Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We all want to believe in the positive effects of games on players and on society at large. But too often we fall prey to the promises of overblown hype. This session will provide a series of models - from a designer’s point of view - for understanding the real impact that games and play can have.
Speaker:
- Eric Zimmerman
We all want to believe in the positive effects of games on players and on society at large. But too often we fall prey to the promises of overblown hype. This session will provide a series of models - from a designer’s point of view - for understanding the real impact that games and play can have.
Speaker:
- Eric Zimmerman


![Raising Good Gamers: Building a Healthier Future for Play | G4C2026
Video games are now one of the most influential forms of culture and connection, yet public conversation about young people and play is still shaped by fear and outdated assumptions. Following the launch of the Raising Good Gamers white paper by Dr. Rachel Kowert, this panel brings together leaders from across the games ecosystem to ask what shared responsibility looks like when families, industry, researchers, and media all have a role. The discussion moves past the question of whether games are good or bad and toward how evidence and thoughtful design can support healthier play.
Read the white paper & download free resources: https://bit.ly/raising-good-gamers
Speakers: Mathias Norvig (CEO, SYBO Games), Arana Shapiro (Chief Operating & Programs Officer, Games for Change), Danny Marti (Head of Public Affairs and Global Policy, Tencent), Patricia Vance (President, Entertainment Software Rating Board [ESRB]), Dr. Rachel Kowert (Researcher, University of Cambridge)
Recorded at the 2026 Games for Change Festival, Reimagining Play, July 21 to 22 at The Glasshouse in New York City.
Learn more about Games for Change at www.gamesforchange.org. Raising Good Gamers: Building a Healthier Future for Play | G4C2026](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HLitsUhqtQk/mqdefault.jpg)






![It Takes a Village: Crafting the Future of Learning
How can we learn from and inspire young people with optimism, skills, and creativity to build a better future? In this keynote by Minecraft’s Allison Matthews, leap into a bold, blocky vision of change where students are agents of their own education, games play a central role in cultivating critical skills, and every learners potential to thrive is unlocked.]
Speakers:
- Allison Matthews, Head of Minecraft Education, Microsoft It Takes a Village: Crafting the Future of Learning](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ItI4DQeeiD4/mqdefault.jpg)
