The friendship machine: Forming a new type of human connection
In Gróska and livestream
- Innovation in teaching from a collaboration between the University of Iceland and CCP Games
On Wednesday 26 May at 5 pm, the University of Iceland, in collaboration with CCP Games, will launch a new online course on friendship in the age of gaming. This event is part of Iceland Innovation Week, which will kick off in the Gróska Business Growth Centre on the same day. The event will be livestreamed.
The video game industry has expanded rapidly in the 21st century, with revenues exceeding the total for movies and music combined. There are an estimated 2.6 billion gamers in the world and that number is expected to rise by 125 million in 2021.
Video games have not only changed the global economy, but are also shaping human communication and cultures that transcend national borders. This new, free online edX course from the University of Iceland, developed in collaboration with CCP Games, explores the multifaceted impact of video games, based on CCP's research into connections and friendships formed between players of the MMO game Eve Online.
But can you design for friendship? Do virtual connections have the same impact on humans as real-life friendships? What role do video games play in forming new friendships across the globe? How does loneliness affect health and what role do video games play in relieving social isolation? The answers to these questions and others will be explored on the course, alongside a discussion of how video games are developing, both as an entertainment format and an influence on society.
The course will be formally launched at an event in the CCP offices on the third floor of Gróska on 26 May. At the launch, representatives of UI and CCP will discuss the future of higher education and the course instructors, Tryggvi Hjaltason and Ársæll Már Arnarson, will explain the inspiration behind the course and its content.
The launch will be part of an open house event in Gróska, following the opening ceremony for Iceland Innovation Week. The number of guests at the launch will be limited by public health restrictions, but the event will also be livestreamed.
On Wednesday 26 May at 5 pm, the University of Iceland, in collaboration with CCP Games, will launch a new online course on friendship in the age of gaming. This event is part of Iceland Innovation Week, which will kick off in the Gróska Business Growth Centre on the same day. The event will be livestreamed.
