Christiane, how did you arrive at this year’s theme and what monsters are involved?

CS: Everyone associates something with monsters. They appear in literature, films and, of course, in games. We want to talk about monsters and make them tangible and experienceable. What are today’s monsters? Are they frightening, hairy ogres or do we think of cute little Pokémons? How are monsters represented in games? What stories are told? We are not only concerned with concrete figures, rather also with the inner demons that paralyze us and make us ill and with depression and actual violent experiences. It is also about monsters in politics and society. We want to playfully and creatively address the entire bandwidth and ambivalence of the theme.

Regarding playful and creative: Why is PLAY a festival?

CS: The initiative’s motto is “Playing with Games”, and we implement it in our festival, to be precise by playing together for a specific time in different locations. We invite our attendees to exchange ideas on games and to develop games together. It’s always amazing to observe how school classes are often disappointed when they visit our exhibition and don’t find the usual popular computer games; but then are captivated by new games and aesthetics and, by analogy, entirely different communal experiences. We intend to irritate, to actively break rules, to alter perspectives and to collectively create new designs – and all of this within the context of a colorful many-faceted festival program.

What does the specific program contain? Are there defined sections?

CS: There is the PLAY Exhibition for example, in which theme relevant games are featured and can be tried out. In the Monster Lab attendees can actively create their own monster games at various stations ranging from character design via storytelling to programing and sound. At the Speakers’ Corner which was introduced and very well received in 2018, it is possible to do a 15 to 30-minute public presentation on an exciting digital games cultural topic, to do an experience sharing session or to present a new project. Topics for the Speakers’ Corner can be submitted starting August 15th. PLAY on Stage will feature theater performances and evening events such as Rock & Wrestling, and in the Artist Talks fascinating guests such as synchronous speaker Alexander Merbeth or sound designer Mathilde Hofmann can be heard. I am especially pleased with the PLAY Friends; these are partner events that take place in advance of the PLAY Festival. In addition, we have organized visits to Hamburg’s development studios during the Festival.

And then there are also the awards?

CS: Right. For the fifth time we will present the Creative Gaming Award. Nominated games, media productions and prototypes will also be on display in the exhibition. The international prizes will be presented in the following categories: Most Creative Game Award to the most creative project and the Most Innovative Newcomer Award to the best new generation production. A competent jury selects the winners who will be announced at the Award ceremony on August 16th.

Vera Marie, you are responsible for the workshop program. What is on offer this year?

VMR: Christiane already mentioned the Monster Lab. In addition, diverse two-hour workshops will be offered on such themes as Storytelling (Mattias Kempke and Aljoscha Jelinek), Sound Design (Mathilde Hofmann) and Character Design (Dominik Johann). Katharina Appel and Christina Metzler will demonstrate how to build alternative controllers and in a second workshop how to create a Let’s Play video. Heiko Wolf will hold a game design workshop with Bloxels, and Andreas Rauscher provides an overview of the history of monsters in games. Two other workshops are very interesting: Dom Schott is concerned with the “inner” monsters and Mareike Kochansky focuses on parasocial relationships to Pokémons.

And then there is the Zombie Workshop?

VMR: Yes, that’s right. The director and actress Christiane Pfeifer enables participants themselves to become zombies. How does one behave as a monster, how does one move, how does one express oneself? But also, the two Fundus Theater workshops will include performances: attendees will develop monsters together and in addition create instructions for a Monster Search on the festival site. Everywhere it’s about the various facets of monsters and their design.

What advanced education workshops is PLAY offering this year and who is the targeted audience?

VMR: Our advance training program is directed, above all, at teachers and subject specific pedagogues. Nico Nolden and Alexander Buck explain the use of digital history games (histogames) in the classroom. The Initiative Creative Gaming will give a practical workshop on the Creative Gaming approach.

Andreas, how important is PLAY for the festival location Hamburg?

AH: PLAY is internationally acclaimed and consequently occupies a firm place in the city’s festival culture and is just as important as the well-known literature, music and film festivals in this city. PLAY is unique in its form because it unites the areas of media art, discourse and education with the digital games culture. We want to make it clear that games have great creative potential, that they have long since become relevant to society and educational institutions and address a wide range of people from young people to senior citizens.

What specifically does that mean?

AH: Games tell stories, give impulses and stimulate processes. With our Festival we want to make this cultural diversity visible and experienceable. PLAY is a rallying point, a place of shared discovery and idea exchange. Games do not stand alone; rather, just like film, literature and music, they address social development and change. PLAY intends to deal with these socially relevant themes and highlight the artistic and technical continuing development in the games space, as well as emphasize the inclusion of computer games as an important element in youth culture in schools and other educational institutions. This theme-mix captures the interest of our attendees.

