Why are digital games worthy of academic pursuits?
Like many animals, one way we (Humans) learn is through the process of play. What makes games unique is that they impose formal rules, goals and objectives, thereby structuring the play for particular purposes. This has brought us simple childhood games like duck-duck-goose and tic-tac-toe to more complex games like chess and football. When video games began to emerge back in the 1970s it really was an immature, garage industry. That is, a small team of programmers and artists (sometimes as small as one or two individuals) working out of their homes developed most games. At this time, there was no formal training in game design. These early pioneers were really inventing this new form of play. As the medium developed and the industry grew, five things happened: • First, the “art and science” of making digital games increased. Today we have a cannon of game titles to explore, industry experts with years of experience to call on, and several fine textbooks on the subject to learn from. •
