Hamburg, 24th July, 2015. This year, for the first time, PLAY15 – Creative Video Gaming Festival (15-19th September 2015) bestows the Creative Gaming Award in the categories “Most Creative Game” and “Most Innovative Newcomer Game”.

After expiration of the deadline, there are more than 150 submissions from 24 countries. Among them, proposal from Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Malta, Romania, Germany, Poland, USA, Russia, UK, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Serbia, India, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Norway, France, Greece, Sweden, Brazil and Korea. Especially curator Valentina Birke is pleased that the award got about worldwide, although some games cannot be taken into consideration. “Maybe next year the competition will be expanded globally” says Birke.

Organizers have not expected such an amazing feedback. That makes it even more challenging for the jury – five media artists, art directors, journalists and publisher – to decide for a winner among the innovative developments.

The “Most Creative Game” award honours games that allow the gamer to be very creative. The award in this category is endowed with €3,000. Furthermore, the “Most Innovative Newcomer Game” award will be awarded. However, this time the focus is on the idea and innovation. For instance, this can be a special kind of gameplay, transmediality, former unknown or differently used ways of interaction within the game, essentially new graphics, new interfaces, inventive atmospheres or exceptionally seized societal issues. The newcomer award is endowed with €1,500. Additionally, a sponsor from the games industry will be conveyed to the developers, that mentors them for one year.

For the presentation the nominated developers (three nominations for each category) will be invited to Hamburg for the duration of the festival (15th September to 19th September, 2015). The nominated games can be played at the PLAY exhibition. The awards will be bestowed at the last day of PLAY15 – Creative Video Gaming Festival at the official and festive conferment.

“The numerous submissions for both awards are proof for the increasing relevance and attractiveness of PLAY15”, concludes Christiane Schwinge, speaker of Initiative Creative Gaming. “With the award we brought a new element to life that reinforces the international orientation of PLAY15, she says delighted.

Further information
If you have questions or photo inquiries, please contact Tina Ziegler
telephone: 0174-4440454 or 04521-84899-45
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.PLAY15.de

Hamburg, 24 August, 2015 – At 17th and 18th of September, the international PLAY Conference invites scientists, game designer, teaching students and game enthusiasts for the second time to Hamburg in order to deal with the „system computer game“ and „Playing with feelings“ in talks with high-quality guests. Among those, there is the well-known scientist and game designer Aki Järvinen (FI) and game directors of the popular episodic adventure „Life is Strange“, Raoul Barbet and Michel Koch from DONTNOD Entertainment (FR).

The PLAY Conference takes place annually as part of the established PLAY creative video gaming festival by the Creative Gaming e.V. This year’s symposium will be at the InnovationsCampus of the Handelskammer Hamburg.

„Last year the PLAY Conference could be established internationally as a platform for cultural scientific and education-orientated discourse regarding digital games” say Vera Marie Rodewald and Christiane Schwinge, who both are in charge of the PLAY Conference. “Accordingly, we are excited to welcome considerable speakers this year and therefore contribute to the perception of computer games as a medium in our society.

The 17th September is dedicated to the topic “system computer game”. During the keynote “digital games as systems” Aki Järvinen explains the GameGame – a playful approach he developed that allows a systematic approach of digital games.
Afterwards, Silke Zimmermann and Dr. Ralf Nemetschek (Nemetschek Stiftung), Dr. Judith Ackermann (Universität Siegen | playin’ siegen), Stefan Wacker (Daedalic Entertainment) and Andreas Hedrich (Initiative Creative Gaming) take a systematic look at computer games. They discuss in how far computer games can be used for education or science or how digital gaming cultures and be transferred to being analogue.

The second day of the conference, “playing with feelings” at the 18th September, will analyse the connection between emotions and digital games from different points of view. During the talk with specialised journalist Uke Bosse Raoul Barbet and Michel Koch, the makers of “Life is Strange”, which set new standards with its narrative style and aesthetics for the adventure genre, talk about the depiction and effect of emotions in digital games.
In respective workshops Prof. Dr. Martin Butz and Fabian Schrodt (university of Tübingen), Rune Kristian Lundedal Nielsen (IT University of Copenhagen), media scientist Felix Schröter (university of Hamburg) and Dipl.-Kulturwissenschaftler Christian Huberts will question how emotions are triggered in digital games, which emotions gamers experience and which role those emotions play regarding artificial intelligences.

