SEATTLE – August 22, 2011 – A panel of experts has selected 20 games as finalists in the 2011 I nternational Serious Play Awards, a recognition program honoring outstanding examples of corporate, military, health care and school/at home learning titles (please find also Serious Play Conference To Recognize and Certify Outstanding Serious Games). The games will be featured and final winners and a Best of Show selected at the Serious Play Conference, Tuesday – Thursday, August 22 -24, 2011 at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Wash.
The award program received submissions from commercial organizations, seasoned and emerging development studios as well as students. This year’s entries included 13 international submissions.
Commercial Organization/Development Studio Finalists include:
• Air Medic Sky One, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands (Games for Health)
• Aircraft Marshalling Virtual Trainer, Heartwood Inc. (Government/Military)
• Virtual Reality Dome Controller, TNO Defense & Safety and VisionShiftStudios (Government/Military)
• Distraction Dodger, Web Courseworks (Education)
• Gamestar Mechanic, E-Line Media (Education )
• McGraw-Hill Education Practice Marketing, McGraw-Hill Education International (Education)
• MiddWorld Online Language Roleplay Game, Middlebury Interactive Languages (Education)
• Waterkeeper, First Nations Education Steering Committee (Education)
• RoboMath, Project Whitecard Inc. (Education)
• Game for Science, CREO (Games for At Home Learning)
• Virulent, Morgridge Institute for Research (Games for At Home Learning)
• Play True Challenge, World Anti-Doping Agency (Games for Good)
• Primaires à gauche, Le Monde (Games for Good)
• Fate of the World, Red Redemption Ltd. (Games for Good)
• International Racing Squirrels, Playniac (Consumer Game)
• Motion Math HD, Motion Math (Consumer Game)
• SpaceChem, Zachtronics Industries (Consumer Game)
Student Finalists:
• Emergency Birth, Engender Games Group Lab – University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (Games for Good)
• Treadsylvania, New Mexico State University Learning Games Lab (At Home Learning)
• RiggleFish, Texas A&M University (Education)
The Serious Play Student Award was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation.
All commercial entries were also reviewed for Serious Play Certification, which assures that a serious game offers a high standard of performance. Certified games will be given Serious Play Certification and a 2011 Seal of Approval. Certification will be valid for three years.
Finalist entries will be on display at the Serious Play Conference. Attendees will have a chance to play the games and vote for the Best of Show award.
Winners will be announced Wednesday, August 23 at the Awards Reception.