What does it take to make a great game? Dr. Glenn Platt believes that it is needed much more than just game development. We need to consider the artwork, a fantastic story, its narrative, the music, and the business model, among other elements. He believes that great games have a horizontal approach, considering all those details; it is not about computer science only.

Today Dr. Marc is joined by Dr. Glenn Platt and Dr. Phil Alexander, and they have a great conversation about esports and gaming and its relationship with high education.

Dr. Glenn Platt is a Gameful Strategist and Professor at the Miami University. He holds a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Economics and Political Economy, both from Carnegie Mellon University. Glenn is also a Speaker; he presented in SXSW, TEDx, and hundreds of events. He is also a Fundraiser, a Founder, a Futurist, and a Leader.

Dr. Phil Alexander is an Assistant Professor of Games at Miami University, and he is the Co-Director of Miami Varsity Esports; his door at the university says: “Does Game Stuff.” Phill holds a Master’s Degree in Rhetoric and Composition from Miami University and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing from Michigan State University. He is a storyteller and author of the book “Esports for Dummies.”

You can connect with Dr. Glenn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennjplatt/

or with Dr. Phill also on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-alexander/

You can also visit the Miami University website: https://miamioh.edu/index.html

Connect with Dr. Marc on Twitter: https://twitter.com/docspitsfire06

Or

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/docspitsfire06/

Dr. Marc’s Masterclass is part of the Esports Futuri Podcast Network. To see all of our shows, visit: https://EsportsFPN.com

Full Episode Breakdown:

4:03 – Dr. Marc introduces today’s guests and talks a bit about their backgrounds.

7:01 – Dr. Glenn talks about how they keep themselves fresh in an industry that is constantly changing and evolving.

10:03 – Dr. Glenn speaks about the turns in his academic career that led him into esports and gaming.

11:31 – Dr. Phil talks a bit about his background as a gamer and how he ended up teaching at Miami University.

14:17 Dr. Glenn and Dr. Phil talk about the importance of writing skills in the gaming industry. 

18:52 – Dr. Phil talks about why students should improve their storytelling abilities.

23:19 – Our guests talk about what separates Miami University from the rest of the universities in esports and gaming.

28:02 – Dr. Phil talks about his book, Esports for Dummies, what made him write the book, and how it can help students and people in general. 

32:29 – Dr. Glenn and Dr. Phil talk about their conversations with parents at the university regarding esports and gaming careers.

35:39 – Our guests talk about their vision of educating educators in esports and gaming to help the industry grow.

40:34 – Dr. Glenn talks about investment and infrastructure in esports and how it should be done to maximize positive outcomes.

43:23 – Dr. Glenn and Dr. Phil talk about increasing minorities’ representation in esports and what is universities’ role in it. 

48:12 – Dr. Glenn shares his vision of how universities should see each other not as competitors but as allies and complement each other’s jobs.