Bellisario College of Communications

Video game conference eyes business, child psychological health, more

University Park, Pa. — Since their rise to popularity in the 1970s, video games have been integrated into our everyday lives. However, these pop culture icons have come a long way from arcades and basements.

Video games are now a focus of scholars, and Penn State intends to host an array of video game industry scholars and industry leaders at a conference next month.

"Playing to Win: The Business and Social Frontiers of Video Games" will take place April 4-5 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in Innovation Park on the University Park campus.

The aim of the event is to bring together an audience interested in the business of  video games, including corporate executives, lawyers, child health professionals and scholars, said Richard Taylor, Palmer chair and professor of telecommunications studies and co-director of the Institute for Information Policy, which planned the conference.

The conference, which Taylor hopes will become an annual event, will feature guest lecturers about the video game industry from Penn State and across the country who will discuss a variety of topics, including impacts on children, regulation and industry standards, female gaming, business models and upcoming developments.

The conference is unique, Taylor said, because it focuses on the industry and business of games rather than the games themselves. The conference will seek to provide a framework for developing the research agenda the video gaming field for the future.

He said the sudden prevalence of video games in resumes, classes and conferences opened his eyes to the industry. He realized that video games were no longer toys, but a significant new form of media.

"Video games are clearly becoming a legitimate scholarly area of study, both culturally and economically," he said. "They're not just about entertainment anymore."

The nongaming use of games, or "serious games," is incorporated into such areas as military and medical training, Taylor said.

Interested business persons, lawyers, educators, child health professionals, faculty, students and members of the general public may register for the event. The program has been approved for Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Credits.

Additional information about the conference may be found at http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/videogames/ online.

Last Updated July 7, 2011

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