The presentation I gave at the 2010 NUTN Online Conference

1. Connected World
How the internet is changing the way we learn, grow and discover
Chris Melissinos
Founder, Past Pixels, LLC

2. Introduction
former Chief Evangelist and
Chief Gaming Officer, host
of JavaOne - Sun
Microsystems
led client and server game
technology development
10+ years
Founder of Past Pixels, LLC
Guest Curator, Smithsonian
American Art Museum
Past Pixels, LLC

3. Potter Puppet Pals
Past Pixels, LLC

4. Past Pixels, LLC

5. Fox News Channel, 3.92 million viewers 77,823,633 unique views
Past Pixels, LLC

6. Statement
access to technology & connectivity has
permanently changed the parameters
of human interaction and reach
Past Pixels, LLC

7. Overnight?
Source: idFive
Past Pixels, LLC

8. consumers have ONLY lived with
“The Internet” for 16 years
Past Pixels, LLC

9. Rise of “You”
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10. Why so fast?
access to information?
avenue of creation?
access to entertainment?
avenue to meaningful connections?
YES!....and no
what we do with technology is more important
Past Pixels, LLC

11. Smile
Technology achieves its highest purpose
when it makes us happy
Past Pixels, LLC

12. What’s happening?
technology is cheap and pervasive
access to games and computers
technology permeating pop
culture through games and social
sites
gamers are no longer a sub-set
drivers of new technology
adoption are 5 - 14 years old
multi-generational connection
Past Pixels, LLC

13. The Lonely Computer
humans require interaction to
survive
play is a vital part of all cultures
discovery, self reflection,
limitations, rule sets, environmental
examination
computers allowed us to avoid
human interaction
fighting half a million years of
socialization
Past Pixels, LLC

14. Not surprising
Past Pixels, LLC

15. Reflections
access to content creation tools
inexpensive connectivity
commodity technology
allows people to see the humanity in their creations
entertainment, at the consumer level, is the purest
route to technology adoption
the internet is one of the most important
communication mediums in the history of mankind...
...and it is, without a doubt, the most transformative
Past Pixels, LLC

16. 1982
“Can a Computer Make You Cry?”
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17. this is only the beginning
Past Pixels, LLC

18. will this medium mean more to future
generations than it does to us today?
Past Pixels, LLC

19. without question
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20. technology’s presence and influence in
society
Past Pixels, LLC

21. Geek culture
music television comics & art fashion
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22. Geek culture
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23. YouTube stars
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24. Social good
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25. Games in the world
“Ghosts of a Chance” at the
Smithsonian American Art
Museum
mash-up of traditional web
technologies
build on community
built on participation
provides amazingly accurate
trend analysis
Past Pixels, LLC

26. Interwoven
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27. My wife, the “non-gamer”
Past Pixels, LLC

28. Education
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29. As art?!?
... ...
Past Pixels, LLC

30. The Art of Video Games
present the evolution of the art form across generations
of technology
reveal “echos” of design that persist generation to
generation
elevate the opportunity that video games represent as
an artistic medium
observe the intertwined relationship between games,
technology and society over the past 40 years
demonstrate the influence of popular culture,
technology, social issues on the designers and artists
Past Pixels, LLC

31. Recap
the Internet is the most powerful, transformative
communication platform in the history of mankind
our children will never know a world without global
connection
new generations are driving the application of multiple
communication vectors
games and play are becoming important components
of discovery, communication and education
games and media are being accepted as norms
Past Pixels, LLC

32. it is still early days, we don’t have all of
the answers yet, but the opportunity
for future generations is staggering
Past Pixels, LLC

33. Thank You!
chrism@pastpixels.com
Past Pixels, LLC