Romics 2021: video game and digital sensibility with special guests

Romics 2021

Romics 2021 begins. Historically, the first day of the fair is always the most serene and placid one. The river of enthusiasts flows into the weekend, but the first two days have on several occasions offered interesting moments for dissemination and culture. I was afraid that some of the playful and carefree spirit of the fair had allowed itself to be swallowed up by the debilitating health situation, but it did not. Net of some complications at the entrance, which translates into the correct procedures for checking the Green Pass, the event has disposed of many inconveniences in digitizing the participation process. Of course, there are always some disoriented or unaccustomed to technology, but the concerns dissipated after a while. Romics, which always falls in October and April, is now a tradition for the city.

The objective of the event has also been of a social nature for years. First and foremost, an attempt is made to heal the ripples that make the union between the world of entertainment - playful or otherwise - and institutions fragile. In this historical moment it is not only necessary for there to be acceptance of new world dynamics and trends, but also for a critical eye to be able toa> use them with intelligence and curiosity. In the winding road to build the identity of the videogame in Italy and break through the sensibilities of the most skeptical organs, the roads converge in the interventions that took place on the first day of the comic fair.

The Mkers as our homegrown export flag in the world

Hall 8 of Romics 2021, namely the Palagames, was the scene of exuberance and the sublime art of video games in all its forms. The area has as its focal point the ideals perpetuated by the Mkers in recent years, as well as the various activities promoted by the export team. From the incredible performances of the team that plays on FIFA, and which this year brought Italy to the top of the world, passing through the evergreen international participation in the maximum competitions of Rainbow Six Siege, the gaze of the Mkers was able to peer further. Their ambition is already part of esports history, so much so that they immediately had the opportunity to write another page. It is known, in fact, that the project has decided to expand into NBA territory and that they are testing the ground for racing titles.

In short, the philosophy and strategy of the group is to sink its roots in the export scene, but with an eye to the consolidated games that intertwine real and virtual sport. In fact, their fundamental support in the creation of the AS Roma export team is no secret. What struck me live, however, was the information I learned with curiosity about Escout.gg. This is the first scouting platform linked to export and allows you to put pro players and team managers in contact.

If you are an experienced player and you are looking for teams, just apply to be included in the system, while if you are looking for athletes, just browse the catalog. A bit as if it were the Transfermarkt of the football world to be clear. What can I say, a brilliant and preparatory idea to connect the export scene in a single large network, really happy.

Romics 2021: Diversity and digitization

On the stage of the Palagames of Romics 2021, the portion of the event that we were all waiting for was performed: “Conscious and responsible use of digital platforms and videogames ". It is no coincidence the silent and imperative presence of the Mkers, who with their invisible hand not only want to consolidate in the territory, but also spur its growth. Convincing important partners to believe in emerging realities and projects related to streaming, or new forms of entertainment, is a fundamental step for the growth of the sector. Another aspect, even more difficult in some ways, is to convince the institutions and politics to listen to the needs of the market and the social change that surrounds it.

The group formed by the journalist Emilio Cozzi, Andriana Versino, managing director of the Vodafone Italia Foundation, Agostino Santoni, vice president Cisco Southern Europe and Fabiana Dadone, Minister for Youth Policies, joins the dots and allows reflection. . Before slipping into the main discussion, there was time to reward some talented young people for having thought and imagined some glimpses of Rome, on the occasion of the contest concluded this summer "Tell Rome! 150 years as a capital ". An interesting addition, which relaunches the city in a modern and shared perspective, celebrating the diversity that distinguishes it.

Raising awareness among institutions

The moderation of the debate between video games and empowerment at Romics 2021 was entrusted to Fjona Cakalli, tech influencer and blogger with a brilliant ability to entertain. Given the short time available to her, we immediately concentrated on her projects and data that can make companies think and act. We do not think only in economic terms, but we are tickled with curiosity and opportunity. Agostino Santoni of Cisco has pitted sensitive data on the accountability of current technologies. About 37% of minors use TikTok without telling anyone and these are numbers that should push the discourse towards the need for dialogue between the various generations.

Privacy and conscious use of social media seem to be such heavy and academic concepts for a young person, but they are actually the basis of an intelligent life in contact with new technologies. My thought runs to the idea: "Why is there no such subject in schools? ". Let's think about it: now everything is evolving in a digital key, yet there is no academic guideline in this regard. Training children from a young age on social dynamics should be a priority, yet they are just parentheses in many institutions. It is necessary to train the thinkers of tomorrow and to educate the users of today.

The legitimation of the videogame in Italy

The voice of Emilio Cozzi has also once again acted as a sounding board for the legitimation of the videogame in Italy in this Romics 2021. Starting from assumed - which it is always good to remember - of how the medium is an economic power, which invoices more than the film and music sector together, we reach the most important point. The videogame photographs reality and is part of it. Freeing himself from the clumsy term game, which is now very narrow to him, we need to talk about its complexity from a social and political point of view. We must not imagine them as two opposite realities, but as sides of the same coin. These works must be understood, told and examined with a different, perhaps critical, eye.

Hence the journalist's warning to consider the inclusion of videogame criticism in the school bodies - which I strongly approve -, so as to obtain a triple result: enhancement of the playful identity and of those who work there, training of aware consumers and first tastes of an approved training course - and perhaps with a national basis - for those who have an interest in working in this direction. The reasoning is not just that imaginative and extravagant, also considering the beneficial effects of the medium during the recent lockdowns and the positive path taken by the industry. | The focus of the speech was taken by Andriana Versino of the Vodafone Italia Foundation. There are many activities in life that apparently seem tedious and dull in a curtain of bureaucracy, but what if you try to think about how to make them pleasant and stimulating? This is also reasoned for young people who may not receive many stimuli from the usual learning courses, so LV8 was forged. This app offers all the curious, or those who want to learn more about the tools of the digital world, the opportunity to play eight levels, each containing notions about the world of digitalized and non-digitized work.

The project also gives certificates at the end of the levels which are useful for the purposes of one's own curriculum vitae. An interesting initiative capable of conveying important notions of professional optics, metabolizing work mechanisms into playful language. In short, a stimulating and useful event from different points of view, capable of attracting the attention of young people, but also of enticing them with tools and ideas of great educational value. We hope it is another important step in moving political and social dynamics related to the video game. In this, Minister Fabiana Dadone is moving in the right direction, and Romics 2021 seems to have confirmed this.