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Deep Silver is auctioning off the real-life Saints Row Genki Mobile
Saints Row publisher Deep Silver is auctioning off a truck based on one of the franchise's vehicles for charity. The studio's 1956 Ford F-100 available for bidding on eBay starts at $7,500 and has just over 80,000 miles on it. The truck is decorated to look strikingly similar to the Genki Manapult truck offered as a pre-order bonus and DLC for Saints Row: The Third. The real-life Genki Manapult vehicle is complete with its trademark cannon, which shoots t-shirts as opposed to people. As of this writing, the auction does not have any bidders. All proceeds for the auction will go to Wings for Life, a not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation that funds "world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe aimed at healing the injured spinal cord." The auction is slated to end on Saturday, December 13. [Image: Deep Silver]
Engadget presents #enGIVEget: benefiting St. Jude!
Now that our readers (and most Engadget editors) have stuffed their pie holes full of food and done some serious damage with their credit cards over the biggest shopping weekend of the year, it's time we gave a little bit, too. Here's where our #enGIVEget sweepstakes, benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® comes in.
Apple partners with app developers to raise money for AIDS research
Apple has teamed with select app developers on a fundraising initiative for (RED) and World AIDS day (Dec 1st). For the next two weeks there will be a dedicated a section of the App Store where 25 partnering apps will be available with new or exclusive content. Titles taking part include high-profile names such as Angry Birds, FIFA 15, FarmVille and djay. All the sales revenue (including in-app purchases) from this section will go to (RED)'s Global Fund campaign. In addition to the apps, Apple is pledging to contribute a slice of select Black Friday sales, and is donating a portion of all retail sales on December 1 (cyber Monday). Apple has a long history of working with (RED), a charity co-created by Bono -- famously close to Cook's organisation. A relationship that has already seen Apple raise over $65 million for the fight against AIDS -- a figure you get to augment while spreading a little festive cheer this year.
Samsung made a 78-inch curved TV and decided to cover the back in gold
Do you want to see the TV or do you want to see the gold?
Why Samaritans' app to spot depressed tweets does more harm than good
Last week, counselling charity Samaritans launched Radar, a new social media service that remotely listens in on Twitter conversations and warns you when someone you follow might need emotional support. Radar is already tracking over a million Twitter accounts, and while the idea is a virtuous one, the service has sparked a huge online backlash, with many calling for it to be shut down. But why?
Path of Exile now accepting Karma Koins
Do you need an alternate way to make purchases in Path of Exile? Yesterday, Grinding Gear Games declared to the world at large that it would also be accepting Karma Koins as payment. These are basically point cards that you can pick up from a variety of retailers for $10 to $50 each. As an incentive for players to try out the Karma Koin system, Path of Exile will give out a Voidgate Portal effect for everyone who uses a card. Karma Koin claims to donate 1% of sales to charities, including one that brings drinking water to families in Cambodia. [Thanks to Ville Uusitalo for the tip!]
Londoners can now give to charity by paying for travel with a contactless card
More Londoners than ever are using contactless payments to get around the capital, and now, a new initiative called "Penny for London" is asking commuters to add charitable donations to their daily routine, too. The idea is that every time you use a contactless card to pay for travel, you also put aside a nominal amount -- between 1p and 10p -- for charity. Then, at the end of the each month, Penny for London charges the accumulated total to the same card, and forwards the money on to the Mayor's Fund for London, Cash for Kids, The Prince's Trust and other charitable organisations. To get involved, all you need to do is register the card you use to travel on the initiative's website, where you can also keep track of your donations, set up caps and change other preferences. While Barclaycard is responsible for developing the "micro-donation" system, any Visa or Mastercard can be used. The hope is other retailers that accept contactless payments will also sign up to participate in the initiative, but for now, at least you can feel like you're embarking on cramped, uncomfortable Tube journeys for a good cause.
SnapDonate makes giving to charity as simple as taking a photo on your phone
Everyone likes the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with donating some of your hard-earned to charity, but sometimes you simply don't have any change to pop in the bucket. Many of us also have chugger-dodging down to an art form, but now there's a simple, quick way to give to charity that doesn't involve a ten-minute lecture. A new app called SnapDonate, available on Android and coming soon to iOS, turns your smartphone's camera into a "magic lens" capable of identifying the logos of 13,000 UK charities. After you've "snapped" a logo, the app then allows you give up to £50 to the charity in question, or save the donation to a to-do list for revisiting when you've got some spare dough. The payment can be taken from any PayPal account or bank card, with that part handled by trusted online donations platform JustGiving -- a name you'll recognise all too well if you work in an office full of marathon-loving masochists.
