Press Highlights
Changing the world one game at a time – Tech Tonic
Changing the world one game at a time – Tech Tonic
Asi Burak, co-president of Games for Change, tells Anthony De Rosa that non-profits and social causes are turning to online games as a way to launch campaigns they hope will go viral and motivate people to join their initiatives. Read more
NEA announces $5 million in grants for California
NEA announces $5 million in grants for California
New York-based Games for Change [received] $75,000 to adapt “Half the Sky,” a book about the struggles of oppressed women in Africa and Asia by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, as a game for Facebook. Read more
Game On: Episode 1.2
Game On: Episode 1.2
In this episode of Qualcomm Spark’s series, Game On, Games for Change Co-President Asi Burak, and other innovators in video games talk about what’s next. “The word ‘games’ is limiting us…it has great appeal, it’s very sexy, but I think we’re doing something bigger.” Read more
Players Lend a Helping Hand—or, Thumb
Players Lend a Helping Hand—or, Thumb
“It’s where the audience is,” says Asi Burak, co-president of Games for Change, whose titles are intended to have a social impact. When the organization began in 2004, people were interested in games as a way to reach youth, Burak says. “Audience” meant teenagers and the young. But with the rise of social gaming—think FarmVille as opposed to Grand Theft Auto—the demographics have changed; according to a 2010 study by PopCap Games, 55 percent of all social gamers are women and, in the U.S., the average age is 48. (In the U.K., it’s 38.) Read more
Game Change in Washington
Game Change in Washington
Games for Change was asked to contribute a list of five powerful online games that showcase our genre’s potential. Read more
SimCity 5 Confirmed: Maxis Taking Social and Environmental Bent to Classic Franchise
SimCity 5 Confirmed: Maxis Taking Social and Environmental Bent to Classic Franchise
Maxis announced [the long awaited new release in the SimCity franchise] as part of the Game Developer’s Conference “Games For Change” track, and it’s planning for the new Simcity to allow players to imagine the world around them in different ways. Speakers at the announcement included Davis Guggenheim, director of “An Inconvenient Truth,” Scott Harrison, President and Founder of Charity;Water and Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter. Read more
FarmVille for Change: New York Times Columnist to Launch Social Game
FarmVille for Change: New York Times Columnist to Launch Social Game
January 11, 2012: Now [New York Times columnist Nicholas] Kristof is expanding into social gaming to continue raising awareness of — and aid for — global crises. The game will be similar to FarmVille, and will enable players to make micro-donations to humanitarian efforts worldwide as well as contribute to causes in other ways. It’s part of a larger effort by Kristof and his wife, fellow Pulitzer winner Sheryl WuDunn, to rally support to fight injustice against women around the world. It’s being developed in partnership with Games for Change, a New York-based company that creates games designed for social impact. Read more
The New York Times’s Nick Kristof On Journalism In A Digital World And The Age Of Activism
The New York Times’s Nick Kristof On Journalism In A Digital World And The Age Of Activism
January 10, 2012: “My wife and I are doing a TV documentary of our book Half the Sky, but we’re also creating a Facebook game as part of it. It’s being built by an organization called Games for Change. It will be vaguely analogous to FarmVille. You’ll have a village, and in order to nurture this village, you’ll have to look after the women and girls in the village. Actions in the game will also have real-world effects.” Read more
Half The Sky: Games For Change In The Developing World
Half The Sky: Games For Change In The Developing World
January 3, 2012: “Instead of focusing on those of us equipped with smartphones and easy Internet access, these games [created by Games for Change and the Half the Sky movement] — which focus on pregnancy education, intestinal worm prevention, and women’s rights — will hone in on the millions of people outfitted with basic cell phones.” Read more
Creating Addictive Games That Actually Do Good
Creating Addictive Games That Actually Do Good
December 9, 2011: “[Games for Change is] taking games to the public. So, during our annual festival in New York, we not only cater to the designers, engineers, and gaming companies, but also to the public. It’s a place to network, to learn about each other’s work, and see what’s going on in the field.” Read more