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PODCAST

Playthink

USC Game Innovation Lab

Playthink is a USC-based salon about games, play, art and interactivity. These discussion are recorded live at the USC Game Innovation Lab, which is part of the USC Games Program at the University of Southern California. For more information follow us on Instagram @uscgameinnovationlab or visit our website at www.gameinnovationlab.com/playthink.

games & hobbies video games

All Episodes

01:07:45

Chris Totten at Playthink: 10/15/25

Playthink ·

2025/10/15

On this episode of Playthink, we welcome game designer and author Chris Totten as we explore his book, An Architectural Approach to Level Design. Interviewed by level designer and MFA candidate Zhutian Zhang, Totten discusses ways in which his approach brings in methods of planning and thinking about levels as playful architectural spaces that bring together the artistic, the cultural, and the technological.

en-US

01:09:19

Sam Roberts at Playthink: 2/19/25

Playthink ·

2025/02/20

On this episode of Playthink, Game Designer Sam Roberts and Eric Park discuss Robert's essay on class systems in Final Fantasy Tactics and other RPG's. The conversation ranges far and wide from the narrative potentials for system designs around class to the ways that playing with class in games can offer real world opportunities for change.

en-US

01:09:19

Christal Rose Hazelton at Playthink: 11/12/24

Playthink ·

2024/11/13

On this episode of Playthink, Narrative Designer Christal Rose Hazelton and Bryan Sng Yong about Hazelton's work on Apex Legends, crafting authentic characters from diverse backgrounds, and using feedback to refine portrayals of characters. She has some great advice for young creatives on finding their voice in the industry — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.

en-US

01:09:19

Eric Zimmerman at Playthink: 9/15/20

Playthink ·

2020/09/16

On this episode of Playthink, Eric Zimmerman and Tracy Fullerton discuss the recently released “The Infinite Playground,” the final book by visionary game designer Bernie De Koven, written with Holly Gramazio and edited by Celia Pearce and Eric Zimmerman.

en-US

00:55:56

Bonnie Ruberg at Playthink: 9/10/19

Playthink ·

2019/09/11

Bonnie Ruberg's work explores gender and sexuality in digital media and digital cultures with a focus on queerness and video games. On this episode of Playthink, Ruberg discusses their book "Video Games Have Always Been Queer" with Jeff Watson.

en-US

1:06:29

Liz Ryerson at Playthink: 4/23/19

Playthink ·

2019/04/24

Liz Ryerson is a composer, critic and occasional game designer and podcaster. On this episode of Playthink, Liz and USC Games professor Jane Pinckard discuss her work across games, journalism and the future of game workers. NOTE: There were audio issues with recording this session, but we've done our best to make the audio work!

en-US

01:01:35

Paul Slocum at Playthink: 3/26/19

Playthink ·

2019/03/26

Paul Slocum is an artist, software developer, curator, and musician based in Pasadena, California. He is director of a new media art gallery called And/Or Gallery that exhibits digital art and develops software for digital art displays and music. On this episode of Playthink, Slocum and Tracy Fullerton talk about art games, curating digital art and art in the age of play.

en-US

00:54:37

Magalis Videaux-Martinez at Playthink: 2/26/19

Playthink ·

2019/02/26

Videaux-Martinez's work lives at the intersection of experience design, immersive storytelling and experiential learning. Here, she discusses her newest project the Imagination Lab, a learning and play-space at Hawkins High School's Critical Design and Gaming School here in South Central Los Angeles with Professor Jeff Watson of USC.

en-US

01:08:46

Capital W at Playthink: 11/20/18

Playthink ·

2018/11/21

Capital W is an immersive theater group run by Lauren Ludwig and Monica Miklas and well known for its award-winning project Hamlet-Mobile, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet staged in a cargo van. Capital W joined professor Jane Pinckard at Playthink for a wonderful conversation about immersive theater and participatory play.

