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The notion that the State of Play in the Futures Field (SoPiFF) was a topic worth considering emerged from a conversation with Sesh Velamoor, Director of the Seattle-based Foundation for the Future (FFF), at a 2006 conference at Tamkang University in Taiwan. It posed the question "has futurism failed?" and suggested, among other things that, in the US at least, futures-related activities had perhaps peaked as early as 1980. This conclusion seemed worth investigating further. Four of the papers here provide overviews of the methods, results and implications of the project

PurposeThe paper aims to introduce the first iteration of an international research project into the "state of play" in the futures field (SoPiFF) using methodology developed at the Australian Foresight Institute (AFI).Design/methodology/approachThe paper outlines the overall approach and the methods it employed, along with some implications and emerging themes from this first iteration.FindingsThe paper casts new light on patterns of activity in the futures/foresight arena that, in turn, lead to policy questions, including those of purpose and effectiveness.Originality/valueThe SoPiFF project is of interest not only for its early results, but also for the use of the metascanning methodology outlined here. At one level it draws attention to the nature of the foresight practitioner's toolkit. At another it may also help to guide decisions about future resourcing options and the nature of training that is offered within the domain.