Bing Gordon, cco/evp and early employee of Electronic Arts the worlds leading videogame publisher, was named the first holder of the Electronic Arts endowed faculty chair at the USC School of Cinema-Television, a rotating position that will be held for one to two years by leading figures in interactive entertainment that will join the Schools faculty as visiting professors.
In the next decade, digital technologies will bring almost unimaginable changes to the entertainment industry, said Gordon. Videogame quality will improve 150 times, cell phones will become pocket high-definition TVs, all media will be re-mixable and instant messageable, and game techniques will be used to provide human-centered education. Todays students, who are already the worlds leading experts in new technology, are the best bet to have the vision and energy to invent such sweeping change. And USC, with its project-based film-making, computer science and communications schools, its location in the entertainment capital of the world, and its organizational commitment to excellence, can be ground zero in this revolution in entertainment.
A leader in the game industry for more than 20 years, Bing once again is making history as the inaugural holder of the first-ever endowed chair at a university for the study of electronic gaming and interactive entertainment, said dean Elizabeth Daley, resident in the schools division of Interactive Media. We are very proud that he is now part of USCs legendary cinema, television and new media family.
Since joining EA whe it was founded in 1982, Gordon has helped develop nearly every EA game. He was vital to the launch of PINBALL CONSTRUCTION SET, EAs first game in 1983, and in developing the companys three brands, EA SPORTS, EA GAMES and EA SPORTS BIG. As evp of EA Studios and svp of entertainment production, Gordon was responsible for the design, development and production of entertainment titles and creative properties. Over the years, he has overseen development teams in California, Texas, Florida, Vancouver and London.
Bing is the perfect choice to help guide a program like ours that is focused on the storytelling and experience-design aspects of interactive entertainment, said Scott Fisher, chair, interactive media division.
In addition to game development, Gordon has prioritized entertainment education and personal enrichment. He has pioneered several educational initiatives at EA, including the Emerging Leaders, Creative Leaders and the EA Executive Development programs. He is heavily involved in EAs college outreach program, which brings summer interns to the company from top colleges and universities around the world.
Gordon launched and co-taught Videogame Prototype Design class at Stanford University. He is a trustee at the Urban School of San Francisco and is a board member for the US Ski and Snowboard Team.
In the 75 years since Douglas Fairbanks Sr., founding president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), spoke to the University of Southern Californias first film class in 1929, the USC School of Cinema-Television has fueled and mirrored the growth of entertainment as an industry and an art form. The School offers comprehensive programs in directing, producing, writing, critical studies, animation and digital arts, production and interactive media, all backed by a broad liberal arts education and taught by leading practitioners in each field. Its more than 8,000 graduates are among the worlds most distinguished animators, scholars, teachers, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound experts, and industry executives.
Electronic Arts Inc. (www.ea.com) headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, EA posted revenues of $2.96 billion for fiscal 2004. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers and the Internet.
