First day of PAX West in Seattle and a meeting with Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs behind us

From August 29 to September 1, the international gaming trade fair PAX West is taking place. It is one of the largest events of its kind in the United States. We are delighted to participate, and you can find us at the Polish booth organized by the Creative Industries Development Center in cooperation with the Indie Games Polska Foundation.

Meeting with Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs

Steve Hobbs is a politician and, as he describes himself, a gamer. The Polish gaming industry is already recognized as an important partner in discussions about innovation and technology. The talks focused on initiatives that could facilitate contact and collaboration between independent game developers from Poland and companies and organizations in the U.S. The conversation also addressed strengthening cooperation between the Polish gaming sector and the global business and technology community.

During the meeting, Secretary Hobbs played “Aviators” and showed great interest in the concept of immersive historical education. In discussing the educational games of the IPN New Technology Division, he emphasized the importance of self-directed learning, noting how school-age youth increasingly combine education with entertainment, inspired by patterns from the entertainment industry. This shows that young people – not only in Poland but worldwide – integrate elements of the real and digital worlds not just for fun, but also to learn, explore, and discover culture and history.

This meeting was an important step toward greater visibility for the IPN New Technology Division’s educational games in the U.S., strengthening cooperation and networking between independent developers and American industry players, and reinforcing Poland’s position as a country with strong export potential in the educational video game sector.

First day of PAX West in Seattle

The first day of the fair was filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and fruitful conversations with international media representatives, industry professionals, and the most important group – gamers.

The gaming fan event opened at 10 a.m. local time, while media access began an hour earlier. From 9 to 10, questions about “Aviators” could be heard at the Polish booth in various languages from around the world. Media from Asia, the U.S., and Europe asked extensively about the educational value of the game, its reception among local and global audiences, and the production process. Interested journalists, YouTubers, and streamers shared stories about “Aviators” with their audiences and joined in defending the skies over Europe themselves.

After the press hour, PAX West didn’t slow down – quite the opposite. Waves of gaming enthusiasts visited the Polish booth; players took on the challenge of repelling enemy fighter attacks, sneaking through German A2 fortifications, and destroying artillery positions. Those who weren’t playing watched the action closely. We’d like to thank everyone who patiently waited in line to try “Aviators”. Players who wanted to enjoy the game at home scanned the available QR code and added the game to their Steam library.

Thank you to all visitors to our booth – gamers, media representatives, influencers, and industry professionals from around the world. We are thrilled to share our project live. Presenting “Aviators” at PAX West creates an opportunity to showcase the stories of Polish heroes and Poland’s fate during World War II to a global audience.