video games and charity
Child’s Play: It was created in 2003, by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, the creators of the Penny Arcade webcomic. There was a huge movement against video games, trying to portray it as a negative influence on children, so those guys start a campaign to collect items and money to buy more video games and distribute in various United States’ children hospitals. Showing that players and people related also have a kind heart. In 2017, the charity ceremony distributed over $40 million through donated items and video games bought.
Desert Bus for Hope: It was created in 2008 after a comedy group LoadingReadyRun command the Child’s Play 2007 edition streaming the game Desert Bus, a game that lasts at least 8 hours and consists of you pretending to be a truck driver going from Tucson to Las Vegas. The event was successful and had the Desert Bus creator, Penn & Teller, recognition. From 2008 the streaming of this game became an independent event, taking place in Twitch, Youtube and other streaming websites. The 2018 edition raised $5 million through watchers donations.
Games Done Quick: Inspired by the Desert Bus for Hope, in 2010 was launched the Games Done Quick. By the name is possible to know what it is about, the event invites worldwide speedrunners, players who try to finish a game with the shortest time possible, of various games. During the ceremony, the players do stream speedruns and compete to the best time, along five to six days, with broadcast and commentaries over the gameplay. It is not annual, as usual, is in scattered dates providing support to a specific subject. For example, in 2011 the event took place to help victims of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In January 2019, it raised over U$19 million to charities like Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders.
Extra Life: In 2008, was created an event to help the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and glory a teenager Victoria Enmon, that died of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Gamers that accept to participate, play games twenty-four hours straight and receive donations from streams and individual gifts. By 2017, 50,000 players accepted to help and they were able to raise U$11 million for charity.
Humble Bundle: Launched by Wolfire Games in 2010. The purpose was to make an event along with indie game developers where they expose his games to the worldwide public and the customers say how much they want to pay for the game. The idea worked very well, customers got interesting games to a price which the wouldn’t with enterprise ones, and indie developers started a networking contact and gained market prices idea. From that year the organizer started up an initiative to help people produce their own game, providing monetary and networking support, and they donate 10% of the game sales money.
In 2017, Humble Bundle raised over $100 million to lots of different charities, like Action Against Hunger, Child’s Play, WaterAid, Wikimedia Foundation, etc.
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