BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Events - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Events
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://events.ucsc.edu
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Events
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Los_Angeles
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20250309T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20251102T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20260308T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20261101T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20270314T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20271107T090000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T100000
DTSTAMP:20260430T080755
CREATED:20260422T160446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T160446Z
UID:10013970-1779264000-1779271200@events.ucsc.edu
SUMMARY:Maram\, S. (CM) - Scripture To Console: The Nexus between Religion and Digital Play
DESCRIPTION:Religion has historically been a profound force for global mobilization\, shaping geopolitics\, economies\, and geography. Similarly\, contemporary interactive media\, with video games at the forefront\, has moved beyond mere entertainment to become a powerful vehicle for communication\, narrative\, and inspiration\, reaching millions worldwide. This dissertation investigates the intersection of these two influential forces: religion and video games\, demonstrating the influence of religion on video games\, the influence of video games on religion\, and finally\, how these two powerful mobilization forces can come together to solve global challenges. \nFirst\, I examine the current landscape of religious representation in commercial video games (e.g.\, Assassin’s Creed\, SMITE). I analyze how key stakeholders i.e. players\, game designers\, and development studios\, interpret and engage with embedded religious elements\, drawing on existing critical reception and player discourse. This analysis identifies common narrative pitfalls and successful strategies for incorporating complex religious themes in digital spaces\, culminating in proposed design frameworks for sensitive and effective representation. \nBuilding on this foundational work\, the thesis culminates in defining and validating a new interaction paradigm where learning meets religion through play. This paradigm focuses on intentionally leveraging religious content i.e. specifically its rituals and narratives as mechanics in serious games to drive motivation and learning toward collective action. I validate this paradigm through a comprehensive case study focused on climate change\, arguably the most pressing issue of the modern era. This involves the design and empirical discussion of a serious game that incorporates specific religious mechanics\, ethics\, and narratives (e.g.\, stewardship\, ritual) to effectively communicate the severity of the climate crisis and motivate stakeholders toward a collective solution. \n  \nEvent Host: Sai Siddartha Maram\, Ph.D. Candidate\, Computational Media \nAdvisor: Magy Seif El-Nasr \nZoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91946426300?pwd=wxe1x3YCRsXrtcvOSy2kmfC9dZ3inW.1 \nPasscode: 558570
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/maram-s-cm-scripture-to-console-the-nexus-between-religion-and-digital-play/
LOCATION:
CATEGORIES:Ph.D. Presentations
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://events.ucsc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ph.d.-presentation-graphic-option-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR