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Bibliogamers

Bibliogamers is a video game event, taking an educational and informative perspective, which for a week promotes different initiatives, bringing together the popularity of the video games and the need to make the Marvila area known and explored.

Focusing on both the artistic side and the writing and programming, in the first edition we proposed various challenges for the creation of video games.  Game Jam was the highlight of an extensive programme aimed at exploring the gaming universe. We equally explored new intervention areas, not usually associated to the range of services of a library, and we (re) configured the image that is usually projected of this area.

In 2009, in the second edition, 9 teams competed to develop video games in 48 hours. 3 won a prize but we were left with 9 possibilities of video games were Marvila was featured as an action setting. Could the video games have a word to say about the challenge to transform this area? In fact this event has stirred up an interesting debate about what kind of area Marvila could become in a few years.

Just as important, with the Bibliogamers the Lisbon City Council provides one more way of promoting national industries, in this particular case, the video games. A sector which is booming and has already contributed to employment, for example through the creation of many start-ups. Giving them visibility is one way of increasing their possibility for success, simultaneously promoting national production and the potential for employment.

Meeting the interests of the vast majority of the young population in the parish, and not only, with this event we wish to start diologuing and building bridges with this industry, so that the parish and the Library can act together. We also wish to reflect with the community on this artistic and leisure component, for the future creation of a permanent facility for gaming in the Library, most certainly in partnership with the many people and entities that will join us in due course.