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Video games and charity
Masem: /* Pink Overwatch Mercy skin */
Due to the perceived negative connotations of video games, both industry members and consumers of video games have frequently collaborated to counter this perception by engaging in video gaming for charitable purposes. Some of these have been charitable groups, or regular and annual events, and the scope of these efforts have continued to grow, with more than having been raised by video game-related charity efforts in the first half of 2018 alone.<ref>[http://collider.com/guardiancon-charity-raises-millions-for-st-jude/]</ref>
== Organizations and events ==
=== Child's Play ===
The creators of the ''[[Penny Arcade]]'' webcomic, [[Jerry Holkins]] and [[Mike Krahulik]], established the Child's Play charity in 2003 following a string of mass media stories that attempted to portray video games in a negative light. The charity was designed to provide toys and video game systems and games to various children's hosptials in the United States, though both monetary and physical donations. By 2017, Child's Play had raised over through both cash donations and donated items.<ref></ref>
=== Extra Life ===
Extra Life is a annual charity fund-raising event to support the [[Children's Miracle Network Hospitals]]. The event was started in 2008 to honor Victoria , a teenager who died of [[acute lymphoblastic leukemia]]. While gamers accept funds for Extra Life throughout the year, the event encourages streamers to play video games for twenty-four hours straight via Twitch or other streaming services over a specific weekend in November, and collect additional donations from their viewers. In 2017, over 50,000 streamers helped to raise over for the hospitals.
=== Desert Bus For Hope ===
The comedy group [[LoadingReadyRun]] ran a Child's Play event in 2007 by marathon-playing the game ''[[Desert Bus]]'', a game created by [[Penn & Teller]], in which the player must drive a bus on a desolate stretch of highway from Tuscan to Las Vegas, roughly eight hours of continuous gameplay, with little challenge outside of player fatigue. The event was successful, in part due to recognition from Penn & Teller, and eventually spun out into its own annual "Desert Bus for Hope" event. During the stream, broadcast over Twitch and other streaming sites, viewers can donate to get virtual time behind the bus's wheel, as well as participate in various auctions. The 2018 event raised over for Child's Play, with total accumulated donations exceeding .<ref>[https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/17/18100306/desert-bus-for-hope-2018-fundraising-total-hours]</ref>
=== Games Done Quick ===
Games Done Quick was launched in 2010, inspired by the Desert Bus for Hope, with the idea that its participants use [[speedrun]]s to complete numerous games over the course of the event, typically five to six days. As a semi-annual event, the speedruns are performed live in front of an audience as well as broadcast to Twitch and other services, with viewers able to donate during that time. There has also been shorter one-off special Games Done Quick events for special occasions, such as one to support the victims of the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]]. By 2019, Games Done Quick have raised over to various charities, including [[Prevent Cancer Foundation]] and [[Doctors Without Borders]].<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/awesome-games-done-quick-2019-highlights-1176117]</ref>
=== Humble Bundle ===
Humble Bundle was initially launched by [[Wolfire Games]] in 2010 as a series of game bundles, most frequently [[independent video games|indie games]], offered at a pay-what-you-want price, with all but a few dollars of each sale going to a designated charity. As the bundles became more successful, Humble Bundle's approach expanded to include other bundles, such as mobile games, console games, and digital books, as well as establishing its own company, created publishing support for indie games and establishing a dedicated storefront, where a portion of each purchase goes to a selected charity. By 2017, the various activities of Humble Bundle have raised over across 50 different charities, including [[Action Against Hunger]], Child's Play, the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]], [[charity: water]], the [[American Red Cross]], WaterAid and the [[Wikimedia Foundation]].<ref></ref>
== Notable one-off efforts ==
=== Pink ''Overwatch'' Mercy skin ===
During May 2018, to support the [[Breast Cancer Research Foundation]], [[Blizzard Entertainment]] offered a limited time character customization skin for the ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'' character [[Mercy (Overwatch)|Mercy]] that reflected the pink colors of breast cancer awareness, with all revenue from the sale of the skin going to the Foundation. By the end of the sale, Blizzard had raised over , which at the time, was the largest single donation that the Foundation had seen.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
=== H.Bomberguy's stream for Mermaids ===
Following comments made by British television writer [[Graham Linehan]] that were taken as anti-[[transgender]] in January 2019, streamer Harry Brewis aka "H.Bomberguy" decided to run a marathon stream to beat ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'' and raise money for [[Mermaids (charity)|Mermaids]], a British charity for transgender youth. Word of mouth about the stream quickly spread and several notable pro-trans supporters briefly joined his stream, including [[John Romero]], [[Chelsea Manning]], and U.S. congresswoman [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]]. Brewis finished the marathon after 57 hours, having raised over for Mermaids.<ref>[https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/20/18191023/hbomberguy-donkey-kong-64-twitch-stream-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-john-romero-chelsea-manning]</ref>
== References ==
== Organizations and events ==
=== Child's Play ===
The creators of the ''[[Penny Arcade]]'' webcomic, [[Jerry Holkins]] and [[Mike Krahulik]], established the Child's Play charity in 2003 following a string of mass media stories that attempted to portray video games in a negative light. The charity was designed to provide toys and video game systems and games to various children's hosptials in the United States, though both monetary and physical donations. By 2017, Child's Play had raised over through both cash donations and donated items.<ref></ref>
=== Extra Life ===
Extra Life is a annual charity fund-raising event to support the [[Children's Miracle Network Hospitals]]. The event was started in 2008 to honor Victoria , a teenager who died of [[acute lymphoblastic leukemia]]. While gamers accept funds for Extra Life throughout the year, the event encourages streamers to play video games for twenty-four hours straight via Twitch or other streaming services over a specific weekend in November, and collect additional donations from their viewers. In 2017, over 50,000 streamers helped to raise over for the hospitals.
