Raph Koster, lead designer for Ultima Online (among other games), will be presenting on the topic of “How Games Think” at GDC China.

It should be a fascinating presentation:

..Raph Koster will examine that very topic, noting how games not only affect the world we live in, but also the way we think.

As Koster sees it, video games inherently support certain ways of thinking, and by playing these games, we end up viewing the world through their unique lens, which ultimately affects the society we live in.

During his keynote, “How Games Think,” the Playdom VP will examine how games are changing the world, how they influence the way we think, and what that means for our future.

This keynote will be open to GDC China’s All Access and Main Conference pass holders. Online registration is now open on the GDC China website, and the show itself will take place November 17-19 at the Shanghai Convention Center in Shanghai, China.

Koster was the visionary behind a ludicrously intricate world simulation engine for Ultima Online that had to be pared back significantly for the game’s final release. There are not all that many men or women alive today who can address the topic of how games themselves think, and how this can influence a player’s thinking, as handily as Koster no doubt will next month.