What is your target audience and how many people attend the festivals?

AH: Every year we have approximately 5,000 visitors. Our attendees are primarily game developers, scholars, researchers, pedagogues, students, school classes, film makers, media artists, sound designers and, of course, those in the general public who are interested in games and culture.

The sector network Gamecity is located in Hamburg and in general there is significant political support for the Games sector as an economic factor in the city. Where do you fit in? Who are your sponsors and partners?

AH: The Initiative Creative Gaming who has hosted the festival starting in 2008 in Potsdam and since 2013 together with jaf – Verein für medienpädagogische Praxis Hamburg here in this Hanseatic city. We are closely connected with many stakeholders; there is a continuous exchange of ideas. Governmental responsibility remains problematic because we are active in the culture, education and scientific spaces and only indirectly in the economic sphere. Here we would like to see more transparency and collective progress; however, we are on the right track. In the city we are supported by the Behörde für Schule and Berufsbildung Hamburg (BSB), dem JIZ – Jugendinformationszentrum Hamburg also (BSB) and gamecity:Hamburg. On the federal level, our long-standing cooperation partner is the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung/bpb and its Plattform spielbar.de on the Subject of Computer Games. We have many fans in Hamburg politics and already organized major events in previous years (including those in the Town Hall) with them. Thus, we are very pleased that Carola Veit, President of the City Council will once again open this year’s PLAY, not least because she has personally supported the Festival for many years.

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Hamburg, August 13th, 2019. Whether human or monster, this year’s PLAY – Creative Gaming Festival will be celebrated from November 14th through 17th. Today, the festival team provides first glimpses of the diverse events and program formats that attendees can expect to encounter under the motto “Of Monsters and Games”.

PLAY19’s focus is on the creative application of digital games – inventing, constructing, modifying, programming, dancing, crafting, discussing – everything is allowed! The Studio of the Future, a large development lab, will this year be turned into the Monster Lab: here at several different stations, visitors can bring monsters to life and playfully experience how digital games are created. One of the stations will offer, in collaboration with the FUNDUS THEATER, the following: modelled on the “Beastie” performance by the artist duo Lone Twin, participants can transform themselves into monsters. On the other hand, those visitors who would rather play with monsters can pick up a gamepad at the PLAY Exhibition and try out the creative new gaming concepts and Indie titles. The most creative gaming ideas and concepts will be recognized during the Creative Gaming Awards event at the conclusion of the festival.

Things really liven up with Rock & Wrestling. The subcultural trash wrestling show honors PLAY19 with its presence and takes visitors back to the monster wrestling games of the 80’s and 90’s. In the classic tradition of Rampage & Co. characters such as Sailor Boy, Mr. Cheese or Eddie the Iceman present themselves to the audience. As in every year at PLAY19, numerous workshops, impulse lectures, advanced training, artists’ talks, excursions, and last but not least the PLAY Couch with moderator and WASD publisher Christian Schiffer belong to the center pieces of the program.

Visitors who wish to actively participate in the PLAY19 program can do so within the context of the Speakers’ Corner. Here, attendees have the opportunity to make a presentation at the festival. Presentation submissions can be made online starting August 15th to https://playfestival.de/category/speakerscorner/.

In addition to the festival headquarters in the Markthalle, the other confirmed venues are: Barlach Halle K, the Akademie der freien Künste and the Central Library of the Bücherhallen Hamburg. All venues are within easy walking distance of the Hamburg Central Station.

Further details on PLAY19 can be found on the official website at www.playfestival.de.

The PLAY team at Gamescom on 20 and 21 August
Those of you who want to learn more have the opportunity to meet and become acquainted with the PLAY19 organization team at gamescom in Cologne on August 20th and 21st. To arrange an appointment, please contact us starting now at tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu

Further Information:
For questions and photo requests please contact: Tina Ziegler
Tel.: 0174 444-0454 or (0) 45231-98412-33
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www. playfestival.de

Background:
Since 2007 the PLAY Festival has united the areas of media art, discourse and education with the digital game culture. Its primary focus is the creative application of digital games – inventing, building, tinkering, modifying, programming, dancing, discussing – everything is allowed! PLAY19 is the Festival for games lovers, gamers, Indie game developers media artists school children and students, teachers and educators, researchers and people from the Games sector as well as all who want to learn and play digital games.

