Event: “Innovation in Education, Technology, and Gaming”
When: September 15, 2008 (8a – 2p)
Where: UNC Charlotte Campus / Halton Arena
What:

Keynote: Robbie Bach, President, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft Corporation
Panel Discussions Highlighting Top US Gaming & Education Experts, Exhibits, Gaming & Simulation Demos, Networking & Student Give-A-Ways!

Meet representatives from the NC Department of Public Instruction, CMS, CPCC, JCSU, NCSU, UNC Charlotte, Epic Games, Red Storm Entertainment, Virtual Heroes, The Kauffman Foundation, The Charlotte Chamber, Microsoft Corporation, and key Technology Companies & Educational Institutions.

The Event is FREE, but Attendees Must Register At:

https://www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/NNC/events/NNC2162526.html

Google has just made public Lively, their virtual worlds application that’s similar to Second Life. Although it currently only works with Windows XP/Vista and Firefox/IE, it allows you to create your own rooms that can be embedded in blogs and web pages, similar to YouTube videos. There’s no unified world, like Second Life, so Lively could be used to create “ad hoc” virtual worlds spaces that are limited to particular groups that share an interest or are working on a particular project. Google has posted a video preview of Lively at YouTube.

A classified advertisement in last Sunday’s New York Times (2/3/08) states that New York University is “establishing a multi-school center for the research, design and development of electronic interactive games” and is seeking a Faculty Director for that center. The ad goes on to say that “…games are in the process of becoming a major art form, a site for new convergences of art and technology, vehicles for new approaches to learning, and opportunities for cultural studies.” Housed in the Tisch School of Arts, the Faculty Director will be expected to work across multiple schools, develop curricula and hire additional faculty for the center.

I’ve heard of courses and programs on gaming at various schools, but the NYU gaming center sounds like an ambitious and broad-based initiative.