seriousgames

Advanced Education and Technology is considering developing an electronic game to engage and inform students about careers in the Trades and thereby increase the number of students pursuing Trades education. The goal is to enhance parents and learners’ knowledge and awareness of Alberta’s advanced learning system through a collaborative, awareness and mentorship campaign. If you a Digital Alberta member, you may request a copy of this RFP by emailing info@digitalalberta.com.

The Technology Commercialization Division of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology has been informed of an RFI/RFP surrounding an online serious game that will provide information and promote trades careers and options to 13-19 year old students.

The RFI will be published on the Alberta Purchasing Connection website in the next few weeks.

Joe Biglin, co-founder of BreakAway Games is going to be joining us for the Serious Games: Training the Next Generation Workshop we are hosting on April 3rd in Edmonton and April 4th in Calgary. This is rare opportunity to hear from this well established company who has been a pioneer in the Serious Games arena. BreakAway Games has provided solutions in multiple industry sectors.

Join us on April 3rd and 4th for a unique workshop focused on exploring the opportunities for a new generation of training solutions that have been popularized as "serious games." This workshop is designed to bring together game developers, buyers, and industry professionals to identify collaborative opportunities and to exchange ideas around serious gaming solutions in areas such as corporate training, first responders, health, and industry training.

From October 30 to November 3, nine Albertans representing a range of Alberta-based companies and institutions attended a trade mission in Washington D.C. This mission was designed to be a mentored program that provides financial and strategic support to selected companies through a range of pre-market, in-market, and post-market activities, including information sessions, briefings, and connector events.

USA Today features an article on the recent Serious Games Summit in Washington DC. "Video games are getting a serious dose of reality. The two-day Serious Games Summit, ending Tuesday in Arlington, Va., features games that involve such real-world issues as gerrymandering, medical education and military operations."

A recent article in the New York Times explores the topic of serious games:

Sun, Oct 29 to Fri, Nov 3 (Washington D.C.)

The emerging "serious games" sector represents a significant new opportunity for companies to use cutting-edge entertainment technologies to solve problems and provide simulated training experiences that educate and inform. Many commercial games are already in use for purposes other than entertainment. Titles such as SimCity, Civilization, America's Army and others have been used as learning tools in schools and industries across the globe.

For a round-up for entertaining games with non-entertainment goals (serious games), be sure to check out the listing at Social Impact Games. All sorts of games for education, public policy, health, political, business, military, advergames, and commercial games are featured here. A great primer into the field of serious games.

The Serious Games Initiative is focused on uses for games in exploring management and leadership challenges facing the public sector. Part of its overall charter is to help forge productive links between the electronic game industry and projects involving the use of games in education, training, health, and public policy.