Serious Play conference brings game studies scholars to UTM
This August, more than 300 play scholars from all over the world will converge on the University of Toronto Mississauga campus to spend three days digging in to the many-tendrilled world of game studies — the focus of the 18th annual Serious Play Conference. The speakers include leading figures in areas such as game development, the use of games in education and the socio-cultural role of games in a world that increasingly reflects this discipline's choose-your-own adventure ethos.
Several presenters teach at U of T, and Vice-President and Principal Alexandra Gillespie will make opening remarks as well as host a welcome reception for participants.
"Games are uniquely relevant to our moment in history, and it has nothing to do with their economic impact or the popularity of video games," says Serious Play executive director Paul Darvasi, who lectures at OISE on games and learning.
"[It has] more to do with us living in a participatory dynamic culture." Games, he asserts, "are arguably the art form of the 21st century."
A long-time attendee, Darvasi and his business partner Elisa Navaro took over the conference late last year. They decided to bring the conference to the GTA to take advantage of UTM's new Game Studies program, the campus's extensive Syd Bolton video game collection, and the energy emanating from the region's lively game development community.
