What does gaming and politics have in common? A lot! It is time for one of Sweden's largest gaming conferences and exhibitions in Skövde – Sweden Game Conference. This year's theme is "Games and Politics".
– Gaming is a powerful cultural phenomenon that can be so much more than just entertainment. Today's games often address important social aspects. The power of games will be demonstrated in this year's conference, says Marcus Toftedahl, PhD student in Game Development at the University of Skövde.
Unique meeting place
The annual conference and the following game festival, arranged by Sweden Game Arena through its parter organisations University of Skövde, Gothia Science Park, Skövde Municipality and Västra Götalandsregionen, has grown to be one of the largest of its kind in Sweden. Last year, almost 1000 people visited the conference and 4000 attended the gaming festival. Both events feature a unique niche of their own.
– As far as I know, this is the largest gathering in Sweden for the industry, education, research, and people interested in gaming to meet and share ideas. The event puts Skövde on the map as a strong area for game development. The conference theme is connected to the efforts from the municipality as well as the region in making Skövde a gaming city, says Marcus Toftedahl, and he continues:
– Our university has made gaming one of our focus areas, so we have a strong credibility in the field. We want to explore and develop the role of gaming as a medium in our societies and move beyond commercial interests. We want to achieve that by educating the developers of tomorrow and contribute with research enabling computer games to provide both individuals and the community with knowledge. That is why this year's theme fits like a glove for us.
Saturday is the gaming festival
Wednesday to Friday October 17 - 19, Arena Skövde will be full of conference participant who have come to listen to speakers from the industry, networking and mingle sessions in the booths. On Saturday, the event transforms from a conference to a festival. The event opens to the public, and you can try various games, participate in and watch cosplay (people dressing up as game characters) and meet developers and other people from the gaming industry.
You can also try games developed by students at the University in our booth.