. Other important topics are the analysis of philosophical foundations in Simulation and Gaming as an academic discipline. The ever growing and massive popularity of PC and arcade games cannot be ignored. Their potential as agents of education and their essentially violent nature raise many ethical and moral problems that need to be addressed.
The Japan Association of Simulation & Gaming (JASAG) and the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) hosted ISAGA 2003, the 34th annual conference of the International Simulation and Gaming Association (ISAGA), at Kazusa Akademia Park in Kisarazu, Japan,August 25–29, 2003.
About 450 participants and guests attended, with 330 from Japan and 101 from 34 other countries. The number of submitted papers and reports exceeded 210, and in addition, many poster presentations and experiential sessions were held. This book is made up of 30 papers submitted to ISAGA 2003 and provides a good example of the diverse scope and standard of research achieved in simulation and gaming today. The theme of ISAGA 2003 was “Social Contributions and Responsibilities of Simulation and Gaming.”
Looking back over the history of simulation and gaming research in Japan,in 1991 JASAG hosted ISAGA 1991 in Kyoto. However, even though there were only 12 years between ISAGA 1991 and ISAGA 2003, and both conferences were held in the same country, Japan, for Japanese researchers, the meaning of hosting these two international conferences of simulation and gaming research was very different. |
