SEATTLE – April, 2013 – Submissions for the 2013 International Serious Play Awards are coming to a close May 1 for professional entries and June 30 for students. Awards will go to top games for education, government/military, healthcare, corporate training and games for good.

Organizations or individuals who created a serious game or simulation using commercial off the shelf (COTS) platforms are welcome to enter. Games in still in beta and student projects from universities or trade schools may be submitted as well.

“The competition is global; several of the winners from 2013 were from Europe and we had finalists from Asia,” said Sue Bohle, Executive Director, Serious Games Association. “Winning at SPC has also forecast which games were going to be big sellers, worldwide

All entries will be eligible for Serious Games Certification. This title designates that a serious game offers a high standard of performance. Certified games will be given a 2013 Serious Play Seal of Approval..

Winners will be announced at the Serious Play Conference, August 19 – 22, 2013 at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash.

Serious Play Award 2012 Gold Medal Winners include:

• Mission US 2: “Flight to Freedom, THIRTEEN/WNET, Electric Funstuff and American Social History Productions (Education)
• Guts and Bolts BrainPOP (Games for Good)
• DragonBox+,  WeWantToKnow  (At Home Learning)
• FLOW is Good Business, ALEAS Simulations (Corporate Game)
• Family of Heroes, Kognito Interactive (Government/Military)
• The Snowfield, Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab (Student)

Enter a game or SIM here: http://www.seriousplayconference.com/awards/

For more information, visit: www.seriousplayconference.com

Contact:

Melissa Alvarado
Serious Games Association
Melissa@bohle.com
(310)785-0515 x 207

New Pre-Conference Workshops Offer Hands-On Training
for Professionals New to Serious Games

SEATTLE – MAY, 2013 –Serious Play, a  leadership conference for managers running serious games training or educational programs, will be held at DigiPen Institute of Technology Tuesday – Thursday, Aug. 20 – 22, 2013, in Redmond, Wash., just outside Seattle.  Four new pre-conference workshops, designed to give professionals the foundation to jump start their own serious games programs, will be offered on Monday, Aug.19.   Registration is now open at www.seriousplayconference.com/registration.

At Serious Play, heads of programs in corporations, schools, healthcare or the government can get a good understanding of how games and simulations can be used for education, workforce or executive training or consumer learning.  Attendees rub shoulders one-on-one with the experts, learning how game mechanics are moving across the various serious games sectors, revolutionizing how training and education is done in every industry.

Pre-conference workshops will cover the following specialty topics:

• How to Integrate Games into the Classroom – created for heads of school districts, curriculum specialists and cutting edge teachers
• Using Location-Based Games – designed for IDs, museum education departments, non-profit organizations and entertainment destination professionals
• Using Games to Grow Talent, Train and Engage Employees – aimed at IDs, HR and organizational development, military and government workforce managers
• Building a Serious Games Curriculum – geared toward faculty of higher education institutions interested in adding or expanding serious game degree programs

Developers and instructional designers can also enter game titles in the International Serious Play Awards Competition for certification and recognition in their field. Winners will be announced during the 2013 Serious Play Conference.

Serious Play is produced by the Serious Games Association.  Members of the SGA receive a $50 discount off conference cost.

For more information, visit www.seriousplayconference.com)

Contact:

Robert Brown/Melissa Alvarado
The Bohle Company
310 785 0515 ext. 231/207
robert@bohle.com / melissa@bohle.com

SEATTLE- May, 2013 – Museum professionals interested in games to spur visitor engagement can learn how to set up their own serious games programs at a new Serious Play Conference workshop Monday, August 19^th, 2013 at the Digipen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash., a Seattle suburb.

Topics will include:

• What location-based game experiences exist in museums and tourist sites worldwide
• What infrastructure and technologies (like geo-location) exist to support your projects
• Hurdles to be overcome to promote engagement
• How to integrate games with special exhibits
• New mobile apps that will change visits
• Demos of some of the best games we’ve seen

Register now and attend the workshop for $175, an Early Bird price. The main conference takes place Tuesday – Thursday, August 20 – 22, 2013.  A pass for The Serious Play Conference and the workshop can be purchased at an Early Bird price of $400.

