IVIPRO Days 2020: Five Ways Video Games Can Promote Culture

The Italian Videogame Program (IVIPRO) aims to strengthen Italy's cultural legacy by linking game developers with educational institutions. At the 2020 IVIPRO Days, several developers outlined five key principles for impactful game design. The first principle is to focus on gameplay, with Guillermo Vizcaino from Lienzo stressing the importance of fun, a sentiment echoed by Konstantinos Dimopoulos, Olivier Mauco, and Abdel Bounane. The second principle emphasizes community collaboration, with Vizcaino advocating for engagement, while Valentina Paggiarin and Giacomo Talamini discussed local partnerships for Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy. Farah Polato mentioned community interaction in Urban Histories Reloaded. The third principle involves integrating physical landscapes, as noted by Dimopoulos with examples like Mafia 3 and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate. The fourth focuses on soundscapes, with Marta Ascari presenting three methods. Lastly, Wojciech Setlak highlighted the importance of conveying values through meaningful choices in games such as This War of Mine. An online exhibition featured illustrations of games inspired by Italy.