NY Times Writer Visits HPU To Discuss Critical Mindsets In Gaming

Seth Schiesel, video game critic for The New York Times, visited High Point University on Sept. 22 as part of the Faculty Cultural Enrichment Series. The series, titled "Our On-Line Lives," explores the evolution and implications of living online with specific focus on how online technologies affect human relationships.

During his visit, Schiesel - a former business journalist who is well-schooled in the economics and marketing of video games - held writing workshops, met with video game design classes and hosted a presentation about the evolution of video games and the concept of "gaming." His talk paid particular attention to how technology is used to create games with complex narratives and deep emotional resonance.

"Students truly appreciated the seriousness he uses in approaching one of their biggest pastimes, and there is a definite value in bringing a critical mindset to this form of entertainment," says Dr. Bill Carpenter, associate professor of English at HPU, who invited Schiesel to campus. "He's a great writer, and has one of the coolest jobs on the planet."

HPU will host additional speakers as part of this faculty enrichment series, titled "Our Online Lives," including Sherry Turkle, author of "Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other," on Nov. 8; and Dr. Richard Miller, English professor and executive director of the Plangere Writing Center at Rutgers University, on Feb. 9.


Website: http://www2.highpoint.edu/index.php