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Hamburg, October 7th, 2019. In six weeks the PLAY19 – Creative Gaming Festival invites humans and monsters to Hamburg. Here, also this year, the festival will offer an extensive and diverse program at the following venues: Markthalle, Central Library, Freie Akademie der Künste and Barlach Hall K, all within easy walking distance of Hamburg Central Station.

Today, the PLAY19 team provides you an exclusive detailed perspective of the types of events, that from November 14th to 17th revolve around the “Of Monsters and Games” theme.

Sixteen workshops focus on designing and programing of creatures: participants will be able to create their own game controllers in the tradition of Dr. Frankenstein, to assemble monstrous figures consisting of pixels, together with the FUNDUS THEATER to discover monsters in everyday life, or to learn about monsters in video game history in Prof. Dr. Andreas Rauscher’s Monster Hunt workshop. Journalist Dom Schott explains how games can be used to treat inner demons such as depression and trauma. In a performative self-experiment with the director and dramaturge Charlotte Pfeiffer you can even become a monster yourself. In addition, you can learn how to produce your own podcasts from the “Insert-Moin” creators Manuel Fritsch and Michael Cherdchupan.

Artist talks with developers and artists in the games space are at the center of the stage program, which as last year is ably moderated by WASD publisher and BR journalist Christian Schiffer. Besides panel discussions, enough variety is provided on the PLAY stage by LARP workshops or the Machinima Cinema. Those of you who would like to do a presentation can apply for a Speakers’ Corner spot until October 31st with your own contribution on a games related topic.

Artist talks with developers and artists in the games space are at the center of the stage program, which as last year is ably moderated by WASD publisher and BR journalist Christian Schiffer. Besides panel discussions, enough variety is provided on the PLAY stage by LARP workshops or the Machinima Cinema. Those of you who would like to do a presentation can apply for a Speakers’ Corner spot until October 31st with your own contribution on a games related topic.

PLAY19 sets another main focus on advanced education of pedagogical professionals and teachers, for example within the framework of the fostering of literary comprehension with AR an VR in a training session with Prof. Dr. Jan M. Boelmann and Lisa König, or the presentation of the OER platform “Media Literacy with Games” by the Initiative Creative Gaming e.V.

Of course, the Creative Gaming Awards in three categories will also be conferred this year. On November 16th in the Pre-Show Manuel Fritsch and Janina Kozubik (alias OddNina) will introduce the three nominees in the categories Most Creative Game and Most Innovative Newcomer. The nominees will have been selected out of 84 submissions from 17 countries. Who wins will be determined by a high-caliber jury. Festival attendees will also be able to honor their personal favorite game with the Audience Award. Naturally, the exhibition, which is open during the entire Festival, provides ample opportunity to personally tryout numerous innovative games concepts and games.

The program and event schedule, which will continue to be updated up to the Festival opening date, can be found on the official website under http://www.playfestival.de.

Further Information
For questions and photo requests please contact Tina Ziegler
Tel.: 0174-4440454 oder 04523 – 984-1233
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.PLAY19.de

Background
Since 2007 the PLAY Festival has united the areas of media art, discourse and education with the digital game culture. Its primary focus is the creative application of digital games – inventing, building, tinkering, modifying, programming, dancing, discussing – everything is allowed! PLAY19 is the Festival for games lovers, gamers, Indie game developers media artists school children and students, teachers and educators, researchers and people from the Games sector as well as all who want to learn and play digital games.

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Hamburg, November 6th, 2019. When it gets dark early, the monsters step out of the shadows. But, why be afraid when we can play with them? Exactly that is what is on offer at PLAY19 – Creative Gaming Festival, from November 14th through the 17th, 2019 in Hamburg. The motto of the 12th annual Festival is: “Of Monsters and Games”.

“Monsters lie in wait under our beds, they can exist inside us, sometimes they only want cookies, other times they reflect our deepest fears. Why do monsters exist and why must we face them so often in games? That is what PLAY takes a critical look at this year” explains Vera Marie Rodewald, a member of the PLAY19 leadership team. “We cordially invite games enthusiasts, artists, students, teachers and developers to play with us, to create monsters, develop games, to celebrate, to participate in our award ceremony and even to attend a monstrous Wrestling Show.

The Festival venues are: Festival Headquarters in the Markthalle directly across from Hamburg Central Station as well as other venues in the immediate vicinity in the Central Library, the “Freie Akademie der Künste” and in Barlach Halle K..

