On Oct. 4 and 5, the Wisconsin Center will host the second annual Fall Experiment. Fall Experiment is an immersive tech, art, gaming and music festival that convenes creators from all over the Greater Midwest. It is a diverse and inclusive festival that celebrates these intersections by hosting a multitude of experiences in specific tracks: developer and UX, product management, startup, tech and art, e-sports and gaming, and music.
88Nine Labs will be hosting the gaming track called Longplay. Longplay celebrates the inclusive culture of video games and e-sports of today and tomorrow. Longplay is for everyone ranging from industry pros to individual players of all ages and allows them to connect, learn and -- more importantly -- to have fun. Attendees will have opportunities to play with games created by indie developers to big studio games; attend panels and workshops; compete in tournaments, and connect with the creators and studios behind the games.
Tickets for 18 and under, college and high school students are free to attend the Fall Experiment for both days. Tickets for everyone else are $40, which also includes a Steve Aoki concert. If students and 18 and under want to attend the concert, there is $30 add-on cost.
What can you expect to do at Longplay?
During the event, there will be a variety of panels, gaming tournaments and the opportunity to play video games by yourself or with your friends and family. You will find panels and talks dealing with a variety of subjects from accessibility in gaming to mental health to high school e-sports and more. There will also be an indie game showcase highlighting video game studios from Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. We will also screen a short film called " Gamers." We will also have a keynote chat with Arabian Prince, a founding member of NWA who is involved in e-sports and making tech more accessible in underrepresented communities through his program Inov8 Next Open Labs.
Friday, Oct. 4 Schedule
- 8 am - 6 pm: Freeplay Friday
- 8 am - 6 pm: Carcade Friday - Wisconsin's first mobile arcade!
- 11 am - 1 pm: Breaking Boundaries STEM Presentation
- 12 pm - 3 pm: Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournament
- 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Creating Community IRL and Online: What it takes to bring people together and create positive spaces
- 3 pm - 3:30 pm: Developing Mobile Games that Attract Players like Disney
- 3:30 pm - 6 pm: Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Tournament
- 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm: The Future of Music in Gaming and Esports
- 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Diversity and representation in gaming and esports
- 4:30 pm - 4:40 pm: Screening of Gamers short film
Saturday, Oct. 5 Schedule
- 8 am - 6 pm: Freeplay Saturday
- 8 am - 6 pm: Carcade Saturday - Wisconsin's first mobile arcade!
- 9 am - 10 am: VR & AR: Legal Aspects of #TheNextEvolution
- 10 am - 11 am: Esports and The Scholar Gamer
- 10 am - 4 pm: Indie Game Showcase
- 11 am - 12 pm: Raising Children in the Age of Video Games
- 12 pm - 1 pm: Careers in Gaming and Esports
- 1 pm - 3 pm: Super Smash Bros. Nonprofit Invitational Tournament
- 1:15 pm - 2 pm: Fireside Chat with Founding Member of NWA Arabian Prince
- 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm: The Good of Gaming: How gaming can help mental health
- 3 pm - 4 pm: Street Fighter Pro Challenge
- 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Contemporary State of Gaming: Accessibility in Gaming
- 4 pm - 6 pm: Battlebox Studios present Tekken 7 tournament
- 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Twitch 101 and Beyond
Why a video game festival?
You may ask yourself why is 88Nine Labs is hosting a video game festival. The goal of 88Nine Labs is to help make Milwaukee's tech scene accessible and inclusive. We feel one of the best ways to do this is through video games. It was video games that got me interested in technology and it is where I started to learn to program and tinker with computers at a young age. But more importantly, video games are more than just technology. It combines a lot of creative skills like writing and storytelling, art, music, animation and more.
88Nine Labs first foray into video games was in 2018 when we partnered with Milwaukee Public Library to host a teen game jam. We invited youth to come to learn how to make their own video games. At the end of the event, they shared their creations with family and friends.
If you love video games or you are a parent or student and want to learn about all the opportunities that are available in the video game industry, this event is for you.
