The Austin Forum on Technology & Society presents:

Videogames: The Future of Entertainment, Sports, and Socializing

with Patrick Curry

6:00 pm – Log into Zoom
6:15 -7:30 pm– Presentation and Q&A

Electronic gaming is a bigger entertainment industry than the global box office for movies, and is expected to surpass television in 2020 as well. This huge and growing industry offers entertainment ranging from simple games on smartphones to massively multiplayer online games in virtual worlds with millions of players. In gaming, there is something for everyone and for every situation, made possible by ever-increasing technology--processors, displays, networking, consoles, PCs, GPUs, servers, data centers, and more--and a creative industry that is innovating in content and playability as much as devices and form factors.

We're at a unique time when technology can now enable realistic shared, collaborative and immersive experiences for diverse types of gamers and contexts. Gaming is increasingly bringing people together for shared entertainment and experiences, with communication and social tools becoming key technologies. And it’s only going to get better, more innovative, and more compelling!

Join us as gaming innovator, creator, and industry leader Patrick Curry, CEO of FarBridge, discuss how technology has enabled an amazing variety of gaming possibilities, fueled an explosive industry, and entertained massive numbers of people and players--and now audiences, through e-sports.

What's the state of the art? What comes next? How can you hop on board and find your 'fun' in this new gaming landscape? Join us--and plan to stay after the presentation for demos and some gaming options for all skill levels and interests!

As usual, the ‘doors will open' at 6:00PM, but this means the Zoom session will ‘open’ so that people can begin connecting and testing their devices and settings (and asking us for help via email or the Slack workspace if needed).

We look forward to ’seeing’ you online on June 2nd! We will resume in-person meetings when it is safe, in conjunction with online meetings.

We welcome your participation! Please email us with your questions, answers, and prognostications in advance.

Admission to the Austin Forum monthly events is always free and open to everyone!

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The Austin Forum accepts donations of used smart phones, tablets, and computers at all our events. Since the events are no online, please let us know via the ‘chat’ window during the event if you have devices to donate. All devices will have a factory reset and be set up as new by the team at Austin Pathways’ nationally-recognized “Unlocking the Connection” initiative, which will connect every public housing resident with a digital device, digital literacy, and a free or very low-cost internet connection. Your donated devices can change lives and help close Austin’s digital divide, thanks to Austin Pathways.