This week in ISM was one of excitement and potential. I not only connected with many other professionals in the industry, but I most importantly witnessed what a college class in video games would be like. On Saturday, November 5th, I attended the University of Texas at Dallas’ Scholar Day, which provided me insight into how the ATEC program is and what a session would feel like. I had my session with Dr. Evans, a professor studying games and how their psychology, teaching us about virtual communities and how it is to study video games for a living. Overall, the class excited me as she delved into why video games matter to society and the purpose of her studies, which is to show the world why games need to be more recognized in society.

Dr. Evans put an emphasis on why video game’s communities are very important to study and take note of. They can serve as a model of how a general population acts as well as what we can do to improve society for the better. By adjusting the game and improving upon it, the resulting community is directly impacted in how they react and enjoy the game. More research is therefore needed upon what most impacts a gaming community and what successful ones look like.