PLAY16 - Creative Gaming Festival » Workshops

Workshop Level 1: Be my Eyes – Blind Let’s Play

Christina Kutscher — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:55:18 +0000

Everybody knows Let’s Plays. Gamer play games, film themselves and comment the scenes live. These videos are uploaded to Youtube and other similar platforms and watched by thousands of fans. But that’s not enough for us! We take Let’s Plays to a new level – according to this year’s motto “Let’s Get Physical”. Be surprised!

Workshop conductors on Thursday: Anne Sauer and Tobias Miller
Workshop conductors an Friday: Christian Knop and Sarah Pützer

Workshop Level 1: Bongo Controllers

Christina Kutscher — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:56:16 +0000

The workshop “Bongo Controller” lets particpants modify almost everything into a controller.

The computer is a handy device – but its controlling has become predictable. With space you make a blank space, by clicking right you choose objects, with C you make a C and so on. We know all that. So imagine you could control the computer with bananas, by making a high five, petting your cat, jumping into a bucket of water. The possibilities are nearly endless.

The aim of this workshop is to create own controllers with absurd, funny and unique ideas and diverse materials. With these controllers, the participants can play different games.

Workshop Level 1: Design Your Own Character Dress

Christina Kutscher — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:48:45 +0000

Become the designer of your own character dress. If you ever wanted to become the hero yourself you will have the chance to do so and create your own costume with different materials and approaches.

Workshop Level 1: Game Video

Karin — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:52:00 +0000

How about imitating the visual appearences of computer games in a short film? In this workshops you can shoot a short film with cameras and special effects, which use the codes of digital games. Racing games, Streetfighter or The Sims serve as models and are transferred into the real world.

Workshop Level 2: Chaos Cardbord Character Club (engl.)

Christina Kutscher — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:26:10 +0000

Character Design, regardless the medium, begins with analog methods. We take cardboard as our sketch-pad and ask: What is good character design? We cut, glue, play, build joints and design analog and interactive worlds in 2D and 3D …everything done with cardboard.

If required this workshop will be held in English.

Workshop Level 2: Game Design

Christina Kutscher — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 22:00:49 +0000

In this workshop the participants get to know about different approaches and basic concepts in game design. Providing a tangible example, they face character design as well as the game term and questions about balancing. In this context they begin to design their own game, which they can finish at home.

Workshop Level 2: How To Unity-Tools (engl.)

Christina Kutscher — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:57:58 +0000

This workshop focuses on the tools of Unity. From frame debugging to performance tests, everything related to Unity will be explained, shown and tried out here. Lastly, this workshops shows how easy it is to include peripheral devices in Unity.

If necessary, this workshop is in English.

Workshop Level 3: Interactive Storytelling (engl.)

Christina Kutscher — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:23:32 +0000

During this workshop the participants should gain experiences as authors and create their own interactive story. Therefor we will have a look at different examples from games – which decisions are made? What effects have those on the player / the reader? In addition every participant gets an insight in game design and game writing.

Like in the real game production, the participants should prepare a Pitch in small groups. Therefor topics are assigned by chance. The overall question is: What kind of story do you want to tell? What is exiting about it? What is the purpose? Every group shall transfer the basic idea in a short interactive story. The narrations are supplemented then by pictures. All stories will be published on the internet, provided that the participants agree with that.

The participants should learn that in the end storytelling and game design is much about courage to make decisions: What am I gonna to tell? And how? Small milestones and our support will help the participants to make progress from hour to hour. Finally, all stories will be played through together.

It is important that all participants are interested in storytelling and / or in narrations in games and want to create their own story. In the long run all should have the feeling to be able to write a story anytime and everywhere they want to.

If required this workshop will be held in English.

Conference Workshop I: Game Accessibility

Christina Kutscher — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:41:20 +0000

Conference Workshop II: Gaming Interfaces Beyond WASD (English)

Christina Kutscher — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 20:42:02 +0000

Why do we always play sitting down? What game control possibilities exist beyond game pads and WASD? With “Urban Invention” Amelie Künzler and Sandro Engel have adopted an unusual approach to virtual worlds. With Sisyfox the player controls the figures using a gymnastic ball; with ActiWait traffic light circuitry becomes a Pong playing field. In their workshop at the PLAY Conference they will present and discuss innovative game control possibilities.

The workshop will be held in English.