Video Game Developers Across the U.S. to Work to Build Games Targeting Tweens’ Healthy Eating and Exercise Habits.
For Immediate Release
MOUNT ROYAL, NJ – May 6, 2010 – Today the International Game Developers Association announced it is organizing game jams in at least six major U.S. cities to harness the creative and technical capabilities of video game developers in support of the Apps for Healthy Kids game and software development competition (http://www.appsforhealthykids.com). The events will take place during the weekend of May 21-23, 2010 and are part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Lets Move! campaign to end childhood obesity within a generation. The Apps for Healthy Kids competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, seeks games and software tools – that motivate children, especially tweens ages 9-12, to eat better and be more physically active.
During the Health Games Challenge weekend, game developers, often collaborating with local youth across the U.S., will work intensively for 48 hours to produce video game prototypes from scratch that aim to improve players’ nutrition, weight management and/or physical activity. Prototypes will then be submitted to the Apps for Healthy Kids competition and will also be displayed at the sixth annual Games for Health Conference, to be held May 26-27, 2010 in Boston.
“This partnership brings together the largest association of game developers with two leading organizations that are exploring how video games and game technologies can improve health and health care. From May 21-23 these forces will come together at large-scale.” said Ben Sawyer, co-founder of the Games for Health Project and co-organizer of the game jam weekend.
“We applaud the USDA and the White House for seeing the potential power of digital games to improve health,”
Game jams involve individuals and small teams of game developers and artists who come together over short periods of time (usually 48 hours) to produce inspired prototypes, some of which develop later into full games. The combination of being in an environment with multiple teams, a short time frame, and an unfamiliar new challenge (e.g., improving nutrition and physical activity) has proven to be a great recipe for innovation.
Current plans call for the Game Jam Challenge to be hosted in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Atlanta. Jam participants can sign up as individuals or teams atwww.healthgameschallenge.org. Games must in some way address the problem of helping to improve children’s nutrition, weight management and/or physical activity.
Completed prototypes from the Game Jam Challenge will be judged by attendees at the Games for Health Conference, where three prizes will be awarded for favorite entries.. All prototypes created during the Health Games Challenge will be encouraged to submit a version of their creation to the Apps for Healthy Kids competition by its June 30, 2010 deadline.
Game Jam Challenge Details
All jams take place from May 21-23 (Friday – Sunday). As IGDA chapters find locations and set up participation structures, details will be posted online at:www.healthgameschallenge.org
All sites are encouraged to involve local youth, health experts and nutrition experts in their plans when possible.
Sites are asked to promote and provide healthy foods and snacks for all participants. Screenshots and, where possible, game demos as developed will be made available for public access though the http://www.healthgameschallenge.org site.
While the Apps for Healthy Kids competition is only open to U.S. residents, the IGDA still welcomes its international members to join in and participate for the fun of it.
International Game Developers Association Hosts Health Games Challenge Game Jams to Support USDA’s Apps for Healthy Kids Competition
Video Game Developers Across the U.S. to Work to Build Games Targeting Tweens’ Healthy Eating and Exercise Habits.
For Immediate Release
MOUNT ROYAL, NJ – May 6, 2010 – Today the International Game Developers Association announced it is organizing game jams in at least six major U.S. cities to harness the creative and technical capabilities of video game developers in support of the Apps for Healthy Kids game and software development competition (http://www.appsforhealthykids.com). The events will take place during the weekend of May 21-23, 2010 and are part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Lets Move! campaign to end childhood obesity within a generation. The Apps for Healthy Kids competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, seeks games and software tools – that motivate children, especially tweens ages 9-12, to eat better and be more physically active.
During the Health Games Challenge weekend, game developers, often collaborating with local youth across the U.S., will work intensively for 48 hours to produce video game prototypes from scratch that aim to improve players’ nutrition, weight management and/or physical activity. Prototypes will then be submitted to the Apps for Healthy Kids competition and will also be displayed at the sixth annual Games for Health Conference, to be held May 26-27, 2010 in Boston.
“This partnership brings together the largest association of game developers with two leading organizations that are exploring how video games and game technologies can improve health and health care. From May 21-23 these forces will come together at large-scale.” said Ben Sawyer, co-founder of the Games for Health Project and co-organizer of the game jam weekend.
Game jams involve individuals and small teams of game developers and artists who come together over short periods of time (usually 48 hours) to produce inspired prototypes, some of which develop later into full games. The combination of being in an environment with multiple teams, a short time frame, and an unfamiliar new challenge (e.g., improving nutrition and physical activity) has proven to be a great recipe for innovation.
Current plans call for the Game Jam Challenge to be hosted in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Atlanta. Jam participants can sign up as individuals or teams atwww.healthgameschallenge.org. Games must in some way address the problem of helping to improve children’s nutrition, weight management and/or physical activity.
Completed prototypes from the Game Jam Challenge will be judged by attendees at the Games for Health Conference, where three prizes will be awarded for favorite entries.. All prototypes created during the Health Games Challenge will be encouraged to submit a version of their creation to the Apps for Healthy Kids competition by its June 30, 2010 deadline.
Game Jam Challenge Details