International Game Camp 2017: Videogames Meet Heritage in Milan

The International Game Camp 2017, running until October 15, brings together game developers and cultural operators at IED Milan and George Brown College in Toronto. The event, themed 'Videogames meet Heritage,' aims to foster creative reuse of cultural heritage through digital tools. Participants access Pandora's Box, a repository of high-resolution images and 3D scans of artworks and architectural assets provided by participating museums. The concept of 'smart heritage' is central, promoting the creative repurposing of cultural assets, as exemplified by the Rijksmuseum's open-access collections under Creative Commons licenses. During the interactive lecture on September 20, Andrea Dresseno (project manager of IVIPRO – Italian Videogame Program) recounted how the team behind Assassin's Creed II was inspired by a rainy stop at Monteriggioni, leading to the game's Renaissance setting. The initiative seeks to overcome the subordination of video games to heritage, moving beyond mere edutainment. The Mibact recognized video games as cultural products in 2016. Examples like OKAMI (inspired by Hokusai and ukiyo-e) and Thomas Was Alone (abstract Mondrian elements) demonstrate how games can indirectly but memorably engage audiences with art and architecture.