In addition to the games exhibition, panel discussions, advanced education, conversations directly with developers and artists as well as numerous workshops in which individuals will be able to develop their own game ideas await the attendees. Prof. Dr. Linda Breitlauch from Trier University explains why monsters and games go together so well. The FUNDUS Theater takes the visitors together on a monster hunt – or they will themselves be transformed into zombies during a performance by the dramaturge Charlotte Pfeifer. In a workshop Prof. Dr. Jörg Müller-Lietzkow, Professor for Economics and Digitalization at the HafenCity University Hamburg works out how Artificial Intelligence can be employed in games to create monsters. Guests can discover why, of all things, a goose is perhaps the most adorable monster of the 2019 Game Year in the interactive exhibition of 20 games in the presence of artists/developers from 14 countries.

Precise information and the content of the festival program are found on the official website under http://www.playfestival.de, where also the exact timetable of all events is available.

Further Information
For questions and photo requests please contact Tina Ziegler
Tel.: 0174-4440454 or 04523 – 984-1233
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.PLAY19.de

Background
Since 2007 the PLAY Festival has united the areas of media art, discourse and education with the digital game culture. Its primary focus is the creative application of digital games – inventing, building, tinkering, modifying, programming, dancing, discussing – everything is allowed! PLAY19 is the Festival for games lovers, gamers, Indie game developers media artists school children and students, teachers and educators, researchers and people from the Games sector as well as all who want to learn and play digital games.

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Hamburg, November 21th, 2019. When humans encounter monsters, a spectacle is always guaranteed! The PLAY19 Creative Gaming Festival from November 14th to 17th in Hamburg proved that not just fear was on offer.

Under the motto “Of Monsters and Games” PLAY19 presented an extensive and diverse Festival program that brought together people of widely differing backgrounds who were enthused about a cultural and social examination of the significance of games. Games enthusiasts, parents and children, students, media experts, teachers, games developers and artists were able to play, discuss, program, even iron – not to mention expansively celebrate – together.

Some 19 workshops and advanced education sessions, excursions to Hamburg game development companies, fascinating impulse presentations and roundtable discussions offered opportunities where various facets of the gaming culture were illuminated. Workshop participants were able to learn how to provide game monsters with sound, or how artificial intelligence can be used to create a feeling of fear in games. The developer of the award-winning game “Sea of Solitude” explained in an impulse presentation how human emotions become monsters. On the PLAY Couch, discussions were held on how monstrous (and monstrously important) communities can be or how game designers find their ideas for new games. In the evenings Rock & Wrestling’s monstrous interactive wrestling show and the PLAY party created a high-spirited mood for the festival public.

“With PLAY19 we wanted to create a free and open space to make a convergence of the civil society possible. Our plan worked”, so Andreas Hedrich, member of the PLAY19’s leadership team. “For the 12th year in a row, PLAY has provided a platform for the creative examination of digital games. Our thanks go out to all the protagonists who have supported our efforts. To the institutions that make PLAY possible, to our great team, but above all to all festival attendees, who enrich PLAY with their passion and enthusiasm for the games culture and who at the same time create an open familiar atmosphere.”

The PLAY19 attendees also had a decisive voice in the selection of the European Creative Gaming Awards. The People’s Choice Award this year went to “Grave Call” by Totally Not a Game Studio from Sweden. In this game one player is placed in a coffin with a mobile telephone with only 10% power remaining; in this cooperative game the person aided by teammate on the outside, must find a way out of the coffin.

The expert jury gave the Most Innovative Newcomer Award to “Pile Up” by Seed by Seed from France. In this game, four players represented by cardboard boxes maneuver their way through a cartoon-like game world. After a stimulating discussion, the Most Creative Game Award went to “Welcome to Elk”. Triple Topping Games from Denmark convinced the jury with their in-depth stories from real life which were retold in a tender point-and-click adventure in a creative game world. Visitors were, of course, able to form their own impressions of the three winners in the PLAY exhibition. The exhibition included 27 selected creative games whose consoles, PCs and in VR captivated visitors at the controllers.

Further Information
For questions and photo requests please contact Tina Ziegler
Tel.: 0174-4440454 or 04523 – 98412-33
tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.playfestival.de

Background
Since 2007 the PLAY Festival has united the areas of media art, discourse and education with the digital game culture. Its primary focus is the creative application of digital games – inventing, building, tinkering, modifying, programming, dancing, discussing – everything is allowed! PLAY19 is the Festival for games lovers, gamers, Indie game developers media artists school children and students, teachers and educators, researchers and people from the Games sector as well as all who want to learn and play digital games.

Download Press Information 5