A new annual games festival has been announced this week. Described as, 'a street-level cultural celebration of videogames and interactive entertainment' Game City will take place in Nottingham during half-term week, 25th-29th October and will include debates, seminars and workshops as well as entertainment events such as game screenings, movies and even art exhibitions.
"With the arrival of next generation consoles and handhelds more people of than ever before will become involved with games of one sort or another," says Iain Simons, the event director. "GameCity will entertain, inform and educate individuals, industry and the public sector on the value and the potential of interactive entertainment for everyone. With the phenomenal growth in this sector, we believe it's the right time for the industry to start challenging itself in this way."
Alongside the Edinburgh International Games Festival, this is another interesting attempt to actually involve the public in a major videogame event - rather than inviting trade participants only and beating the hoi polloi away with sticks. I also like the fact that organisers are starting to feel safe using the word festival in relation to videogames. It's almost as though they are attaining cultural validity.
Game City sounds quite worthy and educational at the moment, though. Can't we have a games festival that's more like Glastonbury? Fields full of retro and next-gen games consoles attached to enormous screens while bands play strictly videogame-inspired music and food stands sell only pizza, crisps and Red Bull. Anyone got a spare couple of acres? I think I'm going to have a bash at this...
