April 8, 2013

UCIrvine News

Undergrad overview

By: Laura Rico

The following is an excerpt. To read the full story visit the UCIrvine News website.

What’s a typical UC Irvine student like? It’s a difficult question to answer with such an eclectic population. The campus’s 22,000 undergraduates are a mix of California residents, out-of-state enrollees and international students from almost 70 countries. They represent numerous ethnicities, have varied socioeconomic backgrounds and are pursuing different goals. But all are Anteaters. Here’s a look at three of them. One has a passion for community service, one’s an aspiring doctor, and one is turning his love of gaming into a career.

 

Name: Joshua Webb

Major/level: Computer science sophomore

Gaming king: Like many kids of his generation, Webb grew up playing video games like “Super Mario Bros.” and “The Legend of Zelda.” Unlike many of his peers, though, he has parlayed his gaming skills into a lucrative hobby. As a member of UC Irvine’s video game team, Webb took home a $4,000 prize in the college League of Legends tournament held last month at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Webb shares his video game knowledge with others through his video game stream, available on twitch.tv, where gaming enthusiasts can watch him play live and pick up gaming strategy tips.

Professionalization of gaming: Webb envisions video gaming developing into a top competitive sport, much like football or basketball. “There’s potential to make a lot of money if you’re good, and gaming leagues are increasing in popularity,” he says. Webb hopes to join a professional gaming league and play in tournaments around the world. He’s currently a substitute player for Vulcun, a professional team in the North American League Championship Series. He uses the moniker “Master of LoL.”

Player and scholar: As a computer science major, Webb is building skills that could lead to a career in game design or development. He has also enjoyed taking courses such as informatics professor Bonnie Nardi’s ICS 60: Computer Games & Society. Nardi asks students to consider the social benefits and consequences of video games and the potential for addiction. “Video games are supposed to be fun, something you do in your free time to relieve stress,” Webb says. “If you neglect school and your responsibilities, then it can be a problem, especially if you aren’t planning to play professionally.”
Undergrad overview