=== Desert Bus For Hope ===
The comedy group [[LoadingReadyRun]] ran a Child's Play event in 2007 by marathon-playing the game ''[[Desert Bus]]'', a game created by [[Penn & Teller]], in which the player must drive a bus on a desolate stretch of highway from Tuscan to Las Vegas, roughly eight hours of continuous gameplay, with little challenge outside of player fatigue. The event was successful, in part due to recognition from Penn & Teller, and eventually spun out into its own annual "Desert Bus for Hope" event. During the stream, broadcast over Twitch and other streaming sites, viewers can donate to get virtual time behind the bus's wheel, as well as participate in various auctions. The 2018 event raised over for Child's Play, with total accumulated donations exceeding .<ref>[https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/17/18100306/desert-bus-for-hope-2018-fundraising-total-hours]</ref>
=== Games Done Quick ===
Games Done Quick was launched in 2010, inspired by the Desert Bus for Hope, with the idea that its participants use [[speedrun]]s to complete numerous games over the course of the event, typically five to six days. As a semi-annual event, the speedruns are performed live in front of an audience as well as broadcast to Twitch and other services, with viewers able to donate during that time. There has also been shorter one-off special Games Done Quick events for special occasions, such as one to support the victims of the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]]. By 2019, Games Done Quick have raised over to various charities, including [[Prevent Cancer Foundation]] and [[Doctors Without Borders]].<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/awesome-games-done-quick-2019-highlights-1176117]</ref>
=== Humble Bundle ===
Humble Bundle was initially launched by [[Wolfire Games]] in 2010 as a series of game bundles, most frequently [[independent video games|indie games]], offered at a pay-what-you-want price, with all but a few dollars of each sale going to a designated charity. As the bundles became more successful, Humble Bundle's approach expanded to include other bundles, such as mobile games, console games, and digital books, as well as establishing its own company, created publishing support for indie games and establishing a dedicated storefront, where a portion of each purchase goes to a selected charity. By 2017, the various activities of Humble Bundle have raised over across 50 different charities, including [[Action Against Hunger]], Child's Play, the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]], [[charity: water]], the [[American Red Cross]], WaterAid and the [[Wikimedia Foundation]].<ref></ref>
== Notable one-off efforts ==
=== Pink ''Overwatch'' Mercy skin ===
During May 2018, to support the [[Breast Cancer Research Foundation]], [[Blizzard Entertainment]] offered a limited time character customization skin for the ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'' character [[Mercy (Overwatch)|Mercy]] that reflected the pink colors of breast cancer awareness, with all revenue from the sale of the skin going to the Foundation. By the end of the sale, Blizzard had raised over , which at the time, was the largest single donation that the Foundation had seen.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
=== H.Bomberguy's stream for Mermaids ===
Following comments made by British television writer [[Graham Linehan]] that were taken as anti-[[transgender]] in January 2019, streamer Harry Brewis aka "H.Bomberguy" decided to run a marathon stream to beat ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'' and raise money for [[Mermaids (charity)|Mermaids]], a British charity for transgender youth. Word of mouth about the stream quickly spread and several notable pro-trans supporters briefly joined his stream, including [[John Romero]], [[Chelsea Manning]], and U.S. congresswoman [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]]. Brewis finished the marathon after 57 hours, having raised over for Mermaids.<ref>[https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/20/18191023/hbomberguy-donkey-kong-64-twitch-stream-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-john-romero-chelsea-manning]</ref>
== References ==
January 22, 2019 at 02:06AM
