Location:
Library and Academic Resources Center (Main Campus),
2nd floor Rooms 244 & 245 3rd floor Rooms 322
Semester Hours:
Monday - Thursday - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Friday - 12:00 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday - Closed
Phone:
Media & Gaming Lab Front Desk
636-949-4571
Staff:
Media & Gaming Lab (Main Campus)
Chris Smentkowski
CSmentkowski@lindenwood.edu
636-949-4820
Leah Rosenmiller
LRosenmiller@lindenwood.edu
636-949-4144
Many difficult challenges exist today, from climate change and population growth to energy scarcity, the rising costs of food, and inefficient governments. Every year, a great deal of time and human energy is spent trying to solve these problems. In such a world, can we afford to waste time playing video games, or even board games for that matter?
Recently, many scholars have begun to re-think such ideas. Jane McGonigal, for instance, says that the 300 billion hours we spend each week playing video games is anything but a waste of time. McGonigal argues that we actually aren't spending enough time playing video games (see the video of her TED Talk below). Games, game play, and the study of gaming can unlock patterns of learning and teach people how to solve real-world problems by cultivating essential skills like decision-making, time management, and collaboration. This is as true of video games as it is of board games and tabletop RPGs.
The Media & Gaming Lab at the Library and Academic Resources Center was created with this same mindset. What place does game studies hold in a liberal arts curriculum? What does game studies entail? Is there any redemptive value in video games at all? The resources and information indexed in this guide is a starting point for your exploration of these questions.
Throughout this guide, you'll find links to the most influential blogs, books, journals, and reference sources in game studies scholarship, as well as information about the gaming collection in the Media & Gaming Lab.
The purpose of gaming in the Media & Gaming Lab is to enhance the academic and community atmosphere on the Lindenwood University Campus, to support the Game Design program on campus, and to support our greater mission statement. We recognize that gaming is not only a popular hobby, but also an emerging field of study, covering a wide variety of disciplines. We also recognize the role that gaming, in a wide variety of formats, can play in enhancing a positive social environment.
