Video games are becoming ever more popular, not only as a form of entertainment, but also as a stealthy vehicle for delivering benefits to an increasingly wide range of people, from video games that teach computer science to games used to keep elders' minds sharp. What does the increasing pervasiveness and sophistication of video games mean for their affect on people? Will video games be a positive force for society in the future?
In March 2010, DISCOVER & the National Science Foundation sponsored an expert panel to address these big questions at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Below is the video from the panel, moderated by DISCOVER Web Editor Amos Zeeberg, along with video interviews with each of the four panelists. This event was the latest in DISCOVER & the NSF's Grand Challenges series. For a transcript, check out the accompanying magazine feature.
Tiffany Barnes is a computer scientist at UNC Charlotte who uses video games to teach computer science principles to college students.
James Bower is a neuroscientist at UT San Antonio and the founder of Whyville, an educational and popular virtual world designed for kids.
Lucy Bradshaw is a video game creator at Electronic Arts and the executive producer of Spore, among many other games.
Anne Collins McLaughlin is a psychologist at North Carolina State University and the head of the Gains Through Gaming Lab; she's researching how popular video games can be used to improve elder cognition.
