Improving the world through play: Hybrid bizplay on gaming in business
Christian Armin and Max Zentawer sit completely relaxed with their guitars on the stage of the Karlsruhe cultural center Tollhaus. The audience follows the performances of the two string virtuosos either from the audience seats in front of the stage or via livestream at home in front of the screen. However, the solemn jazz melodies are not the highlight of the concert, but the musical prelude to the gaming conference bizplaywhich took place on October 15, 2020 in Karlsruhe.
Creative impulses and thinking outside the box are definitely welcome there, as the synergy effects of digitalization and creativity were also the focus of numerous specialist presentations at this year’s edition of the conference. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event was held for the first time as a hybrid of in-person presentations and streams. And the conclusion drawn by the organizers Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress GmbH, Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft Karlsruhe (K3) and MFG Baden-Württemberg was ultimately entirely positive: Karlsruhe once again proved to be the perfect location for a digital event and speakers such as Brazilian Estella Renner did not have to fly all the way to Germany.
“Play and work no longer went together”
“The intellectual revolution has taken play away from us. Play and work no longer seem to go together,” emphasized film director Renner. Yet play is fundamental to the further development of individual intelligence, which is why complex processes must always be enriched with playful elements. In her daily work, Renner wants to inspire people with the power of images. The director and screenwriter therefore produces films with her company Maria Farinha Filmes, which she uses to promote the fight against climate change, grievances in developing countries or the work of aid organizations. “The news often makes you despair. Sometimes you think the whole world is just made up of hate,” says Renner, explaining one reason for her work. However, according to several surveys, 65 percent of people want change and are therefore committed to protecting the environment. Climate change is a reality and that’s why we have to take action against it,” Renner appeals. The idea for the films came to her during discussions with representatives of environmental protection organizations. “The mere facts about climate change are often very dry. But if you package the message in images, you can arouse emotions and tell stories. And stories can change people,” said Renner. Some of her films can now be seen on Netflix and Videocam.com. The films can also be shown in public.
Media-savvy human rights activists
Anja Reiß also wants to get young people interested in the work of human rights activists with her film “Truth Detectives”. In future, the director wants to use approaches from the gaming scene to address young people and young adults. With the computer game “Truth Detectives – A very serious game”, which is funded by the Digital Content Fund of MFG Baden-Württemberg and is currently being developed, Reiß wants to address a new target group. “Through our work on the film, we have established a large network of activists. We noticed that many of these people got to know each other at games and then discussed human rights,” says Reiß. Human rights and media literacy obviously go very well together. At the latest since the numerous demonstrations of the Fridays for Future movement, it has become clear that today’s generation of young people is politicized. However, the coronavirus pandemic has made social interaction more difficult. That is why suitable platforms are now needed where people can interact and campaign for a better world.
ZKM takes a look at the Critical Zone
Video game culture and the fight against climate change are currently also particularly close at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe together. On the top floor is the permanent exhibition “Gameplay. The next level”, and the large installations of the special show “Critical Zones” in the atrium. “The exhibition medium has the potential to open up new ways of thinking and encourage people to reflect,” says Barbara Kiolbassa from Museum Communications at the ZKM. The aim of “Critical Zones” is to make it clear to visitors that humans not only inhabit the earth and can view it from the outside, but that the fate of humanity is inextricably linked to that of its environment. “We need to understand that we don’t live on Earth. We live in the middle of a network,” says Kiolbassa. “In the middle of the critical zone, that thin zone where life is possible in the first place.”
About bizplay: bizplay is one of Germany’s most important events for the application of typical game elements. Since 2012, the one-day congress in Karlsruhe has been dedicated to the topics of gamification and game design and their impact on the areas of business, art & design and technology.