Finally, all speakers invite everyone to a mutual talk at the PLAY Show at 16:30h at Terrace Hill in the media bunker, Feldstraße.

The detailled schedule as well as further information can be found at the website www.play-conference.de. Information on PLAY15 – creative video gaming festival can be found at the festival’s website www.play15.de or the facebook page www.facebook.com/play.festival.germany.

Concerning the PLAY Conference and PLAY – creative video gaming festival:
Since 2014 the PLAY Conference takes place as a specialised conference for a social political and education-orientated examination of digital games during the PLAY creative video gaming festival. PLAY15 is directed towards pupils, teacher, students, scientists, people from the gaming industry and those who are interested in culture. Everyone, across all ages and not only from Hamburg, are invited to discover the multiple possibilities that digital games offer, try them out and to explore their creative potential.

Concerning the initiative Creative Gaming e.V.:
Since 2007 the initiative Creative Gaming e.V. organises further education, workshops and an annual nationwide festival that emphasises the media pedagogical and artistic aspects of the creative use of digital games. The initiative supports an alternative and artistic handling with digital games and thus offers concrete opportunities for actions for students, teachers and parents so that a creative and critical involvement can be achieved.

Simultaneously, the various events of the initiative offer exciting insights in the vocational world of the gaming branch.

Further information
If you have questions or photo inquiries, please contact Tina Ziegler
telephone: 0174-4440454 or 04521-84899-45
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.PLAY15.de

Included in the program: multiple events about jobs in the games industry

More than 150 events at PLAY15 show new perspectives on digital games culture. Included are workshops, films, exhibitions, excluxive evening events with performances and poetry slam, further education, school workshops and lectures. This year’s PLAY conference examines educational and sociopolitical aspects of games. Beside emotions and digital games, the systematic perspective on digital games occupy centre stage this year.

Almost 20 places participate in showing the numerous facets of computer games so that everyone from theatre enthusiast to music fan, from scientist to illustrator can enjoy the festival.The creative video gaming festival offers a panel for thinking, testing and celebrating.

PLAY15 shows with its four areas, SEE, DO, TALK and PARTY, which possibilities of creative activities digital games offer and which occupational profiles are veiled. Thus, among others, the following questions will be discussed and explained: Where in Hamburg are digital games developed? How do I become game designer? What does a successful Let’s Play video need? Which jobs are there that are concerned with digital games?

Games and profession!
Digital games are an important medium of communication, entertainment, education and economy. Professionals are always needed. The industry lacks people with programming, designing, storytelling and music skills. Simultaneously there are degree courses that impart such skills. At PLAY15 computer game experts explain how they found their way into the industry and what is required to become, for instance, a game journalist.

Computer gaming as profession. Unusual jobs with digital games
Playing computer games as a job – a dream for many gamers. You can already study game design or game art. However, there are other professions next to developing games. For example, how does a Let’s Player earn money? Can you live from e-sports? Uke Bosse duscusses those questions and others with e-sportsman Kr0ne aka Joshua Bergehr (former FIFA world champion), Mikkel Robrahn (editor in chief at PietSmiet) and Christiane Schwinge (media pedagogue and initiator of Creative Gaming). The PLAY Show will be backed by Krachkisten Orchester.
Place: Terrace Hill
Time: 19/9/2015, 16.30 h

The game with the system. Systematic perspectives on digital games
A digital game is a complex system. Beside rules, graphical depiction, game machanics, aim and plot there are numerous elements that define how players ought to behave in virtual worlds. How can be use structures and dynamics from digital games for other systems like education and economy? On the contrast, how are structures of our society portrayed in digital games?
Place: Terrace Hill
Time: 17/9/2015, 16.30 h

PLAY 15 chatting corner in cooperation with Indie Treff Hamburg
A diverse scene of independent developers could establish themselves in Hamburg. In the PLAY15 chatting corner Hamburg’s indies introduce themselves and their games incredibly fast-paced.
Place: Alsterdamm School of Visual Arts
Time: 16 and 17/9/2015, 15-16 h

