Category: Blog

This is the highly informal blog of the GAME-department. We use it mostly to document the things we do outside of running one of the worlds strongest game educations. For information about our education, programs and courses, check the official site at Uppsala University.

Posted on - Comments Off on Martine Pederson on Systems in Social Work
 CategoriesBlog, Guest Lectures 

Martine Pederson on Systems in Social Work

Martine during her lecture

Games are carefully designed, learner-driven systems.
Games produce meaning.
Games are dynamic systems.
Games are immersive.
Games are interactive and dynamic, requiring a player’s participation.”

This is taken from the Institute of Play’s report “Quest to Learn” However, this definition is true of many things – other than games. Social work being one of them.

Martine Pedersen is a social worker with thirteen years experience, and a start up “Indspark”, under her belt. She has worked with with many age groups, and dealt with a number of issues, including drug abuse, anti-social behaviour and, family support.

Early on she saw that behaviour couldn’t be looked at in isolation; that many things contributed to a person’s life situation.

The more she talked about how she saw Social Work, and the methods she uses with her clients, the more we heard applied game design, and knew we had to have her.

Her presentation was advanced game design, applied systems design, and great social work and an absolute asset to the course.

Posted on - Comments Off on That good part
 CategoriesBlog 

That good part

We’re coming to that good part of the year, where all students are working hard on exciting stuff and the traditional courses are done.

The open office landscape of GAME is filled with the invogorated and ambitious GAME staff. There’s coffee, bright sun, loud music and a frantic energy.

Love this feeling.

Posted on - Comments Off on Visiting The Internet Archive & Jason Scott
 CategoriesBlog 

Visiting The Internet Archive & Jason Scott

The Internet Archive is housed in an old church
The Game Developers Conference starts tomorrow. Adam, Tommi, Marcus and I will cover 4 tracks simultaneously and meet with alumni, GGC speakers and pretty much reach out to anyone that interests us that we didn’t get to in New York (Google, Canadian game networks etc. etc)

But today, I set up a visit to the Internet Archive and Jason Scott – who will keynote at Gotland Game Conference – took the time to show us around. With a mission statement like “Universal Access to All Knowledge” I don’t have to explain how much amazingness is concentrated in this place and how motivated the people working here is.

This is where Brewster Kahle sits when he’s onsite.
Office of the Founder

Brewster went to China once, and was impressed with the Xian warriors. After he got back, he decided to start making sculptures of anyone who had dedicated at least three years of service to the Archive. There’s more than 90 of them to date, on display in the Great Room.
After 3 years working at the archive, they make a statue of you and place in the pews. :)

Jason motherfucking Scott, the Internet Historian

We spent a good two hours checking out their tech, backends and various projects. I can’t wait for his talk at GGC 2014!