Gaming goes academic mainstream?

A classified advertisement in last Sunday’s New York Times (2/3/08) states that New York University is “establishing a multi-school center for the research, design and development of electronic interactive games” and is seeking a Faculty Director for that center. The ad goes on to say that “…games are in the process of becoming a major art form, a site for new convergences of art and technology, vehicles for new approaches to learning, and opportunities for cultural studies.” Housed in the Tisch School of Arts, the Faculty Director will be expected to work across multiple schools, develop curricula and hire additional faculty for the center.

I’ve heard of courses and programs on gaming at various schools, but the NYU gaming center sounds like an ambitious and broad-based initiative.