The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) held a video games conference to mark the 3^rd Cognitive Science Day on the morning of Tuesday, 24^th March 2015. It was held in the Information Technology Building and was attended by both faculty and students. The conference was aimed at the promotion of cognitive science and inter-disciplinary cooperation between scientific research, technology and the humanities.

This is part of a series of multi-disciplinary conferences hosted by UAEU that targets innovation and the pursuit of academic excellence. Video games are in competition with other entertainment industries such as the global film and music industries. Millions of dollars are invested in the latest technology as video games become increasingly prevalent and significant in the modern world.

The conference was attended by faculty from UAEU colleges and also other academics from universities in Dubai, New York, Berlin and Edinburgh. Professor Boumediene Belkhouche, Professor of Software Development in the College of Information Technology, stressed the importance of including video games in the educational process. This is due to their impact in information analysis and subsequent decision-making. He pointed out that students who use games learn faster than those who receive information more traditionally.

Professor Jesse Prinz, Director of the Committee for Interdisciplinary Science Studies at the City University of New York, pointed out that video games have both positive and negative influences on the behavior of individuals. Such games may encourage creativity but we must also guard against negative social and psychological behaviors.

The conference showcased papers regarding learning based on video games, current and future trends, fact and fiction regarding online games and human cognition, the video game industry in the Gulf, job creation and video games for autistic children.