Tthe Weekly DH Meet-Up will be led by a panel of U of A professors alongside professional game designers at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at J.B. Hunt Center room 207. These panelists explore the creative, cultural and ethical implications of designing videogames in the context of an ever-evolving metaverse.

U of A professors David Fredrick, associate professor of classical studies, and Curtis Maughan, director of the WLDH Studio, will focus on the educational potential of games and game design in a metaversal context, drawing from their experience in teaching and creating games for the classroom. 

Joe Payne, ULTD, will discuss his ongoing development of "Unlimited," an augmented reality game that immerses players in a persistent, virtual world driven by procedural storytelling and Web3 technology. Brooke Condolora, Ozark-based illustrator and storyteller and co-founder of Brain&Brain game studio, will address the potential impact of metaverse(s) on the indie development landscape. Joshua Rowell, product manager of Mobile Games for Learning at Walmart, will talk about the intersection of artificial intelligence with blockchain, metaverse(s), and videogames, with a focus on how people learn in educational, retail, and corporate contexts.

This workshop is open to all UARK students, faculty, staff, and community. The Weekly DH Meet-Up is a series of workshops that demonstrate the intersections of the humanities, pedagogy and digital technology. Workshops alternate on Wednesday mornings from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-5 p.m. More information is available on the World Languages & Digital Humanities Studio page on the WLLC website.