Madrid in Game celebrates the ‘Intergenerational Gaming Conference’: video games as therapy and a bridge between adults and children

Madrid in Game, an initiative of the Madrid City Council to promote the video game industry and gamification, has hosted the ‘Intergenerational Gaming Days’.II Intergenerational Gaming Conference. Playing together, connecting hearts‘. In this event, 100 children from 4th grade of primary school of CEIP José Hierro. have shared games of different multiplayer video games with older people from the Florence Day Care Centers with cognitive impairment, using gaming as a tool for generational connection.

The day, held at the Esports Center of the Campus del Videojuego, has had as main objective to make visible the benefits of video games in the cognitive, physical and emotional stimulation of the elderly.while at the same time a space for teaching and mutual learning between generations was created.. This initiative has sought to to break down prejudices about the relationship between the elderly and new technologies.demonstrating the positive impact of video games in the prevention of Alzheimer’s and other dementias..

The Councilman Delegate for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Madrid City Council, Ángel Niñoemphasized that “technology and video games should be used as tools to improve people’s lives and not as an end in itself”. He also pointed out that there is “scientific evidence on the benefits of the proper use of video games in cognitive stimulation”.

The entity that promotes this innovative initiative in which bridges are built between children and elderly people through video games is Golden Gamers. Created by Gloria Sánchez-Carnenero and Alejandro Morillas in 2024, the initiative has shown in a practical way the benefits of video games for the elderly with various activities that have mixed different game dynamics with non-therapeutic commercial video games.

We must be the bridge that brings the wonderful world of video games to our elders.

Morillas

At Golden Gamers we think that what makes video games special is not only their ability to entertain, but their power to excite, connect generations and transform realities.

Sánchez-Carnenero

During the day, eight gaming stations have been set up in the Esports CenterThis pavilion of the Campus del Videojuego, located in Casa de Campo, is a center where students have been rotating to test different titles together with the older ones. open to the public seven days a week dedicated to esports.. The center, of free access for all usersThe facilities offer an optimal environment in which to develop your skills, connecting with other players to reach your maximum potential at a competitive level in consoles, PCs and tablets.

Participants have enjoyed games such as The Crew 2 and Mario Kart 8which have allowed them to to relive the sensation of driving; Super Mario Partyto work as a team in a crazy and fun way; Hogwarts Legacyto feel the power of magic; First Encounters, with which they have been able to experience the future of mixed reality; and SackBoywith which they have immersed themselves in a unique sensory world.

One of the most important lessons learned during the meeting was the importance of preserving and sharing the memory of our elders through video games.allowing their experiences to live on in future generations. Technology and the past of our elders are connected, and experiences like this one allow to rescue memories and relive them in a meaningful way. A conference that makes it clear that the key to bridging the generation gap is to create shared experiences that place both generations in the same

levelencouraging respect and connection between children and adultsin this case, thanks to the power of the technology and gaming. The celebration of this second edition has consolidated the commitment of Madrid in Game for broadening the social perception of video gamesaway from prejudices and showing their potential beyond entertainmentin the educational and therapeutic fields. It has also been shown that the elderly play a key role in the education of the elderly.helping to ensure that society to adopt a broader and more positive view of them and gaming..