‘A History of Gaming’, the latest event in the Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub events programme, explores the wide-reaching influence of video gaming in our lives, and includes the opportunity to play a range of consoles and games from the 1970s to the present day.
The history of video gaming is a story of creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and perseverance, so what, if anything can that rich history, and the billion dollar industry behind it, teach academia? Does gaming have a place in higher education, and what might that look like? Does the media have a role to play in perceptions around gaming as a profession rather than a pastime, and how can museums and exhibition centres show that gaming has a profound influence on society?
Join a stellar line-up of experts on Tuesday 29th November (5.30pm onwards) to discuss these questions, and more, at the latest interactive event of the Jesus College Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub programme. There’s no better way to engage with the subject of video games than to actually play them, so, following the panel discussion, join us for an extended play session of a curated selection of historically significant consoles and games. These include Atari 2600 (E.T. the Extra-terrestrial), Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Mario Bros.), Nintendo Switch (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), and PlayStation 5 (Astro’s Playroom, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate).
This event is hosted by Paul Davis, doctoral student at Jesus College, and avid video game specialist.
Our Speakers:
- Chris Kingsley OBE, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Oxford-based multi-award-winning games developer Rebellion, whose releases have included world #1 hit games such as Sniper Elite. Chris is the Director of Education and Professional Development at TIGA, the trade body that accredits video game-focused degrees in the UK. He is also the Chair of Screenskill’s Video Games Council.
- Elle Osili-Wood, award-winning TV presenter and broadcaster with a focus on video game journalism. Named as one of the UK’s 100 most influential women in gaming, Elle has also been the presenter of some of gaming’s biggest outlets and events including the BAFTA Games Awards, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), and ESL’s World of Esports.
- Patrick Moran, Acting Co-Head of Department at the Barbican Centre. Patrick has curated some of the UK’s most important gaming exhibitions including the Virtual Realms Exhibition at the Barbican and the touring Game On exhibition, which has been exhibited in over 20 countries and been seen by over 2 million people.
Consoles and Games:
Atari 2600 (E.T. the Extraterrestrial), Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Mario Bros.), Sega MegaDrive (Sonic the Hedgehog 2), Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat), PlayStation 1 (Tomb Raider, Resident Evil), PlayStation 2 (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 3), Xbox 360 (Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed), Nintendo Wii (Wii Sports), Nintendo Switch (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), PlayStation 5 (Astro’s Playroom, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate) and more.
Buy tickets:
Tickets are £10 each, and include the talk, play session, complimentary drinks and a documentary screening of ‘Gaming Through New Eyes’. To book your tickets, please go to the Eventbrite booking page here
This event will take place in Jesus College’s Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub. Entrance on Market Street, Oxford. This venue is accessible from the ground floor and lifts are provided. If you would like to contact us with your accessibility requirements, please email digitalhub@jesus.ox.ac.uk.
Please note that, due to the age ratings on some of the games exhibited, parts of this event may not be suitable for those under the age of 18.
