NEW YORK (May 2, 2023) – Topics at the forefront of the future of gaming and immersive technology will take centerstage at this year’s 2023 Games for Change Festival, the world's largest annual event dedicated to games and social impact. Today, Games for Change announced additional programming and speakers for its 20th Anniversary Festival this summer in New York City, which will explore important topics like Artificial Intelligence, the metaverse, mental health in games, and more. Regular-priced tickets for the Festival, which takes place from July 18 through 20, are available to purchase.
Newly announced speakers for the 2023 Festival include:
- Jeffrey Burrell (Head of Social Impact, Riot Games) will discuss how Riot Games utilizes the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to inform their overall impact strategy and fundraising efforts to choose cause areas that appeal to their global player audience.
- Jesse Damiani (Arts and Culture Advisor, Protocol Labs) will host a panel of AI and metaverse experts discussing how advances will affect safety, inclusion, data collection, and digital literacy. The panel will include ChatGPT answering questions in real-time.
- Paul Fletcher (Psychiatrist and Professor of Health Neuroscience, University of Cambridge) will take a deep dive into harnessing clinical neuroscience, VR, and gaming through The Insight Project - an initiative developed by Ninja Theory in collaboration with the University of Cambridge to support mental health through games.
- Jae Lin (Hotline Director, Games and Online Harassment Hotline) will present an actionable roadmap and nuanced framework to approach harm in a survivor-centered way, fostering change, accountability, and more meaningful apologies.
- Jude Ower (Founder and CEO, Playmob, Co-founder, Playing for the Planet) and Mathias Norvig (CEO, Sybo Games) will discuss a new book, ‘Playing for our Lives,' which is a practical guide on the best ways to action real-world impact from within digital playgrounds.
- Paolo Pirjanian, Ph.D. (Founder/CEO of Embodied, Inc.) will discuss how generative AI and robotics can be designed to tap into human empathy and inspire greater engagement during play to help promote social, emotional, and cognitive development as well as overall well-being.
- Cynthia Williams (President, Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming) will host a panel of executives and education experts discussing Dungeons & Dragons school curricula that build skills in storytelling, language arts, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication.
Games for Change also announced today that regular-priced tickets are on sale for the event. Tickets include exclusive access to the entire three-day event, XR for Change Summit, the annual awards celebration and access to a one-of-a-kind immersive arcade. With an expanding lineup of industry experts and thought leaders from diverse fields, the Festival promises numerous networking opportunities, arcades, and much more. Special pricing is available for educators, indie developers and students.
Games for Change Festival Program
The 20th Games for Change Festival in New York City will feature events from July 18 - 20, including:
- Games for Change Festival (July 18-19): Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the world’s largest annual event dedicated to games and social impact, which draws a cross-sector community of changemakers, developers, executives, and fans from around the world.
- XR for Change Summit (July 20): Explore emerging technologies shaping the future of social innovation in the metaverse and today’s most cutting-edge immersive experiences that are unlocking new pathways for social impact.
Additional Festival Events (invite only)
- G4C Games & SDG Summit (July 17): An invite-only summit that will activate the games and XR sector to support key UN Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations Headquarters (Delegates Dining Room) for leaders across industries.
- G4C Next Gen Fest (July 21): Youth ages 13-18 will come together to learn, create, and shape the future of video games for impact across education, civics, health, science, and more.
Regular-priced tickets for the Festival can be purchased on the Games for Change Festival website until July 5. Members of the press can apply for a free press pass here.
About Games For Change
Since 2004, Games For Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change — using games and immersive media to help people learn, improve their communities, and make the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, 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 on using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.
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Editorial Contact:
Eileen Tanner, Zebra Partners for Games for Change
eileen@zebrapartners.net / 509-521-2594
Games for Change Press Kit