COLLOQUIUM Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of South Carolina John Hodgson Blizzard Entertainment Date: April 17, 2015 Time: 1530-1630 (3:30-4:20pm) Place: Swearingen 1C01 (Amoco Hall) Abstract There are "games" (some of which are "computer games"), and there are "serious games. What is meant by these terms? And are they the right terms? We will talk about why the term "serious game" might be a bad term. We will discuss how the values and purpose of video games informs their design and how the work of computer scientists and media artists can converge in the design and production of videogames. John Hodgson is a Technical Designer at Blizzard Entertainment, a position he has held since 2012. Following a B.S. degree in Computer Science, he received an M.S. degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Carolina, with a thesis, "Desperate Fishwives: A Study in Applied Game Design," supervised by Dr. Heidi Rae Cooley and Dr. Duncan Buell and partially funded by an Institute for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities (IATDH), with support from the NEH Office of Digital Humanities. At Blizzard, Mr. Hodgson designs and implements game elements and systems, interfacing between design and software development disciplines on the upcoming game Heroes of the Storm.