Gaming is a rapidly growing phenomenon that has long transcended the boundaries of pure entertainment. The video game industry has reached significant proportions, extending to the point where it culturally influences multiple generations. Video games are becoming increasingly complex and engaging, naturally generating new opportunities for the development of digital, professional, and social skills. Today, we can define it as a diverse universe rich in opportunities, stimuli, and challenges. Gaming is, in fact, also a tool for education, a professional alternative, but also a new language for transferring knowledge, connecting the real world to the digital one.
Maker Faire Rome 2023, the festival that celebrates innovation, has chosen to embrace gaming and the innovations it brings to its EdTech area, with the aim of spreading greater knowledge and awareness of the opportunities and challenges associated with it. To do this in the best possible way, Innova Camera – the Special Company of the Rome Chamber of Commerce for Innovation, which organizes Maker Faire Rome – has chosen to involve two significant entities in the Italian video game landscape: the Italian Video Game Academy (AIV), Maker Camp, and Insert Coin.
Gaming at Maker Faire Rome 2023: Let’s Discover AIV
The first partner of Maker Faire Rome 2023 within the dedicated gaming area is the Italian Video Game Academy (AIV). It was established in 2004 with the intention of creating a center where enthusiasts could entertain themselves and acquire the skills for writing advanced computer programs and creating video games, thus learning the “craftsmanship of the digital.” Today, AIV trains approximately 400 students per year, offering two- and three-year courses totaling 900 hours of face-to-face training in seven basic educational paths:
- Graphics
- Programming
- Game Design
- Narrative
- Writing
- Music
Character Animation
Students who choose AIV will become future professionals capable of competing in the international market. Many of them have found employment in some of the world’s most important entities over the course of about twenty years, such as Sega, Ubisoft Singapore, Sony, Asobo Studio, Codemaster, Streamline Studios.
Since 2019, AIV has been organizing one of the largest Italian development events: the Global Game Jam. It is a global development event, essential for all young developers who, by participating, will be tasked with developing a complete game in one week.
The Italian Video Game Academy is also an institutionally recognized entity, as evidenced by its collaboration with the team for Digital Transformation of Palazzo Chigi and the signing of the “Manifesto for a Digital Republic.” The latter was proposed by the Extraordinary Commissioner for the Implementation of the Digital Agenda, Luca Attias, with the aim of promoting digital inclusion and improving accessibility to public administration services for all citizens.
AIV at Maker Faire Rome 2023: Don’t Miss These Activities
AIV will bring all its potential to Maker Faire Rome 2023, ensuring students and enthusiasts a complete gaming experience. Here are some activities not to be missed:
- Student video game projects: AIV will present the results that students following development courses in high schools can achieve. All students in specialized classes and those participating in PCTO will have the opportunity to showcase the video games developed during their studies or game jams at dedicated stations where the public can try them out.
- High school student Game Jam: A themed game jam will be organized with approximately 25 selected students. During this session, students will be guided by AIV tutors.
- Demonstrative area for development activities: In order to share the potential of their work with visitors, an area will be set up where some Italian Video Game Academy students will showcase various stages of their development work, with a focus on visual aspects that are more easily communicable.
- Academic video game testing area: Within this area, visitors will have the opportunity to directly test some educational, scientific, therapeutic video games that help develop skills and competencies. This experience includes testing AR and VR.
- Talk Area: AIV’s setup area will feature interesting talks on gamification, career orientation in the video game industry, the transferability of skills to other professional and industrial fields, and skills acquired through video games, along with testimonies from school teachers.
Maker Campus at Maker Faire Rome 2023: Must-Attend Events
The gaming area of Maker Faire Rome 2023 will also host another important partner to ensure visitors have an unforgettable and comprehensive experience. Alongside AIV, Maker Camp will present its work. Maker Camp leverages the engagement potential of video games such as Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, esports, and the metaverse to enhance contemporary skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration with others. Specifically, it harnesses the immersive power of these video games to develop tailored solutions for museums, cultural attractions, and educational institutions, using gamification to effectively communicate cultural content to children, families, and schools. Marco Vigelini, the company’s administrator, was the first in Italy to introduce the video game Minecraft as an educational tool in Italian schools in 2013. Today, he is recognized as one of the top 10 Minecraft educators in the world and is the only Minecraft Certified Trainer in Italy, as well as a speaker in Italy and abroad on Education Technology and the promotion of video games in cultural contexts.
At Maker Faire Rome 2023, Maker Camp will offer visitors not-to-be-missed experiences, such as:
- Minecraft Workshop: A Journey Through Time: The video game becomes an ideal tool for engaging young participants and enhancing skills considered necessary in the near future: creativity, complex problem-solving, logical thinking, and collaborative abilities.
- Family Workshop with Mario and Luigi: The family workshop with Mario and Luigi is a unique experience that combines the fun of a video game with augmented reality technology. Using the popular game Mario Kart, participants will have the opportunity to control real mini-karts through the game’s controls.
- Esports Workshop: The esports workshop, suitable for children and teenagers aged 8 to 15, allows participants to discover the world of esports and improve their gaming skills. Using games like Brawlhalla and Splatoon, participants will learn to work in teams, develop gaming strategies, and enhance their hand-eye coordination.
- Roblox Workshop: Participants can immerse themselves in the world of Roblox and learn to create their own customized gaming experience within an exciting workshop! The activity is designed for participants aged 12 to 16 and offers the opportunity to explore the potential of Roblox Studio, an integrated development environment used to create and publish games on the Roblox platform.
Insert Coin APS at Maker Faire Rome 2023: Here Are All the Activities
Finally, Maker Faire Rome 2023 will also be an opportunity to present the evolution of the world of video games. To do this, the Insert Coin APS association has been involved, founded to support game culture and preserve the historical memory of video game art, emphasizing its strictly artistic dimension. Insert Coin APS will curate a museum-like exhibition space called the Videogame Art Museum, which preserves the historical memory of video games with over 100 consoles, home computers, and more than 1000 playable video games from 1972 to the present day. Inside this area, visitors will have the opportunity to try out vintage video games at 20 dedicated stations.
Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of gaming; participate in Maker Faire
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