PLAY19

The PLAY19 Creative Gaming Festival from November 14th to 17th in Hamburg proved that not just fear was on offer.

Under the motto “Of Monsters and Games” PLAY19 presented an extensive and diverse Festival program that brought together people of widely differing backgrounds who were enthused about a cultural and social examination of the significance of games. Games enthusiasts, parents and children, students, media experts, teachers, games developers and artists were able to play, discuss, program, even iron – not to mention expansively celebrate – together.

Some 19 workshops and advanced education sessions, excursions to Hamburg game development companies, fascinating impulse presentations and roundtable discussions offered opportunities where various facets of the gaming culture were illuminated. Workshop participants were able to learn how to provide game monsters with sound, or how artificial intelligence can be used to create a feeling of fear in games. The developer of the award-winning game “Sea of Solitude” explained in an impulse presentation how human emotions become monsters. On the PLAY Couch, discussions were held on how monstrous (and monstrously important) communities can be or how game designers find their ideas for new games. In the evenings Rock & Wrestling’s monstrous interactive wrestling show and the PLAY party created a high-spirited mood for the festival public.