Two gaming experts visit the Vail Symposium Thursday to explain the positive impacts of video games

Laura Naviaux is the Chief Publishing Officer at Daybreak Games, previously Sony Online Entertainment

John Blakely, Chief Product Officer at Sphero

Video games are quickly taking over Hollywood in revenue and as the entertainment choice for children and adults as more than 1.2 billion people play them globally. While society has historically taught us to beware the ills of video games, the power of play is now shifting to a more positive light.

Two leaders from today’s gaming industry will present breakthroughs in video games, and how games are becoming important for cognitive and critical thinking, important life skills and career paths of the future. The event will be held on Thursday, March 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Colorado Mountain College in Edwards.

Laura Naviaux is the Chief Publishing Officer at Daybreak Games, previously Sony Online Entertainment, where she is responsible for player cultivation. Naviaux will discuss the current trends in video games, and how to manage play to build skills like strategy, decision-making and concentration. She will also discuss how to develop other positive behaviors while maintaining a healthy balance in the real and virtual worlds.

Joining Naviaux will be John Blakely, Chief Product Officer at Sphero. Blakely is an inventor of digital toys and games that entertain as well as teach players computer coding and other technical skills. Blakely will share how digital toys teach life and job skills, open up new possibilities for children, and how the changing world of play will inevitably impact society.
“With time, the attitude toward video games across multiple generations is changing,” said Julie Norberg, the Vail Symposium’s Executive Director. “People are starting to take notice of how playing games can develop important skills in the world of tomorrow.”

When: March 3 | 5:30 p.m. reception | 6 p.m. program
What: How video games are developing the leaders of tomorrow
Who: Laura Naviaux and John Blakely | Moderated by Jeanette McMurtry
Where: Colorado Mountain College in Edwards
How much: $10 | Free students and teachers