We live in a world that has always been shaped by the media we consume, and with video games growing more popular by the day, their influence is only getting stronger.
And at next month's GDC China in Shanghai, Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies veteran Raph Koster will examine that very topic, noting how games not only affect the world we live in, but also the way we think.
As Koster sees it, video games inherently support certain ways of thinking, and by playing these games, we end up viewing the world through their unique lens, which ultimately affects the society we live in.
During his keynote, "How Games Think," the Playdom VP will examine how games are changing the world, how they influence the way we think, and what that means for our future.
This keynote will be open to GDC China's All Access and Main Conference pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.
Koster's talk joins numerous other sessions already announced for GDC China. For more information on any of the sessions in the show's growing lineup, check out the "Announced Sessions" page on the show's official website.
Be sure to keep an eye out for even more updates on GDC China in the weeks ahead, as show organizers have plenty more to announce for the upcoming event. For all the latest information on registering for GDC China, visit the show's website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
In many ways we are fortunate to receive so much news about this industry (good or bad) and it's insiders and what they think (or at least what they are saying). I think that says a lot about the high level of engagement and passion players, developers and journalists have for all aspects of this business. For whatever reasons people are generally very hopeful about the future of games. Maybe because there are so many indies and it doesnt feel like a secret club filled with cronies and their hand picked personalities and front men and women. Games still feels like something "anyone" could do... a place where merit still matters... an untamed frontier of sorts.
When was the last time you heard (or cared about?) news of a talk (let alone the talk itself as we often get to see here on gama) given by a VP at a film studio about films ability to influence minds, the "success" of product placements, manufacturing public opinion, etc.
Regardless of motives or agendas, I think the fact that influential industry insiders like Koster are publicly acknowleding the power of games to influence people represents a significant change. Just a few years ago this wouldn't even be a topic of concern.
When was the last time you heard (or cared about?) news of a talk (let alone the talk itself as we often get to see here on gama) given by a VP at a film studio about films ability to influence minds, the "success" of product placements, manufacturing public opinion, etc.
Regardless of motives or agendas, I think the fact that influential industry insiders like Koster are publicly acknowleding the power of games to influence people represents a significant change. Just a few years ago this wouldn't even be a topic of concern.