Notes

Save the Planet, Play the Game Conservationists Take On Video Gamers

By Hereward Holland



NAIROBI, June 5 (Reuters) - Chilli is gibbon native to Borneo is expected to soon be jumping from tree to tree in parks from New York to Nairobi as an avatar in a brand new virtual reality game that aims to encourage conservation of endangered species.



Internet of Elephants, a Kenya-based software firm has created computer-generated replicas of Chilli, a real live primate, as well as three additional 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.



Gameplay that is similar to the smash-hit mobile phone game Pokemon Go, Wildeverse users are junior scientists who study the behavior of animals in the rain-forests of Borneo and Congo Republic, using their smartphone camera to view life-size virtual trees and primates, like Chilli, superimposed on their surroundings.



The rising popularity of smart handsets mean the gaming industry reaches one in three people on earth and has the potential to be a powerful tool to behavior change, similar to a public service broadcaster in the digital age, said Sam Barratt from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).



"Its reach is amazing," Barratt told Reuters. "We would like to assist the industry in getting people to reconsider their relationship with nature and how they can live an (environmentally) less sedentary lifestyle."



Gaming is the most loved kind of entertainment around the world. According to UNEP's 2019 report titled "Playing for the Planet", the industry generates more revenues per habitant than Hollywood, Bollywood, and worldwide music sales.



Mobile phone gaming revenues have surpassed those of consoles in 2015 and are expected to increase as data speeds improve, according to Newzoo, a gaming consultancy.



Internet of Elephants plans to release Wildeverse as a free application for Android and Apple smartphones in the third quarter of 2011. There are also options to purchase in-app purchases to unlock bonus features.



The game has been designed specifically to stay clear of preaching which can inhibit behaviour change, said Jake Manion, head of production at the company.



"It's very easy to fall into a trap of myths about burning forests and animals that have been stranded and all of that," he said.



Not just for kids!



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



The UNEP report revealed that only 22% of gamers are younger than 21 and 46% of them are women. Five of the 15 countries with highest number of gamers per capita reside in low-income countries like Nigeria and Indonesia.



"When we talk about games, people think that we're creating them for children," said Gautam Shah who is the founder of Internet of Elephants.



He said that the conservation sector is slowly waking up to the potential of gaming to engage people in the same manner that it took them time to realize the power and potential of social media.



Similar to how conservationists like Shah hope to exploit opportunities in the gaming industry certain of the biggest gaming studios are beginning to promote green messaging.



Minecraft, the blockbuster game of building, has introduced versions that allow users to create national parks and sustainable cities.



In 2016, then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was appointed a character from Rovio's wildly popular Angry Birds franchise an honorary ambassador to encourage youngsters to go "green" and take on climate change.



Rovio also partnered up with the World Wide Fund for Nature in order to help promote International Tiger Day.
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"In the last few years, we have collaborated with companies on climate change and encouraged our players to think about the issue by incorporating climate change-related messages in our games," said Minna Eloranta, Rovio's senior communications manager.



Niantic, the company that developed Pokemon Go with Nintendo Co Ltd is a coordinating company for Earth Day clean-up events in every corner of South Africa and Singapore every year.



"Games that connect sustainability initiatives to their primary gameplay mechanics offer the chance to not only increase the success of their playerbase but also have significant contributions to climate change." Yennie Solheim Fuller is the senior manager of social impact at Niantic. (Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Maggie Fick and Toby Chopra)


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