Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2012 about Games for Social Impact with audio

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Saturday 10th March 2012

• Games 4 Change: Great Power, Great Responsibility

  by Asi Burak

  This talk will address the power of computer and video games as a mature entertainment medium and a largely untapped art form. It will make an impassioned case for using games for social impact and learning, with an overview of the latest trends and core challenges game developers and funders are facing.

  Burak will share case studies and success stories from around the world, including his unique entry into the field, leading the team behind the award-winning game “PeaceMaker”.

  Attendees will learn about the field at large and how Games for Change is leading the future of this movement on the global stage, and engaging policy makers such as Vice President Al Gore and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

  • Games
  • Games for Social Impact
  • Gamification

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Saturday 10th March

  In Room 4-5, Palmer Event Center

  Coverage audio clip

Tuesday 13th March 2012

• Gaming the Environment for Positive Change with Philippe Cousteau

  by Ashok Kamal, Philippe Cousteau, Carrie Freeman and Jeffrey Plank

  Join explorer and environmentalist Philippe Cousteau and panelists to explore how gaming innovations can improve the world. In 2010, The University of Virginia launched the UVA Bay Game, a large-scale game simulation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed that allows players to take the roles of various stakeholders (farmers, developers, policy makers) and to see how their choices affect the health and economy of the watershed. Since its launch, Cousteau’s Azure Worldwide has collaborated on the game’s development. From college courses and virtual classrooms to corporate board rooms and Capitol Hill, learn how the potential impact of the game has intrigued legislators, corporate leaders and other stakeholders. Panelists will discuss: How can games/simulations allow a variety of stakeholders to solve complex problems? Can games not only create solutions but also create new ways of thinking and interaction? What applications does the UVA Bay Game have outside of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed?

  • Environment
  • Games for Social Impact
  • Gamification

  At 11:00am to 12:00pm, Tuesday 13th March

  In Room 5ABC, Austin Convention Center

  Coverage audio clip

• Let’s Play: Motivate Healthy Behavior Using Games

  by Lora Kolodny, Leslie Saxon, Noreen Kamal, Michael Fergusson and Adam Penenberg

  When it comes to health and wellness programs, patient engagement is often the coveted yet elusive brass ring. Despite all the clinical expertise that goes into developing systems for patient care and education, non-compliance and lack of sustained patient involvement in these programs remain high. So how could something seemingly trivial like games improve patient engagement and consequently, health care outcomes? This panel will explore how health is social and how playing games with others can keep us engaged and motivated when it comes to changing our behaviour in positive ways.

  • Game Design
  • Games for Social Impact
  • Gamification
  • Healthcare

  At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Tuesday 13th March

  In Classroom 204, AT&T Conference Center

  Coverage audio clip