Games for Change is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has announced an expanded programming slate for its 20th annual flagship event. The Games for Change Festival starts on July 17.
The festival will host a week of events, beginning with the Games and SDG Summit at the United Nations, headquartered in New York City. Games for Change will host the event in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme. In addition, an inaugural Next Gen Fest for 13 to 18-year-olds will cap off the event, providing a space for young people to explore the shape of the future of video games.
President of Games for Change, Susanna Pollack said, “With growing evidence and excitement around the power of games and XR to transform our world, it’s clear that the Games for Change community has a role to play in advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous future for future generations. The Games and SDG Summit and Next Gen Fest are exciting additions to our week-long Festival program — and will help expose more young people, policymakers and NGOs to the bold ideas, playful learning experiences, and cross-sector partnerships that the Games for Change Festival is known for.”
Change through video games
The annual Games for Change festival has become popular over its two-decade life. It brings together change makers, developers, executives and fans who see video games and immersive media as a way to drive real-world change. Growing interest in this mission for change has attracted an array of people and led to the creation of the Next Gen Fest to engage youth with the future of gaming and to the Games and SDG Summit, which will address issues such as climate change.
Chief of youth and education and advocacy for UNEP, Sam Barratt stated, “The climate crisis needs all hands on deck and we’re delighted to be working with Games for Change on the upcoming Summit in New York. While it’s early days still, the Playing for the Planet initiative shows that the games industry is committed to act on the environmental agenda. We look forward to sharing the learning and insights we have gathered over the past three years and to see what more we can do together.”
Paige Cook is a writer with a multi-media background. She has experience covering video games and technology and also has freelance experience in video editing, graphic design, and photography. Paige is a massive fan of the movie industry and loves a good TV show, if she is not watching something interesting then she's probably playing video games or buried in a good book. Her latest addiction is virtual photography and currently spends far too much time taking pretty pictures in games rather than actually finishing them.
