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Birth Countdown For Brand New Serious Games Event


Serious Play Conference will kick-off in 5 days at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Washington.

In a recent interview to the Serious Game Market blog, Clark Aldrich, Serious Play Conference Director, provided a recap of the genesis behind Serious Play and its further development, focusing on a pragmatic take with an eye towards the big picture.


“All kinds of organizations, from corporate to military to academic, have realized Serious Games and educational simulations can be used to create educational content that is more effective and more engaging, and is even less expensive”, says Clark. “However, our leaders need pragmatic help. They need to know how to find the talent, the project management framework, the deliverables and the right approaches to ensure success.”

Clark adds, “The Serious Play conference is all about giving this second generation of Serious Games practitioners, managers and developers (as well as faculty teaching Serious Game design), who are more focused on their organizations' strategy than advocating any new approach, the tools they need to be highly successful.”

Included in the conference is the first Serious Play Award ceremony (please find also Serious Play Conference To Recognize and Certify Outstanding Serious Games ). The ceremony showcases the best in Serious Games, and hopes to show the world what this experimental medium has to offer, as well as who is doing surprising work.

The conference promises several things outside of the normal format. While similar events feature things such as lectures and panels, the Serious Play Conference also intends to hold simulations and development circles for attendees where they can visit, learn, and experience how Serious Games are made, as well as how they work.

The conference is also happening alongside the Game Education Summit

GES was originally scheduled as a July event, but both events were looking for similar people to attend, and many companies could only fly out once. The decision was made to hold both events together.

The Serious Play Conference and Game Education Summit will be held on August 23-25.