| Bernie De Koven | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bernard Louis De Koven October 15, 1941 Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Pen name | Major Fun, General Fun |
| Occupation | Game designer, writer, humorist, fun theorist |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | Villanova University |
| Period | 1967-present |
| Notable work(s) | The Well Played Game |
| Notable award(s) | 1967 Rockefeller Fellowship (playwriting) 2006 Iffil-Raynolds award |
| Spouse(s) | Rosanne "Rocky" Friedlander (m. 1966–present) [1] |
| Children | Shael, Elyon Avram Micah[1] |
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www.deepfun.com |
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Bernard Louis "Bernie" De Koven (born October 15, 1941)[1] is an American game designer, author, lecturer and fun theorist. He is most notable for his book The Well Played Game, for his contributions to the New Games Foundation, his pioneering work in computer game design, and for his long-running web site, deepFUN.com.
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In 1982, De Koven was interviewed by InfoWorld magazine concerning the future of computer gaming; he accurately predicted the advent of games using motion control similar to the Kinect, as well as app store and related game distribution systems, stating that networking "will greatly increase the availability of games. Instead of having to buy each game, users will be able to download more and more complex games as networks become more popular."[2]
In 1999 De Koven coined the term coworking to describe computer-supported collaborative work.
Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, in their 2003 game design textbook Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, extensively reference De Koven's The Well-Played Game.[3]
Christopher Noxon's interview of De Koven was featured in the 2006 book Rejuvenile. His role as a professional "fun coach" is emphasized, as is De Koven's involvement with the New Games Movement of the mid 1970s, and his later work with the Esalen Institute in California.[4]
De Koven has worked with major toy and game manufacturers to design and develop new products. Notably, he has partnered with LEGO on the development of their LEGO Game System.[5] Additionally, De Koven has designed award-winning games for Ideal Toy Company, Children's Television Workshop, CBS Software and Mattel Toys.[6]
In September 2011, De Koven was a keynote speaker at the 2011 DiGRA Conference ("Think Design Play"). His talk, "Playing Well Together," described some of the underlying principles of New Games and his book, The Well-Played Game.[7]
De Koven is a lifetime member of The Association for the Study of Play.