20 goto 10 – A first glimpse into programming
What is programming? What are the underlying principals? What paces the way from simple variable allocation to complex events happening on the screen? Which software is required to get started? We take a first look at the world of codes and have a showdown with examples.
Place: SAE Institute
Time: 16 and 18/9/2015, 13-15 h

Gamestours through Hamburg
PLAY15 shows with its daily Gamestours how diverse the games industry in Hamburg is. Among them are educational establishments, developing studios, publisher and journalists. How and where are games developed and discussed? PLAY15 offers and insight in different games companies.
The following tours are available:
SAE Institute and Daedalic / Time: 16/9/2015, 14-17 h
Bytro Labs and Rocketbeans TV / Time: 17/9/2015,14-17 h

Please register until 14/9/2015.

All information and tickets: www.play15.de

Background:
PLAY15 is directed towards pupils, teacher, students, scientists, people from the games industry and people interested in games and the culture surrounding them. Everyone is invited to discover and test the various possibilities that digital games offer.

Since 2007 the initiative Creative Gaming e.V. hosts further educations, workshops and the annual national festival that stresses media pedagogical and artistic aspects of digital games. The initiative supports an alternative and artistic handling with digital games and thus offers concrete opportunities for actions for students, teachers and parents so that a creative and critical involvement can be achieved. At the same time they offer events that give exciting insights in the world of work of games industry.

Further information
If you have questions or photo inquiries, please contact Tina Ziegler
telephone: 0174-4440454 or 04521-84899-45
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.PLAY15.de

Classical cultural institutions and Hamburg’s artists enrich this year’s program. Once again the cultural importance of games is visible.

Reknerspeele und Platt geiht nich tohopen? PLAY15 shows that Low German and digital games go together at 16th and 17th September during a Live Let’s Play op Platt on stage at Ohnsorg Theatre. Yared Dibaba (NDR) hosts the show – in Low German and Standard German – about digital football games with northern German clubs, speaks with a Low German Let’s Player about the farming simulator, asks the audience for the perfect term for Low German gaming culture and thus unites three generations.

During the PLAY Show as opening for PLAY15 (15/9/2015, 21 h at Uebel & Gefährlich) will also feature the first “real” computer game “Smirkeys Dopehouse”. None other than Torsten Bage (Heinz Strunk) from Fraktus remembers the precursor of modern gaming culture, the development and small revolution that still creates a stir today.

Among the 150 events of this Year’s PLAY15 there are many highlights that demonstrate Hamburg’s culture. Whether it is a poetry slam at Nachtasyl, club parties at Terrace Hill, a Low German evening at the Ohnsorg Theatre, the film program at Metropolis cinema or Fraktus at Uebel & Gefährlich – PLAy shows new insights in art forms and the connection to digital games. The final highlight of the festival is the solemn awarding of the Creative Gaming award in the Spiegelsaal at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe.

Games and the classics of media culture
PLAY15 shows that there are multiple connections between classical media and digital games. Whether it is theatre, screed, language, cinema or art – at PLAY festival familiar art forms and digital games are connected in a creative way.

Live Let’s Play op Platt
Let’s Play, talk, josh with guests and audience in Low German with Yared Dibaba (NDR) as host – in Low German as well as Standard German. Among him there are Temmo Bosse and Gunnar Krupp on stage.
Place: Ohnsorgtheater
Time: 16 and 17/9/2015, 19 h

PLAY Show with Fraktus
In the PLAY Show during the opening of PLAY15 the first “real” computer game will be in the focus. None other than Torsten Bage (Heinz Strunk) from Fraktus remembers the precursor of modern gaming culture, the development of “Smirkeys Dopehouse” and the small revolution that still creates a stir today.
Place: Terrace Hill
Time: 15/9/2015, 19 h

Creative Gaming Award – Awardening
The finale of PLAY15 will take place at the Spiegelsaal at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. The nominees of the Creative Gaming award will be presented and the chosen winners will be announced by the jury. Moreover, we will take a look at the most interesting, exciting and emotional moments of the past days of PLAY15 festival.
Uke Bosse will be the host of the evening.
Place: Spiegelsaal at Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe
Time: 19/9/2015, 20 h

All informationen, further program aspects and tickets: www.PLAY15.de

Background:
PLAY15 is directed towards pupils, teacher, students, scientists, people from the games industry and people interested in games and the culture surrounding them. Everyone is invited to discover and test the various possibilities that digital games offer.

