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Dissertation Revolutions

joost — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:11:30 +0000

Two days ago I submitted draft 2 of The Disseration ™ at 3:00 am. After my committee had punched some initial holes in it, the whole thing is in much better shape. It even has a spiffy new title: Social Gaming and Discursive Play: Games as Communicative Exchange. This dissertation shows that video games are a [...]

Dissertation Reloaded

joost — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:39:18 +0000

[As I'm entering the final stages of writing The Dissertation (tm), I will be posted snippets online. You know, for purposes of fair use and the hope that seeing my own handiwork in a different context may help writing better. In this first installment, you'll find a section from the Introduction chapter, where I lay [...]

NYU cont’d

joost — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:57:58 +0000

Seems like they have their site up, finally. Right now, I’m preparing the syllabus for the fall semester and persuading industry folk to come out and talk to my students. I’m also be meeting the NYU Game Center’s interim director Frank Lantz to discuss a few extra-curricular activities. Comments on the syllabus are appreciated, of course. Oh, [...]

Average Gamer: Once Violent, Now Overweight and Depressed.

joost — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:19:50 +0000

In what is likely to make its rounds on the Interwebs already in full force, a recent study finds that the average male gamer is 35 years old, has a higher body mass index and “a greater number of poor mental health days.”Researching 552 people in the Seattle-Tacoma area, the focus went out to the [...]

Player Modeling

joost — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:39:35 +0000

One of the sexiest aspects of digital environments and online worlds is the ability monitor player behavior in an unprecedented way. Every single action, decision and event can be recorded, aggregated and analyzed on a scale that would make Orwell look like an absentee baby-sitter. However, before we get too excited and blow our Dystopia-whistle, there [...]

All Hail SuperData

joost — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:12:02 +0000

My company’s site is now live. We once again thank Super Interactive for the nifty design. Please take a look, and download the TCG report for free! Feedback welcome.

Risk

joost — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:04:18 +0000

Maybe it’s because I just woke up in the middle of the day and watched this while the fog was still clearing up. Or maybe this 13-minute clip has some worthwhile thoughts regarding risk. Peter L. Bernstein on Risk

NYU Summer Course on Video Games

joost — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:56:09 +0000

Looking to do something this summer? Then sign up for the class I’ll be teaching. It runs from June 30th to August 6th and covers video games from both an academic and industry perspective. For an abbreviated draft version of the syllabus, go here. For questions, contact me at jv2108 [at] columbia [dot] edu