In 1999, a small group of people in Tucson, Arizona inaugurated a research collective called the Learning Games Initiative (LGI). The purpose of the collective was to examine computer games (arcade, console, PC, and handheld) in order to better understand their cultural and pedagogical import. LGI has since grown into an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research group: not only are numerous University of Arizona departments represented (by faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students), but so too are scholars and researchers from a dozen other U.S. and international universities, as well all sorts of community organization and business leaders.

Over the past eleven years, LGI has generated many productive and well-received collaborations, all of which focus on at least one of three guiding principles: Study-Teach-Build. Our members have led workshops at national conferences; presented numerous academic talks; written books, book chapters, journal articles, and other scholarly materials; organized the first annual Academic Gaming Symposium; and created an online game studies bibliography that contains well over two-thousand entries. In addition, LGI founded the International Digital Media and Arts Association's special interest group on game studies, and we are currently in the process of building a new game, Looter!, a demo of which will soon be available.

LGI's research and teaching are designed to fashion bridges among departments, academic and community organizations, and educational institutions around the world. Feel free to explore this site, and contact us if you'd like to participate in our projects or to let us know about your similar work!