13/07/2009
"One of the most interesting innovations in digital technology is how it is driving new face-to-face interaction."
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), Hide&Seek and Ivo Gormley of Thinkpublic have joined forces to produce Playmakers - a major new project exploring the new phenomenon of pervasive gaming.
Central to Playmakers is an ambitious new game, commissioned to push the boundaries of this emerging genre. The game will debut at Hide&Seek's showcase event at London's South Bank in July 2009.
Playmakers follows the development of the game from the initial design to its premiere via a series of engaging short films.
The films will document the energy and creativity inherent in the open, collaborative process of pervasive game design. They will also take a wider look at the emergence of pervasive gaming in a social, cultural and technological context, during which experts from a range of disciplines from architecture and design, to technology and participation, will explore 21st century forms of games and play.
"One of the most interesting innovations in digital technology is how it is driving new face-to-face interaction and also how it's blurring the boundaries between work and play" says Roland Harwood of NESTA Connect. "Pervasive games are about bringing the best of digital technology into physical spaces through playing games and that's why it's so exciting and worth paying careful attention to."
Ivo Gormley, of Thinkpublic said, "With the increasing availability of geo-location technologies I think we're seeing the emergence of games that allow us to interact in different ways with people we've never met - a completely new way of experiencing public space.
"I'm very excited about people using technology to get away from computers and start playing games in the real world instead of virtual ones. Play is an essential part of being human, I'm excited about it becoming public again."
Alex Fleetwood, Director, Hide&Seek said, "This is a great opportunity for Hide&Seek, both to create a new pervasive game that pushes at the boundaries of the form, and through the process we've designed with as exciting a filmmaker as Ivo Gormley, to bring our work and ideas to a whole new set of audiences."
More details are available on the Playmakers website.
Notes to editors:
Pervasive games, also known as augmented reality games, city games or big games, are old forms of play fused with new technological possibilities. Most share the principles of integrating real-world play with digital technology, engagement & social contact through game narratives, using the city as your playground and transforming urban spaces into cinematic & theatrical stage-sets.
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) is the largest independent endowment in the UK and its mission is to support innovation to drive economic recovery and solve some of the UK's major social challenges.
NESTA is a world leader in its field and is in a unique position to support and promote innovation through a blend of practical programmes, policy and research, and investment in early-stage companies.
Hide&Seek is a company which produces social games and playful experiences. Curator of the UK's first pervasive games festival, it also runs regular Sandpits, social hubs where anyone into games can share ideas and engage in open game design processes.
Ivo Gormley is a film-maker and director of the globally acclaimed 2008 documentary Us Now about the power of mass collaboration, government and the internet. He works for Thinkpublic, an award-winning agency focused on using design to improve service experiences in the public sector.
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