Since 2007 the initiative Creative Gaming e.V. hosts further educations, workshops and the annual national festival that stresses media pedagogical and artistic aspects of digital games. The initiative supports an alternative and artistic handling with digital games and thus offers concrete opportunities for actions for students, teachers and parents so that a creative and critical involvement can be achieved. At the same time they offer events that give exciting insights in the world of work of games industry and cultural elements.

Further information
If you have questions or photo inquiries, please contact Tina Ziegler
telephone: 0174-4440454 or 04521-84899-45
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.PLAY15.de

More than 150 submissions from 20 countries were played and put to the acid test by the intiative Creative Gaming. The decision was not an easy one to make. However, the team, lead by curators Valentina Birke and Matthias Löwe, managed to nominate three games each for the categories “Most Creative Game” and “Most Innovative Newcomer Game”.

Nominated in the category “Most Creative Game” are:

“Lumino City” by State of Play Games from the UK. “Lumino City” is a lovingly designed point and click adventure, in which the hero Lumi moves through a set made by hand instead of computer graphics. Looking for her kidnapped grandfather, she solves numerous diverse riddles. “Lumino City” is very atmospheric and regarding warmth and charme hard to top.

“Among The Sleep” by Krillbite Studios from Norway. This is a horror adventure that lets the player view the world through toddler eyes. After strange noises suddenly woke up the child, it searches the gloomy darkness for concealment and shelter. Vulnerability and fear are the main emotions that transform the game into a horror experience and which capture the player throughout the whole game.

“Face It!” By Navel Games from Germany. “Face It!” is a local multiplayer party game in which the players try to imitate different facial expressions, take photos and embarrass themselves the best possible way. Unconscious communication by facial expressions is one of the distinguishing features of mankind. They are experts in interpret a person’s feelings by recognizing the smallest changes of face muscles. This talent is the basis for “Face It!”, a very creative game, which concept is unique.

Nominated in the category “Most Innovative Newcomer” are:

“Orwell” has been developed by Osmotic Studios in Germany and is a narrative game, which plot is only narrated through digital documents. In the near future there will be a fictional state introduced by the government of the “Orwell”-project. This allows for surveillance of trustworthy citizens by the means of the eponymous software, digital data and communication in order to detect and prevent dangers.

“LUCID” by C.Anziger, P. Sonnleitner, D. Winter, B. Zankl, F. from Austria. “LUCID” is an adventure that is played by using eyetrackers. The player awakes in a white room without any clues. Suddenly he hears a voice. She is friendly and promises that they could escape together frm this surreal world. The voice already seems to know the secrets…

“Whateverland – Art Exploration mobile VR app”, a game by Sara Lisa Vogl from Germany, “Whateverland” is the first planet in the dream universe of Lucid Trips. The virtual art gallery with three dimensional objects (for instance, by the artist Neo Rauch or the graffiti artist DAIM) invites the player to lose themselves. The player flies over a lovingly designed planet, where one can experience and discover art from new perspectives and dimensions.

With these six lavish and very creative games it is not easy for the jury to choose the winners of the 1st Creatve Gamung award. The winners will be announced at the final event on the 19th September in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe.

Background:

For eight years the initiative Creative Gaming e.V. is hosting PLAY15 – creative video gaming festival. The initiative is engaged in the creative, competent and critical contact with computer gaming regarding cultural and educational contexts. The Creative Gaming award shows that games have also a tremendous artisitic potential.

PLAY15 is directed towards pupils, teacher, students, scientists, people from the games industry and people interested in games and the culture surrounding them. Everyone is invited to discover and test the various possibilities that digital games offer.

Since 2007 the initiative Creative Gaming e.V. hosts further educations, workshops and the annual national festival that stresses media pedagogical and artistic aspects of digital games. The initiative supports an alternative and artistic handling with digital games and thus offers concrete opportunities for actions for students, teachers and parents so that a creative and critical involvement can be achieved. At the same time they offer events that give exciting insights in the world of work of games industry and cultural elements.

Further information
If you have questions or photo inquiries, please contact Tina Ziegler
telephone: 0174-4440454 or 04521-84899-45
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.PLAY15.de