The appeal of educational videogames is clear: they seem to promise an entertaining learning experience. That being said, most of them seem to be either –in the words of James Gee– “chocolate-covered broccoli” or traditional textbooks with quizzes or multimedia elements. What is the needed balance between information and simulation? Can educational videogames grow within traditional game genres or they need to find their own format? We will explore these questions while analyzing some of the most promising current examples in the field.

Gonzalo Frasca is a game designer and researcher. He obtained his PhD on Game Rhetoric at Denmark’s ITU University and currently works at ORT University in Uruguay. He co-ran a studio for 10 years where he designed and co-developed games for clients such as Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Cartoon Network and Warner Bros (including a #4 in sales at the US iOS App Store).

17.3. 2014 15.00-17.00
Design Factory, The Stage (Otaniemi)

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