Notes

Save the Planet Play the Game: Conservationists Target Video Gamer

By Hereward Holland



NAIROBI (Reuters, June 5 2015) - Chilli, an endangered Borneo gibbon will soon be jumping from tree to tree in parks in New York and Nairobi as a character for a new game that aims to save endangered species.



Internet of Elephants, a software company based in Kenya has created a computer-generated facsimile of Chilli, a real live primate, as well as three other animals from the jungles of Asia and Africa.



Their game, Wildeverse, is one of a number of games developed by companies around the world who are seeking to harness the increasing popularity of video games on mobile phones to encourage people to lead more environmentally-conscious lifestyles.



Wildeverse users are junior scientists studying the habits and habits of animals living in the rain forests of Borneo, Congo Republic. They use their smartphones cameras to see virtual trees and primates such as Chilli superimposed on the natural world.



The increasing ubiquity of smart phones mean that the gaming industry has reached one in three people on the planet and could be a powerful tool for behaviour change, like broadcasters for public service in the digital age, according to Sam Barratt from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).



"Its reach is incredible," Barratt told Reuters. "We would like to assist people to think differently about nature and how they can live a in a (environmentally) more peacefully."



Gaming is the most popular type of entertainment. The industry earns more than Hollywood, Bollywood and worldwide music sales all together, according to a 2019 report from UNEP titled "Playing for the Planet"..



In addition, mobile games have surpassed console games in 2015 and as the speed of data increases, they are expected to reach $91.2 billion by 2021, the gaming consultancy Newzoo estimates.



Internet of Elephants plans to release Wildeverse as a no-cost app for Android and Apple smartphones in the third quarter of 2011. There are also options for in-app purchases to unlock additional features.



The game has been developed specifically to avoid being preachy which can inhibit behaviour change, said Jake Manion, head of production at the company.



He added, "It's easy to fall into the trap of fables regarding burning forests and animal stranded in a stray and the like."



NOT ONLY FOR KIDS



The video game user-base is growing and the demographics are growing beyond gender, age, and geographical location.



The UNEP report found that only 22% of gamers are younger than 21 years old and 46% are women. Five of the 15 countries that have most gamers per capita reside in lower-income countries like Nigeria and Indonesia.



Gautam Shah, the founder of Internet of Elephants, stated that people automatically assume that games are created for children when they talk about them.



He added that the conservation industry is slowly waking up to the potential of gaming to mobilize people in the same way that it took them time to realize the power and potential of social media.



As conservationists such as Shah hope to exploit opportunities in the industry certain of the biggest gaming studios are beginning to push green messaging.



Minecraft, the blockbuster game of building has released new versions that allow users to design national parks and sustainable cities.



Ban ki-moon was the UN Secretary General, appointed an Rovio character from the wildly popular Angry Birds franchise as an honorary ambassador in the year 2016 to encourage young people "green" to tackle climate change.



Rovio also partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature in order to help promote International Tiger Day.



Minna Eloranta is Rovio's senior communications manager. She has stated that Rovio has worked with companies to fight climate change in the past and advised players to consider the issue through campaigns in their games.



Niantic is the company that developed Pokemon Go with Nintendo Co Ltd organizes clean-up activities everywhere from South Africa to Singapore on Earth Day every year.
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"Games that tie sustainability initiatives to the foundation of the gameplay mechanics have the potential to not only increase the number of players they attract but also make a significant impact on climate change," said Yennie Solheim Fuller, Niantic's senior manager of social impact at Niantic. (Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Maggie Fick and Toby Chopra)


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