Game defender Prof. Henry Jenkins leaves MIT, heads into the “heart of the entertainment industry”

With all of the detractors that have made news in the gaming industry, there has always been one individual who has stood in our defense.

That individual is Henry Jenkins, a professor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) who not only has his own blog but has frequently spoken in defense of video games in article after article.

Now, the renowned media scholar is taking his knowledge over to the University of Southern California, where he expects to expand on his research methods, which not only cover video games but also includes media literacy, civic media, creative industry and fan/culture research.

According to an article on GamePolitics, Jenkins felt that he needed to leave the proverbial nest at MIT and place himself “in the heart of the entertainment industry.”

I personally wish him the greatest success in his new field as he is an individual whose work I have admired. Some of his more notable works include Fans, Bloggers and Gamers and Convergence Culture, both books that I have read from cover to cover and would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who desires to learn more about the media and how it affects the lives of individuals.

In referring to the reason that he chose to leave, Jenkins jokingly makes a reference to Green Lantern, saying that “even he needs to recharge his power ring now and again.” He then added that “when I did this position, I used to have the body of a 37-year-old. Aliens have since switched it with the body of a 50-year old.”

Here is hoping that this new post will provide him with the vigor that he needs.

Read [Gamepolitics] Via [Confessions of an Aca-Fan] Also Read [PBS] Also Read [Gamasutra]