NEW YORK (January 12, 2021)—Today, Games for Change (G4C), the leading advocate of games for social impact began accepting speaker submissions and award nominations for the 2021 Games for Change Festival (July 12-14)—the largest industry-facing event for social impact games in the world. Major themes of the Festival include a focus on achieving equity and social justice, ensuring a thriving planet, promoting mental health, and regaining a sense of security.
“The issues Games for Change has advocated for years have been accelerated through this time of adversity,” said G4C President, Susanna Pollack. “We need to continue that momentum by sharing lessons learned and thinking big about the road ahead. We invite developers, researchers, innovators, and changemakers to create this shared vision for our industry and hope to inspire the next generation of media that tackles our world’s most pressing issues.”
Through an open call for session submissions, Games for Change is inviting the global gaming community to share the latest thinking around games and immersive media that imagine, inspire, and ignite a future rooted in tangible social impact. Talks, panels, workshops, and demos will be presented across multiple tracks, including but not limited to Civics & Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Games for Learning, and the return of the XR for Change Summit.
Given the increased interest from international communities joining the Festival virtually in 2020, Games for Change will feature more sessions and speakers whose work is making an impact outside of the United States. In addition, Games for Change reinforces that the Festival is a platform for all voices and backgrounds, providing the community an opportunity to celebrate and reinforce core values: cross-sector collaboration, innovative and progressive thinking, and diverse perspectives.
Nominations have also opened for the 2021 Games for Change Awards, which recognizes and celebrates games in various categories. Games and XR experiences released between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 are eligible to apply for one or more of the six award categories, such as Most Innovative, Best Gameplay, and Best Learning Game. Through a rigorous evaluation process by industry professionals, four finalists will be chosen in each category.
Submission portals for both speakers and awards open today and close on February 12. More information regarding selection criteria for each can be found on the Games for Change Festival website.
About Games For Change
Since 2004, Games For Change (G4C) has been empowering game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people to learn, improve their communities, and contribute to make the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies as well as nonprofits, foundations and government agencies, to run world class events, public arcades, design challenges and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers working to use games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.
