Event: GameFest 2015 (May 1-2, 2015, Troy, New York)

"The annual tradition continues on May 1st and 2nd when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hosts its 12th GameFest 2015 at the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). GameFest 2015 will feature video game design students from universities across the northeast including Rochester Institute of Technology, Champlain College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Quinnipiac University, Emerson College, Becker College and the NYU Game Center.

James Portnow will be this year’s keynote speaker. He will present on May 2nd at 4:00 pm in the EMPAC Theater. Best known for writing the web series Extra Credits, James Portnow is a game designer and consultant known for his theories on socially positive design.

GameFest is free and open to the public.

GameFest at Rensselaer is an annual celebration of creativity and innovation in digital games, with a student showcase and competition, music performances, and presentations from veteran game designers, critics, scholars, and indie developers.

Since 2003, GameFest has grown into a regional event that brings together game design students from schools throughout the Northeast, with a competition judged by industry experts. Talks and panels include topics from serious games and entrepreneurship to deep design questions and the democratization of independent game development. Music performances range from music made with repurposed game consoles to an orchestra performing classical arrangements of music from games."