Gaming's Most Influential Outsiders Include Serious Games Groundbreakers

by on 21 November, 2007 - 02:58

Serious Games sphere of influence

Via: Educational Games ResearchNext Generation has recently published an article entitled, “Gaming’s 30 Most Influential Outsiders", categorized by the field they are most closely associated with: Entertainers in Other Mediums, Politicos, Academics and Engineers. Under the Academics group, three out of six so-called "outsiders" are (I'm glad to acknowledge) Serious Games ground breakers.

Each group brings something different. The academics bring new
uses for games. The engineers and scientists bring the technologies
that drive the limits of game creation. The entertainers bring
innovations from other mediums and greater visibility. The politicians
bring the specter of regulation, but also ensure the industry’s
continuing responsibility. In this era of the rampant growth and the
proliferation of the “casual gamer,” (I would have added "Serious
Gamer") these outside forces have become more prominent than ever.
The article states that, as huge and insular as the
video gaming industry may be, it’s still susceptible to the influence
of external cultural, political and social forces. In this huge
feature, Next-Gen takes a look at the most important individuals
driving these forces.
The following rules were used when considering people for inclusion:
• The figure cannot be primarily associated with any
publisher, developer, or industry body. Figures primarily associated
with game consumer advocacy groups and other bodies that exist
specifically for a video game-related purpose were also excluded. •
They cannot work for any enthusiast publication or industry trade
journal (one-off editorials describing his or her outside viewpoint did
not count to this requirement)• They cannot be aligned
primarily with the “indie scene,” which for the sake of this analysis
is being considered (whether accurately or inaccurately) as part of the
games industry culture.
Find the full list at http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7780&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=0Original post: http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2007/11/gamings-most-influential-outsiders.html