GIS in Gaming: Lightning Talks and Open Discussion

From DnD levels, to pixelated paths, to photorealistic virtual worlds, games have always relied on maps.

Join PHXGeo for an evening exploring the intersection of GIS and games. Anything goes, from a discussion of your favorite video game map, to real-world spatial data showing up in virtual worlds, to games and gamified apps being used to engage people with geospatial information.

This meetup will be a mix of community lightning talks followed by an open group discussion, making it a great opportunity to share ideas, learn from others, and think creatively about how play and mapping overlap.

What to expect:

• Short lightning talks (5–7 minutes) from community members. Topics may include:
• Your Favorite Game Maps (Oregon Trail, GTA, Sky Rim, etc.)
• GIS data used in games (MS Flight Simulator, Assassin's Creed, Pokemon Go, etc.)
• Gamification of GIS apps to encourage engagement and participation (Waze, FourSquare, Strava, etc.)
• An open discussion on maps in games.

Want to present?
We’re actively looking for volunteers to give a lightning talk: no polished slides required. If you have a favorite game, a project, or even a question you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. Contact a PHXGeo Organizer to participate.

Event details:

• Duration: 6-8p (may go longer if desired)
• Format: Lightning talks + open discussion
• Venue: TBD (details coming soon)

Whether you’re a GIS professional, gamer, designer, educator, or just curious about how geography shows up in unexpected places, this should be a fun and thought-provoking evening!