en-US

01:16:27

Brian Upton at Playthink: 10/16/18

Playthink ·

2018/10/17

Brian Upton is an internationally-known game designer and game theorist with over 20 years of professional experience in the game industry. For 14 years he worked as a senior game designer at Sony’s Santa Monica Studio where he collaborated with external teams on titles such as Fat Princess,Warhawk, Sorcery, Everybody Has Gone to the Rapture, Bound andHere They Lie. Prior to joining Sony, he was the creative director at Red Storm Entertainment where he pioneered the tactical shooter genre as the

en-US

00:57:38

Adam Badawy at Playthink: 9/18/18

Playthink ·

2018/09/19

Adam Badawy is a computational social scientist and a PhD candidate in the Political Science Department and Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at the University of Southern California (USC). Working at the Machine Intelligence and Data Science Lab, Adam uses machine learning, network analysis, and natural language processing to study and measure malicious activities and political behavior on online social networks. His latest research on the political misinformation campaign during the 2016 US

en-US

February 2018 Playthink - Play for Justice

Playthink ·

2018/02/07

Join us at 6:00pm on Tuesday, February 6th, in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Play for Justice.” We’ll be thinking of ways that play can intervene and intersect with themes of resistance, social justice, and equality!CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS:Playthink is asking for presentations, talks, demos, panels, etc. around the theme of PLAY FOR JUSTICE! Works in progress for which you want feedback are

en-US

November 2017 Playthink - Childhood

Playthink ·

2017/11/08

Please join us at 6:00pm on Tuesday, November 7th in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Childhood.”Featured speakers include:Yuting Suis a passionate inventor with background in digital/physical game design, medical device design, and bioinformatics. She is the product creator and entrepreneur behind Thinker-Tinker, the company behind OCTOBO, a smart toy learning platform with a built in game

en-US

April 2016 Playthink - Bringing Games to Life

Playthink ·

2016/04/26

Please join us 6:00pm on Monday, April 25th in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Bringing Games to Life.”Featured speakers include:Alenda Changis an Assistant Professor in Film and Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara. She specializes in the environmentally informed analysis of contemporary media. Her writing has recently appeared in electronic book review, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature

en-US

March 2016 Playthink - Dress Rehearsal

Playthink ·

2016/03/08

Please join us 6:00pm on Monday, March 7th in SCI 201at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. The theme for this Playthink salon is “Dress Rehearsal.”Featured guests include:Katie Salenis an active game designer, one of the founders of the Institute of Play, and a pioneer in applying game design principles to challenges outside the field of commercial game development. Katie is a Professor in the School of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul

en-US

January 2016 Playthink - Something New

Playthink ·

2016/01/13

Please join us 6:00pm on Monday, January 25th in SCI 201at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture.Inspired by the start of the new year, the theme for this Playthink salon is “Something New.” Speakers will be presenting new ideas and new work.Featured guests include:Joshua Tanenbaumis an Assistant Professor in the Department of Informatics at UC Irvine. He is a member of the UCI Institute for Virtual Environments and Computer Games, the Laboratory

en-US

November 2015 Playthink - Identity

Playthink ·

2015/11/10

Please join us 6:00pm on Monday, November 9th, in SCI 201at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture.In this meeting we will explore the complex ways games can construct and inform us about identity.Features speakers include:Aaron Trammellis a PhD Candidate at the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information.He is also a blogger, board game designer, and musician. He is the multimedia editor of the Sound Studies blog Sounding Out!For his

en-US

April 2015 Playthink - Celebration

Playthink ·

2015/04/22

Please join us at 6:00pm on Tuesday, April 21st, in SCI 201at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. On this, the occasion of the *final* Playthink of the 2014-2015 school year, we will discuss games through the lens of celebration: games as celebration, games for celebration, the celebration of games, and more.Featured guests include:Eric Gradman– CTO and Mad Inventor at Two Bit Circus, Eric is an inventor and entertainer who makes others see

en-US

March 2015 Playthink - Sports and eSports

Playthink ·

2015/03/25

Please join us at 6:00pm on Tuesday, March 24th, in SCI 201 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about games and play as art and culture. This installment of the Playthink will discuss some of the oldest and most culturally-significant games we play: sports. The discussion will explore traditional sports, esports, and their attendant cultures from the perspectives of players and critics.Featured guests include:Sam Brown– USC graduate Sam Brown is an eSports organizer and enthusiast

en-US

December 2014 Playthink - Pervasive Games, LARPs, and...

Playthink ·

2014/12/03

Please join us at 6:30pm this Tuesday, December 2nd at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a discussion about the intersections of play, narrative, and space. This installment of the Playthink discussion salon will explore the exciting possibility space of multi-context and multi-platform game design, drawing on a range of voices from ARG, LARP, and street game design practice.Featured guests include:Elan Lee(ARG and transmedia designer – Microsoft/Xbox Entertainment Studios, Fourth Wall Studios,

en-US

26 results

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