The Hollywood Hill is a proud sponsor of IndieCade 2009!
Thursday, 9/24, 9:30AM | Events + Conferences
Located in downtown Culver City Oct. 2-4th, the IndieCade 2009 International Festival of Independent Games is the world's only festival of independent games open to the public. The Hollywood Hill is a promotional sponsor this year and The Hollywood Hill's members will receive a discount on day passes to the events. To purchase discounted tickets (20% off) on the web, go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/72291 and enter in The Hollywood Hill member's discount code (members should email for code).
The Hollywood Hill's Executive Director, Ariel Hauter, will be moderating a panel on Friday, October 2nd, at 11am titled "Challenging Topics," with co-panelists Brenda Brathwaite (Train), and Mikkel Overby (Global Conflicts: Latin America).
The panel will explore how the Games for Change community is approaching challenging topics in games, particularly the methods for effecting measurable social change through video game activities. Panelist Brenda Brathwaite's game Train is in competition for IndieCade 2009, as well as the Global Conflicts team who will be attending from Denmark for their in-competition game Global Conflicts: Latin America.
Brenda is the longest serving woman in computer games, having been involved since 1981 in 22 commercial titles. Brenda is on the Board of the International Game Developer's Association, and is the Chair and Founder of the IDGA's Sex Special Interest Group.
Game Profiles
Train (Brenda Brathwaite, US)
Train, a new non-digital art game by video game pioneer and academic Brenda Brathwaite, is part of a suite of experimental board games she is developing to address challenging emotional topics. An elegant art object built from found objects in the tradition of the Dada and Fluxus movements, Train reflects upon one of the greatest tragedies in human history through an abstract yet reverent approach to the subject matter. Brathwaite's approach might best be described as an interactive poem, using a simple, elegant, abstract game mechanic and lovely, simple but powerful visual elements to give the player an unexpected view of the Holocaust, one that provokes thought while remaining respectful of those who lost their lives. The end result is a striking art object which can also teach and enrich us.
Global Conflicts: Latin America (Mikkel Overby, Denmark)
From Denmark's Serious Games Interactive, Global Conflicts: Latin America is the second in a compelling series of documentary games. Using 3D graphics and storytelling worthy of a studio-produced game, Global Conflicts: Latin America borrows extensively from the adventure game genre, combined with the 3D open exploration of Grand Theft Auto, putting the player in the role of a journalist trying investigating a story. Players explore a small town whose populace serves a nearby maquiladora whose poor environmental practices has lead to a spate of illnesses and birth defects in the town. It's a rivetting narrative, and the more you investigate the more drawn in you are by the human drama unfolding before you, even while coming up against formidable adversaries who don't want you to know the truth. As with its other offerings, Serious Games has succeeded in its goal of creating games in the spirit of initiatives like Participant Productions, the film company responsible Syriana and Good Night and Good Luck, games that both entertain and engage people with meaningful, serious topics.
