The document discusses the evolution of gaming on college campuses, highlighting the shift of gaming from expensive arcade machines in the 60s and 70s to personal gaming systems at home by the 2000s, resulting in lost opportunities for social interaction. It disputes common myths about gamers, citing that gaming is a social activity and widely enjoyed by a diverse demographic, including a significant percentage of women. The document also suggests redefining underutilized game rooms into modern gaming centers to foster community and social engagement on campuses.

1. Play is older than civilization.
Johan Huizinga
©2007 Savage Geckos

2. Cultural and Market Shift
“...If you're over 35, chances are you
view video games as, at best, an
occasional distraction... If you’re
under 35, games are a major
entertainment and a part of life. In that
sense, they are similar to what rock „n‟
roll meant to boomers.”
– USA Today, by Kevin Maney, November 17, 2004
©2007 Savage Geckos

3. A Brief History of Games on Campus
Popular Game Campus Presence
Characteristics
1960 Mechanical arcade games Coin-op game rooms in student center
Too expensive and bulky for provide a focal point for social
personal use interaction and community
1970  Mechanical and electronic Coin-op game rooms in student center
arcade games provide a focal point for social
1980  Still expensive and bulky interaction and community
1990
 Mass marketed PCs and Coin-op game popularity wanes as
2000 consoles students stay home and play on more
 Personal systems at home sophisticated personal systems.
 Increasing realism and multi-
Despite the integration of games into
player networking cultural fabric, campus social
interaction and community
 Cultural and market shift
opportunities are lost
©2007 Savage Geckos

4. Which Leads Us to…
Today and Beyond:
How to leverage the technology and
cultural attributes of modern video
games to re-create a focal point for
social interaction and community on
campus?
Or more practically:
What do we do with the old game rooms that are under used?
©2007 Savage Geckos

5. Game Center Industry
 US: Over 650 Game Centers
 CHINA: 90% of World Game Centers
 Largest in the World: 1777 PCs
 Growing Worldwide Industry
©2007 Savage Geckos

6. Myth vs. Truth
 Myth: Video Games  Truth: “the
are Bad For You. complexity of
modern … video
games makes
today's media
consumer sharper
than those of 30
years ago.
-Steven Johnson
Everything Bad is Good For You
©2007 Savage Geckos

7. Myth vs. Truth
 Myth: Video Games lead  Truth: “According to federal
to youth violence. crime statistics, the rate of
juvenile violent crime in the
United States is at a 30-year
low.
Researchers find that people
serving time for violent
crimes typically consume
less media before
committing their crimes than
the average person in the
general population. “
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/myths.html
©2007 Savage Geckos

8. Myth vs. Truth
 Myth: Gamers are young  Truth: “Forty-three
white men percent of all game
players are women. In
fact, women over the
age of 18 represent a
greater portion of the
game-playing
population (28 percent)
than boys from ages 6
to 17 (21 percent).”
-The ESA
©2007 Savage Geckos

9. Myth vs. Truth
 Myth: Gamers are anti-social  Truth: “Students cited gaming
as a way to spend more time
with friends.”
-Pew Internet and American Life Survey, Let
The Games Begin
 “What we saw was that gaming
is a very social activity. There
might be one person at the
controls, but there are five or
six people looking at the
screen, talking and giving
advice…?
-USA Today
©2007 Savage Geckos

10. Who is Playing?
 57% male
 43% female
 Over 18: 28%
 Males 6-17: 21%
 70% of College
Students
(Pew Internet Survey)
©2007 Savage Geckos

11. A focal point for social interaction
and diverse community on campus:
Gaming Center
brings
diverse community
EMU’s Population
African Savage Geckos
©2007 Asian Latino Native American White International

12. How They Play
Free time spent
w/ sports, reading,
volunteering,
religion, and
creative
endeavors is still
3x the 6.8 hrs.
spent on gaming
©2007 Savage Geckos

13. Types of Systems
PCs Consoles
Xbox 360
Xbox
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 2
GameCube
Nintendo Wii
Sony PSP
Nintendo DS
Game Boy
Advance
©2007 Savage Geckos

14. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
Variety of Networked
and Online
Consoles and PCs
Enhanced Environment
– large screens,
projectors
©2007 Savage Geckos

15. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
©2007 Savage Geckos
PC Gaming

16. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
Guitar Hero and Networked Gaming Systems
©2007 Savage Geckos

17. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)
©2007 Savage Geckos

18. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
Pool Tables Air Hockey Arcade Games
©2007 Savage Geckos

19. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
Tournaments:
Intramural
Rivalries
©2007 Savage Geckos

20. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
Retail
Counter:
Products;
Buy, Sell,
Trade
Video
Games
©2007 Savage Geckos

21. A State-of-the-Art Gaming Center
An ever-changing mix:
Social Aspects
Building
Community
©2007 Savage Geckos

22. CyGamZ
You can learn more about a
[person] in an hour of play, than
in a year of conversation. PLATO
©2007 Savage Geckos

23. Student Quotes
 “This is my home
away from home!”
 “I love it here”
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24. Student Quotes
 “It’s like hanging out
in my basement with
my friends.”
 “Its great when a
group shows up
and we connect.”
©2007 Savage Geckos

25. Student Quotes
 “The DDR machine
is awesome!”
 “Ibought a semester
pass, it’s awesome!”
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26. From the Blogs…
©2007 Savage Geckos

27. Operational Issues
 Mature, Inappropriate Content
 Keeping Game Inventory Current
 Preventing
Loss/Theft
 Outside
Competition
©2007 Savage Geckos

28. Operational Issues
 Licensing
 Pay for Play vs. Service Model
 Competitions, money and sponsors
 Keeping the Atmosphere “Hip”
©2007 Savage Geckos

29. New
Trends
 Increasing Expectations of the
Millennial Generation
 Multimedia, Interactive Gaming
Centers
©2007 Savage Geckos

30. New Trends
 Wireless Gaming from
Everywhere with On-Campus
Gaming Servers
 Intercollegiate Tournaments
©2007 Savage Geckos

31. New Trends
 Revenue-
Generating
Sponsors
 Evolving
CyGamZ Technology
©2007 Savage Geckos