OTTAWA, March 22, 2016 — The Canada Science and Technology Museum is proud to launch its new initiative, Game Changers, which explores how innovations have changed the way we interact with computer gaming technology. The initiative, developed in partnership with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Electronic Arts Incorporated, includes a travelling exhibition, speaker series, and summer camp.
“The emergence of new technologies has transformed the player’s video gaming experience,” says Alex Benay, President and CEO of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. “Video games are no longer an anti-social, reclusive pastime, but a worldwide, social-interaction and virtual-reality phenomenon that has reshaped how we interact with digital technologies. It’s not just about games anymore. These technologies enable medical procedures training for surgeons, automobile design testing, and they are even used to enrich museum visits, both onsite and from a distance.”
The Museum will launch this initiative with a captivating speaker series, Let’s Talk Gaming! Speakers at the event will explore how video games are an integral part of our culture, as well as the power of video game interactions in our everyday lives.
“SSHRC is delighted to participate in the Let’s Talk Gaming! and Game Changers project,” says Ted Hewitt, President of SSHRC. “The successful development and impact of game design is largely dependent on understanding how we, as individuals, interact with and use technology. From content design for educational and entertainment games, to innovative market analysis, SSHRC has supported research that drives the critical social, cultural, technological, and behavioural aspects of the world of gaming.”
The public is invited to attend the launch of the speaker series — a free event — to connect with other gamers, develop industry insight, and test new games:
Let’s Talk Gaming! Speaker Series — Launch:
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Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
About the Game Changers Travelling Exhibition
Game Changers is a travelling exhibition developed and produced by the Museum and managed by Science North in partnership with SSHRC and Electronic Arts Incorporated. It will launch at Science North in Sudbury, Ontario, in the fall of 2016. Through carefully chosen video games and systems, and unique interactive platforms, visitors will get to “live” the video game evolution.
About Game Changers Summer Camp
In partnership with the Algonquin College School of Media and Design, the Museum has developed a new summer camp experience for children ages 9 to 12. Campers will work with Algonquin College game development students to explore game design, storyboard creation, level design, audio, graphics, and animation. By the end of this one-week camp, campers will have created their own video game! For more information please visit cstmuseum.techno-science.ca.
About the Canada Science and Technology Museum
The Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, is one of the three museums comprising the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, which is responsible for preserving and protecting Canada’s scientific and technological heritage and promoting and sharing knowledge about it. The three Museums — the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum — tell the stories of Canadian ingenuity and achievement in science and technology, and demonstrate how these accomplishments have contributed to the building of our country. For more information please visit cstmuseum.techno-science.ca.
About the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. Through its programs, SSHRC contributes to innovations that will improve the lives of Canadians, and works to develop talented leaders for all sectors of society. SSHRC’S Imagining Canada’s Future initiative positions the social sciences and humanities as essential to addressing complex societal challenges facing Canadians, to the greater benefit of Canada and the world. For more information please visit sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/imagining.
About Science North
Science North is Northern Ontario’s most popular tourist attraction and an educational resource for children and adults across the province. Science North’s attractions include a science centre, IMAX® theatre, digital Planetarium, butterfly gallery, special exhibits hall, and Dynamic Earth — Home of the Big Nickel, a separate science centre focused on mining and earth sciences. In 1996, Science North created a specialized unit to sell the award-winning exhibitions and multimedia theatres created by Science North’s highly skilled staff scientists and in-house production teams. These innovative exhibits help drive repeat visitation and tourism and demonstrate Science North’s ever-growing capacity to produce world-class educational and scientific content that appeals to people of all ages. Science North is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For more information please visit ScienceNorth.ca.
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Contact
Zoë Lomer
Manager, Communications and Marketing
Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation
zlomer@techno-science.ca
613-298-5616