Video games are often associated with concepts like play, fun, and entertainment. But like any good creative medium, they can be used for a variety of other things, too – education, building empathy, and highlighting social issues. These so-called ‘serious games’ have existed for some time, but the inaugural Games For Change Asia-Pacific Festival, debuting at Melbourne International Games Week 2021 (MIGW21), will devote two days to exploring the practice.
Gillian Vesty, Associate Professor at RMIT University is the subject of MIGW’s latest video spotlight, produced with support from GamesHub. Vesty speaks to the movement of serious games, and the power they have for engaging educational development and instigating social change. Give it a watch:
The Games For Change Asia-Pacific schedule includes sessions dedicated to sustainable game production, games in health care, designing inclusive games for non-standard bodies, and a variety of talks regarding mental health development.
Games for Change Asia-Pacific will take place 6-7 October 2021, with pre-festival workshops taking place on Tuesday 5 October 2021. Find out more at the MIGW website.
Read: MIGW21 shines a spotlight on Victorian game composers
