Twenty Years of Games For Change

Twenty years ago, I was part of a wonderful collection of people who, together, created Games For Change. Tomorrow begins an incredible week in which what was once a half-day affair with a few dozen will now be spread over five days, beginning at the UN and ending with our first all day youth-summit, with thousands engaged.

I have proudly participated in all 20 Festivals, but it has been years since it was in any sort of leadership role. Those who followed me, and Ben, and Suzanne, have built a remarkable organization that continues to play an important role in the world and I hope will for decades to come. I am thankful for them and all they have done.

Here’s how attendees as the 2nd G4C festival in 2005 were greeted in the program:

Welcome! Games are quickly becoming a mainstream form of media, just as film did decades ago. Our organization, G4C, was created just one year ago by several organizations seeking to advance social change through the use of digital games and to connect nonprofits with their games partners in academia, government and industry.
Last year’s conference was an invitation-only exploratory event; this year, due to increasing demand, it is open to the public. Over the past year, G4C has achieved increasing visibility by hosting events at the largest industry conference (E3/Los Angeles/Ed Arcade), the largest developers’ conference (GDC/San Francisco/SG) and the new academic roundtable on Games, Society and Learning (Madison, WI) — plus the umbrella conference on Serious Games (SG Summit/D.C.).
We have members from almost every state and from more than 15 countries. Meanwhile, the Games for Change discussion list has grown to several hundred members, with satellite chapters established in three cities, and more in the planning stages.

If you are looking for me this week at the 20th Festival (and I hope you are!) here’s where you can find me.

MONDAY: The Games & SDG Summit will be at the United Nations. The SDGS are the Sustainable Development Goals, a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” I’ll be there!

TUESDAY: The first day of the public Festival begins!

At noon, I will be on the panel “20 Years of Games for Change – Founders’ Reflection”. That’s me! One of the founders. I’ll be there with Ben Stokes and Suzanne Seggerman to learn what happens when past and present collide. Nick Fortugno, Director of Gaming Pathways, will do his best to reign us in and keep us focused…

At 4:15, I will participate in the session “Lightening talks from Luminaries”. Luminaries they are, indeed! I don’t know how I got onto this amazing list:

I plan to preach the gospel of Games For Change.

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY: Expect me when you see me.

FRIDAY: I’ll be at the youth summit. Very exciting.

Ben, Suzanne and I at the 2nd G4C Festival in 2005

Over the last two decades I have written a lot about Games For Change. I thought if not now, when: let me list them all, for any who is interested in diving in to see what bits of wisdom might be discovered in this blog musings.

Towards a Public Pathway for Careers in Gaming: NYC Youth and Agency (video) (2022)

Help me Celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Games For Change #G4C18 Festival with a Pop-up Museum (2018)

Video from “Co-Designing Museums of the Future” Presentation at Games For Change Festival (2016)

Working with Youth To Design Museums of the Future – presentation at 13th Games For Change Festival (2016)

Presenting Digital Learning Across The Country (2016)

On Beyond Gaming: Minecraft and The Future of Transmedia Learning (2015)

Reclaiming Culture Through Game Design: Sneak Peak at Our Games For Change Panel (2015)

Video Snapshots on Bron Stuckey and Me: On Minecraft, Augmented Reality and Digital Learning (2015)

“The Minecraft Experience” Panel at G4C2014 (2014)

Is Minecraft Just A Shiny Bauble? (2014)

Great New Video of Games For Change Family Day (2014)

NY1 Coverage of Pterosaurs at the 11th Annual Games for Change Festival (2014)