Press releases
Here you will find all of the news and numerous multimedia links related to gamescom at a glance.
No. 19 "gamesCompetence" theme expanded
The focal theme of "gamesCompetence", addressed within the scope of gamescom, celebrated a successful premiere last year. Building upon the positive feedback from visitors, partners and politics, the "gamesCompetence" theme has been established as part of gamescom and will be present again this year with interesting contents and offers. An expanded range of offerings with around 45 exhibitors and new ideas, such as the "Games connect" initiative, awaits gamescom visitors in Hall 8.
The competence theme brings together a variety of presentations, contents and aids that focus on youth protection, imparting media competence, media education, properly dealing with computer games as well as further education offers, including from governmental agencies. The selections range from practical applications and tips on the age-appropriate use of games all the way to a political summit talk as part of the gamescom congress.
The competence theme provides exhibitors, parents, families and educators a variety of specific aids on properly dealing with interactive entertainment media. In particular, the "Young people for young people" programme sponsored by the NRW Youth Forum will take place again this year. Here project stands, workshops, discussion forums and gaming events will take place on a stage in order to make the introduction into the gaming world understandable for parents and educators and to give practical tips on properly dealing with interactive media. This year the large central stage will also give many institutions the opportunity to speak and hold discussions in front of a larger audience.
The state government of NRW is also organising the gamescom congress 2010 together with the city of Cologne and the German Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU). It will take place on Thursday, 19 August in the Grosser Rheinsaal at Koelnmesse's Congress Centre North. It is devoted to the current debates on computer gaming culture, which is increasingly establishing itself between the poles of economic significance and social relevance as the media sector's new leading industry. The special thing about the "gamesCompetence" concept is that it pools together and coordinates all offers and information on the topics of youth protection, media competence and media education at gamescom. It consists of a total of five pillars:
1. NRW Youth Forum - Offers by young people, for young people
2. Initiatives and institutions from media competence and education
3. Information on media education-related contents on stage
4. gamescom congress 2010
5. Networked communication between the individual sub-areas
Special educational work in the area of computer games is done by the German Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU). "Games connect" is an initiative of the German games industry. The objective is to promote public discourse about computer and video games. The advice and information platform www.spielenverbindet.de provides parents and guardians, game fans and educators with comprehensive informational material on the topics of youth protection, media competence and gaming culture.
For this reason the BIU will be running a "central information stand" in this area, which serves as a contact point for general information as well as the offers provided in the "gamesCompetence" area.
Exhibitors in this area include, among others:
Ag Inter@aktiv SIN-Studi im Netz e.V.
AIM KoordinationsCentrum
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kinder- und Jugendschutz Landstelle NRW (Consortium for Child and Youth Protection State Office of NRW)
Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien - BPjM (Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons)
Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (Federal Centre for Health Education)
Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education)
Combird
ComputerProjekt Köln e.V.
Digitale Kultur e.V.
Drogenhilfe Köln e.V.
FH Köln/Institut Spielraum
Game Parents e.V.
Games Academy
Georg-Büchner Gymnasium
GMK Bielefeld
Heinrich-Böll-Gesamtschule
Hochschule Mittweida/Gamecast TV
jfc Medienzentrum
Jugend Online
Jugendforum NRW (NRW Youth Forum)
Kinderschutzbund (Association for the Protection of Children)
Kölner Jugendpark (Cologne Youth Park)
Jugendzentren Köln (Cologne Youth Centres)
Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz - KJM (Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media)
Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Lokale Medienarbeit NRW (State Committee on Local Media Work NRW)
mb21 - Mediale Bildwelten
Mediadesign Hochschule GmbH
Messemanagement der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Office trade fair management)
n!faculty Köln e.V.
netzcheckers
ohrenblick
Pegasus Bürgerzentrum Chorweiler
RheinEnergie Ag
SAE Institute GmbH QANTM Institute
sk stiftung jugend und medien (Youth and Media Foundation)
Spawnpoint
Spielen verbindet ("Games connect" BIU)
SpITKom
SRH Hochschule Heidelberg Fakultät Informatik (SRH University of Heidelberg Department of Computer Science)
Stadt Köln, Amt für Kinder, Jugend und Familie (City of Cologne, Office for Children, Youth and Families)
Teamsunited GmbH
USK - Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (Self-Monitoring of Entertainment Software)
Vierpfeile
Waldritter e.V.
Status: 23 June 2010
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