[game_edu] loopy Proposal - The Aggies!

[Mark Baldwin]

Mike, et al,

While I was not particularly impressed with the article Mike pointed out, I
must question Mike's complaint.   Note that before I entered academia
several years ago, I had a successful 20 year career in the game industry
with numerous published games including Game of the Year.  So I know a
little about both academia and the computer entertainment industry.   

But Mike complains about industries lack of respect for academia.  I would
suggest that if academia wants respect from the computer entertainment
industry, I would suggest it show some understanding and respect in return.


What am I speaking of?  Consider the film industries response to academia if
most film studies were taught in Physics Departments because making a film
requires a knowledge of optics.  Ridiculous, right?  Yet what do I see in
Mike's return address but that game studies is part of the Computer Science
Department at the University of Whales.    

In a like way, what would painters think of academia if art was taught by
chemical engineers?  Yet, it was just this last year that I got into a big
disagreement with the department head from a well known school who insisted
computer network engineers were qualified to teach game design! 

Or consider the field of literature and academia.  One of the basic
considerations for a professor to teach literature is that he or she has
actually published works of literature.   Yet, what percentage of professors
that teach game studies have ever had a game commercially published?

And you ask why industry does not respect academia.  I would suggest it's
mainly because academia does not respect games and the fact that games are
creative works.  Games part of the arts.  Yes, there is a rich technical
aspect, but that is not the core of what games are about.  Industry knows
this but most of academia apparently does not, or does not care.  Until
academia shows some respect to industry and understands what it is teaching,
I'm afraid it's not going to get much respect from industry. 
  
Cheers,
Mark
******************************************
 Mark Lewis Baldwin
 Associate Professor
 Game Design and Development
 University of Advancing Technology
 303-526-9169
 mbaldwin at uat.edu
 http://baldwinconsulting.org
 mar80401 (YIM, AIM, Skype)
******************************************