David B. Nieborg graduated cum laude at Utrecht University on the interaction between popular culture and the U.S. Army, using the PC First Person Shooter game America’s Army as a case study. His MA-thesis “Changing the Rules of Engagement - Tapping into the Popular Culture of America’s Army, the Official U.S. Army Computer Game” was awarded a finalist position at the ‘2005 Dutch National Thesis Trophy’. His research on military games led to a number of interviews and background articles in the online and offline (national) press.
Nieborg published on his work on the military entertainment complex and the implications of the interaction between commercial game culture, technology, marketing and military culture in various journals, book chapters and conference proceedings - both national and international.
*Current research*
Today, David is affiliated as a PhD-student with the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA), a research institute dedicated to the interdisciplinary study and analysis of contemporary culture. His PhD discusses the political economy of the game industry. His supervisor is professor dr. José van Dijck (UvA), aided by co-supervisors dr. Jan Simons (UvA) and prof.dr. William Uricchio (UU/MIT).
*Teaching*
Starting in 2002 as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University, he became a lecturer at Utrecht University teaching in such areas as media theory, film studies, communication studies, and new media and digital culture. Since August 2005, David is a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Humanities, department of Media and Culture studies. In Amsterdam he coordinates courses, supervises BA and MA theses, and teaches seminars and lectures on new media and digital culture, participatory culture, new media tools, and game studies.
*Projects*
As a journalist Nieborg writes for various Dutch magazines and national papers, mostly on new media and games. David started his newspaper adventure at the leading national newspaper NRC. Today he writes background articles on games for the (free) quality daily newspaper Dagblad de Pers. From 2005-2006 he wrote a weekly game column for Folia, the University of Amsterdam magazine. His online work on games started at Ownage.nl a Dutch game community with columns on game culture. From 2006-2007 David wrote an online game column at FoliaNostra.nl, the now closed Folia website. In addition David writes for various other online magazines such as De Nieuwe Reporter.nl, on new media, (online) journalism, virtual worlds and participatory culture, and for Planet Multimedia.
Late 2006 David founded Innovation Vineyard, or I-vineyard.com, together with friend and colleague Shenja van der Graaf. I-vineyard is a duo perspective on entertainment and technology. Or, a creative platform for new media research, consultancy, writing, and thinking. Together we consult (inter)national firms (in various industries) on the implications of social networks, virtual worlds and games.
*Want more…??*
Ok! (but no more third person…). So obviously I have something with digital games. I like playing them, reading books about them et cetera. I hate top-10 lists and recommendations. Go to Amazon.com or Last.fm if you want them. My fields of interests (both academic and non-academic) are, in no particular order; (online) journalism, Las Vegas, virtual worlds, American & Dutch politics, participatory culture, new media & digital culture, New York, gadgets, poker, L.A., blockbuster movies, and \../.