Games for Health @ NBC4 Connected Expo
Posted by Ben Sawyer on 06-09-15Video Games for Health and Social Awareness Debut at Washington Consumer Trade Show
Two cutting-edge organizations working to turn the incredible technology of the entertainment video game industry into works of spirited social awareness and educational value, Games for Change and Games for Health, are paving the way for video games to endow a player with real world perspectives and experiences. They will be coming together to showcase their socially responsible games this weekend (Sept. 16 – 17) at The Entrepreneur Pavilion at the NBC4 Connected Expo at the Washington (DC) Convention Center.
(Washington, Sept. 13, 2006): Parents now have to take a closer look when they tell their child to stop playing video games: they may be stopping them from learning some very important lessons on subjects like genocide in Darfur, roots of conflict in the Middle East and the impact of global hunger. Expressed through video games created by the members of Games for Change (G4C) and Games for Health (G4H), these themes are a part of a serious movement to impress social activism and education on a broader audience through new media. The mission of these two organizations—to use video games to educate, inform and assist people—will be communicated at The Entrepreneur Center Pavilion at the NBC4 Connected Expo, September 16 – 17, at the Washington Convention Center.
G4C and G4H apply the success of gaming beyond entertainment value. Since being established in 2003, membership has grown from 50 to more than 2,000 organizations, researchers and developers. G4C and G4H have established key partnerships with a variety of organizations, including MTV, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the New School for Design in New York.
“A new movement is emerging, and given how much our young people are playing video games, it’s not a moment too soon for social issues to speak to the next generation in the media of their choice,” noted Suzanne Seggerman, co-founder and co-director of G4C.
At the Connected Expo, informative, interactive multimedia displays will be exhibited to express the unique approach and capabilities of G4C. Darfur is Dying is a game which challenges a player to take the role of a displaced Darfurian struggling for survival in a refugee camp with the goal of instilling a more personal understanding of the crisis in Sudan. Food Force, another game being demoed, invites a player to take on several roles in an effort to demonstrate the challenges and rewards of working to curb global hunger. The expo will also be a platform to display the winner of the Reinventing Public Diplomacy through Games Contest, Peacemaker. In this game, players tackle the role of the Israeli Prime Minister or the Palestinian President solving real world dilemmas with the goal of promoting peace.
G4C provides support, visibility and shared resources to individuals and organizations using digital games for social change. G4C acts as a national hub to help organizations network and develop video game projects beyond their traditional expertise. Members represent hundreds of partners in the games industry, artistic community, academia, local and state government, the United Nations, funding organizations and the nonprofit sector.
G4H is described by co-founder, Ben Sawyer as, “an effort to bring together two industries, health and healthcare, and the video game industry, to form a community of practice … that can look at ways to take talent, technology and tools from the game industry and apply them to problems in the health and healthcare industry.” Attendees will see G4H’s games being demoed on a variety of subjects, including health epidemics, disaster response, professional healthcare skill development, personal health and more.
This public unveiling of the work of G4C and G4H will be sandwiched between two exclusive serious games expos. The first took place this past June at The New School in New York when the showcase expo of the G4C Annual Conference unveiled a new round of social change games. At the end of September, the G4H Annual Conference will be held in Baltimore, Md. This conference will bring together health care professionals, game developers, and academic researchers who continue to develop innovative strategies, driving the success of the combined video game and health care industries.
“Games for Change and Games for Health are providing tremendous leadership in this important new movement to develop video games that will have a positive educational and health impact on today's youth. Parents today must work hard to provide better positive influences and alternatives for their children. The Entrepreneur Center is excited to help promote these games and this innovative movement through the NBC4 Connected Expo," said Steve Boyd, Director of The Entrepreneur Center at NVT