Researchers at The Games Institute come from a range of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, engineering and computer science, to study the past, present and future of games. Faculty members and graduate students examine and develop gamification in numerous sectors; they consider various human aspects of games; and they explore game-related technologies and possible new applications. All photos by Selina Vesely.
"The
future
of
games
will
rely
on
new
technologies
and
new
ways
of
interacting
with
those
technologies,
but
it
will
also
rely
heavily
on
psychological
and
sociological
understandings
of
what
we
do
when
we
play,
on
stories
and
narratives
that
reach
far
beyond
what
today’s
games
offer,
and
on
extensive
work
in
a
wide
range
of
fields,
from
health
to
education,
into
how
games
can
guide
us,
change
us,
and
help
us."
-
Neil
Randall,
professor
and
founding
director
of
the
Games
Institute.
English Language and Literature PhD student Michael Hancock and Operations Coordinator Emily West play Super Smash Bros.
Master of Experimental Digital Media student Shawn Dorey, Master of Literary Studies student Amber O’Brien and English Language and Literature PhD student Michael Hancock.
Shawn Dorey demonstrates their narrative game, Sorting 63 Genders.
Emily West and Shawn Dorey conduct interviews for First Person Scholar, the middle-state publication founded by Arts graduate students and run by members of The Games Institute.
English Language and Literature PhD student Nicholas Hobin, Master of Experimental Digital Media student Alex Fleck, English Language and Literature PhD student George Ross, Shawn Dorey and Master of Experimental Digital Media Student Meg Honsberger.
Amber O’Brien tests some new virtual reality equipment in the Immersion Room.
Nicholas Hobin in The Games Institute. Research projects span academic disciplines, including English Language and Literature, computer science, engineering and the social sciences.
Not all digital: traditional board games are played and pondered, too, at The Games Institute.
Games Institute Director and Professor Neil Randall speaks to sociology PhD student Pierson Browne, computer science PhD student John Harris, Emily West, Michael Hancock and Nicholas Hobin in the Presentation Room.
Shawn Dorey, Meg Honsberger, Emily West and Alex Fleck meet in the Presentation Room.
The Games Institute houses graduate students and faculty members from all disciplines who are interested in games.
July 10 update: Read this story about a VR (virtual reality) history project based at GI.