From PONG to the Metaverse: Urban Arts and Tilt Five Bring Together Gaming’s Pioneers and Its Next Builders
Back-to-school webinar connects the origins of video games with the skills and career pathways available to students creating games today
As students head back to school this fall, national non-profit Urban Arts and independent studio Tilt Five are highlighting something that captures the attention of millions of young people: video games. But this webinar is about more than playing games. It is about what students can learn by creating them, and how game design can open doors to careers in computer science, engineering, art, design, and creative technology.
On September 10, Urban Arts and Tilt Five will host “From Pong and Atari to Today’s Generation of Game Creators 👾,” bringing together two generations of game creators: Al Alcorn, the Atari engineer who created the original PONG, and an Urban Arts graduate who designs, builds, and teaches games.
For teachers and schools, the webinar will provide a look at how game design can engage students in computer science while connecting classroom learning to real-world careers. For students, it will offer a chance to hear how one of the earliest commercial video games was created, see projects from Urban Arts alumni, and learn what it takes to turn an idea into something people can actually play.