The Serious Play Conference is an annual event held to examine the current challenges and future developments in the serious games space. The conference is led by top developers, researchers and consultants; attended by industry leaders in education, military, health and corporate games.

For more information visit www.seriousplayconference.com

Contact:

Jenna Janes
The Bohle Company
310 785 0515 ext. 218
jenna@bohle.com

SEATTLE- April  2013 – Administrators and cutting edge teachers interested in integrating educational games into the K-12 classroom can get advice from experts on what kinds of games produce the best results on Monday, Aug. 19 2013 as part of the Serious Play Conference at Digipen Institute of Technology in Redmond, WA.

The workshop will feature senior serious games developers as well as teachers and administrators who have integrated game-based learning. Speakers will cover what kind of products are best for different ages, where in the curriculum they work well, classes, subjects, and how to set up and measure learning objectives.

There will be a further, more advanced study at the full Serious Play Conference Tuesday-Thursday, Aug 20-22 at the same location.

Speakers include:

• David Martz, Marketing Director, Muzzy Lane Software
• Susan Meek, Education Strategist, Breakaway Games
• Dan White, CEO, Filament Games
• Ray Yan, Senior Vice President,  Digipen
• Tammie Schrader, Elementary School Science Teacher, Spokane, WA
• Michele Zimmerman, Master Trainer, Amazing Grace Christian Schools

Register now and attend the workshop for $100, an Early Bird price. A pass for The Serious Play Conference and the workshop can be purchased at an Early Bird price of $350.

The Serious Play Conference is an annual event held to examine the current challenges and future developments in the serious games space. The conference is led by top developers, researchers and consultants; attended by industry leaders in education, military, health and corporate games.

For more information visit www.seriousplayconference.com

Contact:

Rachel McFaul
The Bohle Company
310 785 0515 ext. 224
rachel@bohle.com

SEATTLE –February 22, 2013 – Calling all entries for the 2013 International Serious Play Awards, a program that recognizes top products for training or learning in education, corporate training, government/military, healthcare/medical segments as well as exemplary games for good, will be due May 1, 2013.

Any organization or individual that has created a serious game or simulation using commercial off the shelf (COTS) platforms is eligible to enter the awards program. Universities may also submit student projects, due June 30, 2013.

“We are looking for games and sims that are both engaging and provide a high level of measurable results,” Robert Becker, Conference Director, Serious Play, said. “More and more individuals begin to recognize the value of serious games for improved learning and skill development each year. The 2013 SPC winning titles will demonstrate the continued growth and success of serious games.”

In addition to being eligible for the competition, all titles entered into the 2013 Awards Program will be eligible for Serious Play Certification. This program is designed to offer customer assurance that a serious game offers a high standard of performance, having passed a rigorous examination by an advisory panel of experts. All games certified will be given a Serious Play Certification certificate and 2013 Seal of Approval. The certification will be valid for three years.

Winners will be announced during the 2012 Serious Play Conference Tuesday – Thursday, Aug. 20 – 22, 2013, at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash.

To submit a SIM or game, use the following link:

http://www.seriousplayconference.com/awards/

For more information, visit www.seriousplayconference.com

Contact:

Jenna Janes
The Bohle Company
310.785.0515 ext. 218
jenna@bohle.com

SEATTLE – April 2013 – A one-day workshop focused on games for workforce skill training, talent development and employee motivation will be offered at this year’s Serious Play Conference Monday, Aug. 19, 2013 at at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash. The workshop is designed for HR, organizational development professionals and workforce managers in corporations, healthcare, military and government.

Senior program managers of large corporations and government will explain how games are used throughout their organizations. Senior development professionals will present games that work and explain what makes games effective.

