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This year, the festival was highlighted by the “Ga-Cha” Awards, where the finalist games were up for recognition in three different categories: Best Awareness-Raising Game, Best Transformation Game, and Best Social Commentary/Art Game. Additionally, attendees submitted ballots to select an “Audience Choice Award” winner, and several honorable mentions were also given.
The 2007 finalists were:
A Force More Powerful - Honorable Mention for Gravitas
Developed by: International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, York Zimmerman Inc. and Breakaway Games
Project Lead: Steve York
Purpose: To teach people about the effectiveness and applicability of nonviolent strategies in struggles for rights and freedom.
Airport Security - Winner: Best Social Commentary/Art Game
Developed by: Persuasive Games
Project Lead: Ian Bogost
Purpose: The game argues that American airport security policy has little to do with security.
Ayiti: The Cost of Life - Winner: Best Awareness-Raising Game
Developed by: GlobalKids and GameLab, co-developed through an after-school program called Playing 4 Keeps
Purpose: To focus on the issue of poverty, using the country of Haiti as a case study, and to study the impact of the development experience on the teens who made it.
Darfur is Dying - Winner: Audience Choice Award
Developed by: Students at the University of Southern California
Purpose: To raise awareness and motivate action on the genocide in Darfur.
Developed by: Do Something, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and 9mmedia.
Project Lead: Aria Finger
Purpose: To teach young people about social entrepreneurship and financial responsibility.
Peacemaker - Winner: Best Transformation Game
Developed by: ImpactGames
Project Leads: Eric Brown, Asi Burak
Purpose: The game challenges players to succeed in bringing peace to the Middle East.
Developed by: Educational Simulations
Project Lead: Bob Runyan
Purpose: To develop understanding of and empathy for people in different parts of the world and in different life circumstances.
The Redistricting Game - Honorable Mention for Procedural Correctness
Developed by: USC Game Innovation Lab
Project Lead: Chris Swain
Purpose: To educate voters about congressional redistricting and its abuse, and to motivate reform.
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