IndieCade East, the East-Coast edition of the nation's premier independent video game festival presented by IndieCade, returns to Museum of the Moving Image Friday, February 14 to Sunday, February 16, 2014. This lively weekend celebrating independent video games features talks and panels headlined by the most inclusive group of gamemakers, academics, artists and journalists; seminars and workshops for budding creators; the popular Show & Tell showcase; an eSports tournament; Night Games East, an evening devoted to physically interactive and performative, party-style gameplay; and opportunities to experience cutting-edge platforms and new games.
This year's keynote speakers include New York-based gamemaker and NYU professor Bennett Foddy, developer of the Flash-based physics simulation game QWOP, and Auriea Harvey, co-founder of the Belgian company Tale of Tales, creator of the gothic story game The Path. Both games are featured in the exhibition Indie Essentials: 25 Must-Play Video Games along with 24 other groundbreaking independent game titles from the last decade, organized by the Museum and IndieCade and on view at the Museum through March 2.
In addition to more than 30 diverse talks and panels, IndieCade East will offer a range of valuable workshops from introductions to digital gamemaking tools to hands-on game design tutorials. Other highlights include a workshop led by the New York-based Code Liberation Foundation on encouraging female participation in game development; an inside look at the creation of a new indie gaming conference in Japan, BitSummit, from the event's organizer and game developer James Mielke; and a talk by game designers Joshua DeBonis and Nikita Mikros on the development of the ten-player arcade game Killer Queen Arcade, which is also featured in the exhibition Indie Essentials.
In the Show & Tell showcase (register
here), IndieCade East will give emerging game developers the opportunity to present their latest creations to an audience of gamemakers and avid gamers.
Opportunities for gameplay abound throughout IndieCade East: The Indie Essentials exhibition invites attendees to play the award-winning games from IndieCade Festival 2013, alongside other innovative independent games from the past decade; an eSports showcase and tournament will be presented throughout the weekend; and Night Games East, on Saturday, February 15, activates the Museum's galleries and theaters for an evening of physical and large-scale games (access to Night Games East is included with full festival pass or Saturday day pass). In addition, IndieCade East exhibitors PlayStation4, PlayStationVita, Oculus Rift, and Facebook will showcase their latest titles.
"We are excited to build on the success of last year's IndieCade East, and to welcome gamemakers and players to the Museum to celebrate the art, technology, and business of independent game design and production," said Carl Goodman, Executive Director of Museum of the Moving Image.
"Last year's inaugural IndieCade East and our collaboration with the Museum on the Indie Essentials exhibition were such a success that we are thrilled to return for year two," said Stephanie Barish, Founder and CEO of IndieCade. "With game creators from the region and beyond hosting screenings, giving talks, and presenting their games for gameplay, IndieCade East will provide a window to powerful creative visions from around the world. All weekend we'll spotlight work that provokes thought and conversation, and that pushes the boundaries of interactive entertainment and how we see games."
Jason Eppink, the Museum's Associate Curator for Digital Media, said, "IndieCade East offers New Yorkers a great opportunity to dive into the world of independent games-there's something for everyone from the casual gamer to the dedicated scholar and emerging gamemakers."
More information to be announced soon. Check
movingimage.us or
IndieCade.com for updates.
Festival passes are on sale now. Each pass gives access to all IndieCade East programs and events. Purchase now through January 31 to receive the early-bird discount: $100 public ($80 student/senior/Museum member). Order
online at
movingimage.us or call
718 777 6800 to reserve passes.
Beginning February 1, full festival passes will be $125 public ($100 student/senior/Museum member). Individual day passes will also be available: Friday, February 14, passes will be $45 ($35 discounted); Saturday, February 15, passes (including access to Night Games) will be $55 ($45 discounted); Sunday, February 16, passes will be $45 ($35 discounted).
For families: Admission for children (ages 3-12) will be $10 per day. Many of the games on view will appeal to visitors of all ages. Throughout the weekend, the Museum will also present "The Game-Making Game," a workshop for children ages 8 and older (materials fee applies).
IndieCade East is organized by Stephanie Barish, Founder and CEO, IndieCade; Sam Roberts, Festival Chair and Jury Co-Chair, IndieCade; Matt Parker, Chair, IndieCade East; Aaron Isaksen, Festival Chair, IndieCade East; Margaret Robinson, Conference Co-Chair, IndieCade East; Kevin Cancienne, Conference Co-Chair, IndieCade East; Simon Ferrari, eSports Chair, IndieCade East; and Greg Trefry, Night Games Chair, IndieCade East.
