Simon Niedenthal
Associate Professor/Professor

Presentation

What is the contribution of the senses to our experience of games and play? What are the legitimate pleasures of digital games? How can we expand the sensory and embodied experience of play in new media?

I conduct design-oriented game studies research in the areas of game aesthetics, the sensory experience of gaming, and playtesting processes for innovative game design. My background is eclectic: I hold a BFA in photography, an MA in Medieval English literature, and a Ph.D. in interaction design. In 2008 I defended my Ph.D. thesis Complicated Shadows: the Aesthetic Significance of Simulated Illumination in Digital Games, in the area of game lighting and its effect upon the emotions and behavior of the player. I have worked to develop close bonds to the local game industry, including companies such as Ubisoft Massive, where I conducted a residence in 2006 during the development of a strategy game. Besides teaching courses in media design, interaction design, visual communications and game design, I am a supervisor for thesis work at the bachelors, masters and doctoral level.