Western Cape developers to pitch innovative digital games to judges

The winner of a digital game aimed at empowering residents to uplift their communities, will be announced tomorrow.

Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, will announce the winner of the Serious About Games initiative at the Bandwidth Barn tomorrow (Tuesday, 4 April 2017).

The project is a collaboration between the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), Interactive Entertainment South Africa (IESA), 67 Games, and the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI).

Minister Winde said the Serious About Games initiative called for game developers to work with communities to create a game which would allow residents to reimagine their communities, with a focus on better access to economic opportunities. Four teams were selected as semi-finalists and developed prototypes of their games.

The finalists will pitch their concepts to a panel of judges, and guests will have the opportunity to test the games. The first prize winners will have the opportunity to fully develop their game so that it can be rolled out to communities.

The games proposed by the four semi-finalists are:

• Vukuzenzela: The team is comprised of RenderHeads, an experienced game development company, and Ikhayalami, an NPO with years of experience in on-the-ground informal settlement “reblocking”. Their game focuses on improving living standards by reconfiguring the layout of informal settlements, allowing for easy access for emergency services, provision of infrastructure and basic services, and recreational areas;
• Sea Monster and VPUU (Violence Prevention Through Urban Upgrading) Collaboration: Their players would be community youth leaders with few resources, but a “secret special ability” to influence the world around them. The team argued that the data produced would provide both the VPUU and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism with greater insight into social conditions and preferences of youth in poor communities;
• Next Question: Their game tackles the issue of youth unemployment, and aims to increase residents knowledge about starting their own business;
• Indie Collective: Their game seeks to the address the issue of under-utilised community facilities. Residents are able to build and manage their own community centre.

DETAILS

Date:              Tuesday, 4 April 2017

Venue:           Bandwidth Barn, Woodstock

Time:              Pitching starts at 4pm

                       Minister Winde will announce the winner at around 6:30pm

 All media are invited to attend.