Gamescape is a showcase of video games and the creative people who make them, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever! I talked to Lou Joseph, Visual Arts Specialist at BOPA (and also my boss!) who is coordinating several areas of Artscape including Gamescape, about what’s new this year. Click through to find out more!
What’s really making this year’s Gamescape a big deal is that it is being sponsored by University of Baltimore. Check out the 8-bit version of University of Baltimore’s mascot, Eubie, up above! This year, Lou has been planning Gamescape with Ben Walsh of Pure Bang Games and Dominic Cerquetti of MAGFest. Since Gamescape’s conception six years ago, it has grown steadily in size, and this year will be held at the H. Mebane Turner Learning Commons (1415 Maryland Ave) and Gordon Plaza to accommodate the indoor and outdoor elements of this year’s festival.
Inside Gamescape 2014.
Inside, as in previous Gamescape iterations, visitors can browse and interact with selected video games from local and national video game developers, as well as more than 30 classic arcade games, from Pac-Man to Streetfighter to pinball and more. This year’s Gamescape will feature more than 25 game developers that guests can interact with, ask questions, and play games!
Inside Gamescape 2014
Outside, visitors can listen to live music on stage by Bit Brigade (weather permitting – keep your fingers crossed!). After hours on Friday, July 17th, from 9-11pm, Bit Brigade will be playing music to a live-feed of games displayed on a huge digital screen across the street! I can’t wait to see it for myself – definitely make your way over to the H. Mebane Turner Learning Commons to check it out during Artscape weekend.
Bit Brigade performing at PAX East 2015 – photo from their Facebook page.
A full list of this year’s Gamescape exhibitors can be found here, and as always, the Artscape schedule of events is all available online on the Artscape website.