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How Developers Are Using Mobile Games to Help Save the Planet

Posted on the 19 August 2020 by Thiruvenkatam Chinnagounder @tipsclear
How developers are using mobile games to help save the planet

Swipe your finger across the screen, the red bird sitting on a slingshot is ready to fly - you change the angle and let go.

The bird flies in the sky and as you watch its progress on your phone you are probably not thinking about saving the planet. But things are about to change.

The developers of Angry Birds 2 and 10 other major mobile game makers have pledged to introduce environmental messages into their titles.

In addition to the famous flying birds, popular games such as Golf Clash, Subway Surfers and Transformers: Earth Wars are part of the project.

"There are something like three billion people with cell phones and half of them are gamers," says John Earner, head of Space Ape who makes Transformers: Earth Wars.

"As an industry, we have a huge reach compared to other entertainment media.

"We believe there is an opportunity and increasingly an imperative for us to do something."

'An opportunity to inspire'

John helped organize a "game jam" - in which game companies gather new ideas - with the United Nations Environment Program earlier this year.

He asked how games can educate and engage people on green issues and inspire them to save the planet.

Scientists are warning that the earth is now nearly a degree warmer than it was before widespread industrialization.

The 20 warmest years on record have been in the past 22 years, with 2015-2018 in the top four.

Sea ice has been shrinking for decades, and the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in the summer as early as 2050, unless something is done.

John accepts the developers' ideas "they don't go far enough" but believes they are a good first step in putting environmental issues in front of a large audience.

The 11 clubs that took part have a combined audience of 250 million players.

Each will introduce a new mode, map, themed event, story or artwork into their game to share information and messages on environmental issues.

Angry Birds 2 players, for example, will soon be collecting seeds and planting trees at an upcoming in-game event and learning about the positive impact it can have in the real world.

"This is important to us, we want to be a company with purpose and this is a piece of that puzzle," says Ville Heijari, one of the main heads of game developer Rovio.

"It's fun to bring people original, interesting, new and exciting gaming experiences, but then also being able to have a positive impact on global issues, that's the icing on the cake."

Rovio's team is developing this new experience, but Ville says: "We are trying to make it feel like a common goal, all the players are in it and this will give them a positive reward."

Transformers: Earth Wars players will soon start seeing messages about renewable energy and will be encouraged to take part in a UN green energy survey.

"Our ideas in particular don't go far enough," admits John. "But they are a really good start to measure the problem and start exposing the situation to a huge number of people."

The United Nations has long been collaborating with gaming companies on green issues through a scheme called Playing for the Planet.

"We are thrilled to see the gaming industry throw its weight on global efforts to reverse the climate crisis," says Inger Andersen, head of the United Nations Environmental Program.

"The climate emergency needs all hands on the deck. By reaching 250 million players, we hope to inspire the public to take climate action."

John and Ville argue that these small first steps can lead to greater progress in helping people educate.

Part of that is getting more gaming companies to participate in the future.

John explains: "What we have found is that this experience is alleviating the fear that some gaming companies have that somehow promoting an important message could negatively harm them by offending or upsetting the players.

"If we could convince more in the gaming industry that you can afford to do it without hurting your business, it would be an amazing first step.

"We all have a role, whether we like it or not, whether it's comfortable or not."

Ville says that while some will see initiatives like this in a negative light, it's important that gaming companies have values ​​to stick to.

"Of course we want people to be able to try our games and brands, but when we feel something is the right thing to do, then we will.

"Games really are an excellent platform to do things like this and I think we'll see even more activations like this."

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