“This workshop offers an impressive lineup of industry luminaries,” Sue Bohle, Executive Director, Serious Games Association, said. “Experienced HR professionals will share how they’ve incorporated serious games in employee training and used games to develop leaders, providing attendees actionable insights for creating their own game based training programs.”

SPC is a leadership conference where game developers can meet educators and heads of serious games programs in corporations, healthcare and government.

Register now and attend the workshop for $175, an Early Bird price. The main conference takes place Tuesday – Thursday, August 20 – 22, 2013.  A pass for The Serious Play Conference and the workshop can be purchased at an Early Bird price of $400.

For more information on this year’s specialized workshops, visit:

http://www.seriousplayconference.com/program/pre-conference-workshops/

Media Contact:
Melissa Alvarado
The Bohle Company
(310) 785-0515 ext. 207
melissa@bohle.com

Opportunity for Professionals in Serious Games Industry

SEATTLE– Submissions are now being accepted from professionals who create games or sims or lead game programs for the education, corporate, military, healthcare or location-based market to speak at Serious Play Conference. The annual gathering for leaders in the industry will be held August 20 – 22, 2013 at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash., just outside Seattle.

A new feature of the conference will be four pre-conference workshops on Monday, August 19 designed as introductory sessions for new serious game program directors, workforce and talent development professionals and K-12 educators and university faculty:

• How to Integrate Games into the Classroom – created for heads of school districts, curriculum specialists and cutting edge teachers
• Using Location-Based Games – designed for Instructional designers, museum education departments, non-profit organizations and entertainment destination professionals
• Using Games to Grow Talent, Train and Engage Employees – aimed at IDs, HR and organizational development, military and government workforce managers
• Building a Serious Games Curriculum – geared toward faculty of higher education institutions interested in adding serious game degree programs

Speakers at both the main conference and the various workshops will share their expertise and outline critical success factors in game design. Industry analysts will discuss the latest industry trends and how best to take advantage of current market needs.

The submission form is located online at www.seriousplayconference.com/speakers

Contact:

Robert Brown
The Bohle Company
robert@bohle.com
(310) 785 0515 x231

SEATTLE – January _ , 2013 – Calling all entries for the 2013 International Serious Play Awards, a program that recognizes top products for training or learning in education, corporate training, government/military, healthcare/medical segments as well as exemplary games for good, will be due XXXX, XX, 2013.

Any organization or individual that has created a serious game or simulation using commercial off the shelf (COTS) platforms is eligible to enter the awards program. Universities may also submit student projects, due XXXX, XX, 2013.

“We are looking for games and sims that are both engaging and provide a high level of measurable results,” XXXXXX, Conference Director, Serious Play, said. “More and more individuals begin to recognize the value of serious games for improved learning and skill development each year. The 2013 SPC winning titles will demonstrate the continued growth and success of serious games.”

In addition to being eligible for the competition, all titles entered into the 2013 Awards Program will be eligible for Serious Play Certification. This program is designed to offer customer assurance that a serious game offers a high standard of performance, having passed a rigorous examination by an advisory panel of experts. All games certified will be given a Serious Play Certification certificate and 2013 Seal of Approval. The certification will be valid for three years.

Winners will be announced during the 2012 Serious Play Conference Tuesday – Thursday, Aug. 20 – 22, 2013, at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash.

To submit a sim or game, use the following link:

http://www.seriousplayconference.com/ISPA

For more information, visit www.seriousplayconference.com

Contact:

Jenna Janes
The Bohle Company
310.785.0515 ext. 218
jenna@bohle.com

As game development becomes more widely available as a storytelling medium, unique life experiences come to light.

One of the very best stories I’ve covered this year has been the genuinely heartwarming tale of Marius Mathisen, a Norwegian father who created a game specifically for his young step-daughter, who struggles with learning difficulties.  It’s just one example of game players finding ways to make their passion help other people, and of the broadening scope of this entertainment offering us insights into emotional lives not previously covered by games.

Read the full article at Gamasutra