Schedule 2016

It’s time to press start, level up and take part in Games Without Frontiers—UVic’s “pop-up idea arcade”!

On Saturday, March 12, 2016, as part of the University of Victoria‘s annual IdeaFest, professors, grad students, undergraduates, high-school students, local game designers and curious citizens of Victoria gathered to explore, discuss and marvel at the power of video-game technology to bring people together to improve the world. Yes, video games!

Here’s a sneak peek at our schedule-in-progress. Watch for confirmation of more speakers and activities in the new year! Demo room doors open @ noon. First panel begins at 12:20 pm. (Game Jam runs from 10 am to 2 pm.)

Saturday, March 12: MacLaurin Building A and D-Wings, UVic, noon – 4:30 pm 

Free, open to the public, all ages.

Panels, MacLaurin A-Wing Foyer, David Lam Auditorium (A144)

12:15 – 5:00 pm: Panel Discussions

Moderator: David Leach (Writing, Technology & Society)

Welcome, Intro & Overview: 12:20-12:30 pm

Panel #1: Games and Education, 12:30-1:15 pm

Panel #2: The Future of Virtual & Augmented Reality, 1:30-2:15 pm

Panel #3: Games for Health, 2:30-3:15 pm

Panel #4: Art as Games & the Playable City: 3:30-4:15 pm

Game Jam Presentations & Closing Ceremonies: 4:15-pm

Game Demos: noon – 4:00 pm (MacLaurin D115)

Interactive, hands-on tables of video games and game-inspired designs by local companies, UVic researchers, students and indie game developers.

  1. Super Mario Maker — game designer and UVic alum Colton Phillips turns players into level designers.
  2. UVic GameDev Club (Computer Science etc.)— student game designers
  3. Centre for Autism Research Technology & Education (Psychology) — apps for autism
  4. Gord Holden, Immersive Technology 4 Learning — virtual worlds for education
  5. KANO/APPS — local game studio extraordinaire
  6. Tim and Francis Lee Pelton (Education) — MathTappers
  7. CanAssist — game-related assistive technologies
  8. Independent Game Developers Association — Victoria chapter
  9. Jillianne Code (Education), ALIVE Research Lab  -virtual worlds for education and assessment
  10. Alex Christie (English) — playtesting the modern novel, with Samuel Beckett & Marcel Proust
  11. Bernadette Perry (French), Explorez! — augmented reality French learning app
  12. Lauren Fox (VIHA), Booster Buddy — quest-based app for mental health

Lessons from a Competitive Gamer: 12:30-4:30 pm (MacLAurin D110) with Reese Giroux

  • 12:30-1:15 pm What are esports? an introduction to the world of competitive gaming
  • 1:30-2:15 pm It is all about mentality?: thought process and approaching a game competitively
  • 2:30-4:30 pm Personal Experiences & Popular Misconceptions
    • The best in the world. Obtaining a #1 ranking in World of Warcraft
    • Becoming Versa-tile. My experience playing Call of Duty as a semi-pro
    • Getting Better: My trials breaking into Counter-Strike Global Offensive.

Game Jam: Like a Refugee: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (MacLaurin D111)

  • Video-game designer and Technology & Society instructor Ashley Blacquiere joins board-game maker Brian Train to guide small groups in a 4-hour “game jam” to create interactive projects (video games, board games, card games, apps, anything!) that promote understanding about the global refugee crisis and experience. Prize packages for all participants! Mentoring from experienced game designers and local refugee groups. No experience necessary.
  • Sign up here. For more information, contact techsoc@uvic.ca or ashleyb@uvic.ca

MinecraftEDU Room: noon – 4:00 pm (MacLaurin D211)

Valerie Irvine (Education) and student-mentors from local K-12 schools show off the creative learning potential of MinecraftEDU on 30 linked computer stations. Discover the power of Minecraft to promote collaborative learning!

Megawatts & Marbles: noon – 4:00 pm (MacLaurin A Wing Foyer)

Manuel Fluck and fellow researchers from UVic’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems demos a hands-on interactive marble game in which several players are challenged to balance electrical generation and demand.

Tabletop and Analog Game Demos: noon – 4:00 pm (MacLaurin A Wing)

Local game-makers and game stores will teach you the rules of their own creations and other non-digital games. Check out games and activities from the following presenters:

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