Awesome Games Done Quick charity drive returns January 4
The good people behind the Games Done Quick charity fundraiser have announced that their next Awesome Games Done Quick event will take place between January 4 and January 10, with proceeds again going to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. For those unaware, Awesome Games Done Quick is a days-long exhibition in which some of the world's most talented speedrunners utterly destroy their games of choice for the amusement of the streaming public. Watching the event is free for anyone with Twitch access, but Games Done Quick does tidy business raising money through donations. A January 2014 Awesome Games Done Quick stream managed to pull in over $1 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. As the event's still months away, the final details and full schedule of exactly what will be streamed at the upcoming Awesome Games Done Quick event has yet to be finalized. However, if you're not allergic to spreadsheets, you can find a current outline of the event on Google Docs. [Image: Games Done Quick]
SpeedRunners recruits YouTubers to help fight cancer
SpeedRunners, a PC game about superheroes racing one another, is now a game about YouTubers racing one another - or at least it is for the duration of a week starting on Monday, October 20, when developer DoubleDutch Games and publisher tinyBuild host the "King of Speed" tournament. "A couple of months ago we had this idea. The idea that cancer sucks. And we should do something about it, with speed and running," an email to Joystiq from tinyBuild states. "SpeedRunners became popular in large part because of YouTubers. Why not put them in the game and create a charity campaign?" To that end, eight YouTube personalities have been adapted to the SpeedRunners world and divided into two teams of four. Each team will sell as a DLC pack for $2.99. Once the King of Speed tournament is underway, player wins will accrue under their respective team's banner. The team with the most wins, well ... wins. The entirety of the winning team's DLC sales will be donated to fighting cancer, while 30 percent of all DLC will go toward the cause as well. If you don't want to play as any of the YouTube personalities but still want to help push a team to victory, playing as either SpeedRunner or The Falcon will also count toward the tournament tallies for their respective team. To see who's on which team, check out the full list after the break:
Indie Games for Good charity marathon starts Friday
On October 17, the fourth annual Indie Games for Good marathon begins, with all proceeds directly and fully benefitting the Child's Play Charity. The festivities will be broadcast live and feature "over 100 independently developed games, many of which will be chosen by the viewers who make donations." As part of the charity marathon, viewers will have an opportunity to win prizes via giveaways and raffles as well as participate in live auctions. The Indie Games for Good charity notes that in its four-year life, the group has played over 240 hours for charity and raised more than $30,000. All donations toward the event will go directly to Child's Play, ensuring the organization founded on the principle of bringing entertainment to sicks kids worldwide will be awarded every cent from viewers. The marathon begins October 17 at 12pm PT and will be available for your viewing pleasure on the Indie Games for Good website. The length of the marathon is linked directly to the amount of money raised. To date, this year's event has already raised over $1,000, promising at least 50 hours of marathon entertainment.
The Pac-Man family fights breast cancer during October
Bandai Namco is teaming up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation this month by offering special pink mazes for its mobile Pac-Man games. The mazes will cost $1 each, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the NBCF. Bandai Namco is calling the initiative, which will last until the end of the month, the "Ms. Pac-Man Pink Ribbon Campaign." If you have an iOS device, the list of compatible games is as follows: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man Lite, Ms. Pac-Man Lite, Ms. Pac-Man for iPad and Ms. Pac-Man for iPad Lite. If you're rocking an Android device, your options are limited to Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man + Tournaments. "We are very excited about our new partnership with BANDAI NAMCO and the Ms. PAC-MAN Pink Ribbon Campaign," NBCF founder and CEO Janelle Hail said in a related press release. "By encouraging their gamers to Join the Pac, we can reach more women than ever with our message of hope. The funds they raise will allow us to provide early detection services for women in need in all 50 states." [Image: Bandai Namco]
Will Ferrell aids cancer charity via Twitch gameplay duel
Like so many ichthyoids before him, comedian Will Ferrell will soon be playing video games over Twitch to entertain the online masses. Unlike those greedy fish, however, Ferrell's efforts are altruistic. "It's no secret the best gamers in the world have wanted a piece of me for years," Ferrell stated in his official announcement. "Guys like CaptainSparklez are gunning for me. I think he might be an actual wizard and he's looking for blood. I told them I'd give them the honor of competing against me with one small condition: we raise a whole bunch of money for a great cause like helping kids with cancer." In lieu of an ongoing stream, Ferrell has started an Indiegogo campaign that seeks to raise $375,000. According to the crowdfunding site, assuming the goal is reached by October 26, one lucky donor will be selected to fly out to the Twitch offices in San Francisco where they'll go head to head against Ferrell in an as yet undetermined game. As you'd expect, this event will be broadcast live over the Internet. For full details and all the information you need to enter this charity sweepstakes, visit Indiegogo. If you'd rather pick up the details from a bearded Will Ferrell surrounded by pizza boxes and stereotypical Chinese takeout containers, click through the break. [Image: WillFerrellHatesCancer.org]
Apple contributes $1.6 million to Chinese earthquake relief
Apple and China have had a somewhat shaky relationship as of late -- with state-run news decrying the iPhone as a threat and rumors of government bans on Apple products (though there seems to be some conflicting reports on this point) -- but in the wake of China's 6.5 magnitude quake that hit the country over the weekend, the company is doing its best to help out. As reported by CRIENGLISH, Apple is donating 10 million yuan, or roughly US$1.6 million, to the relief efforts. The earthquake was centered in China's Yunnan Province, and caused more than 600 deaths and over 3,100 injuries, making it the worst quake to hit the area in the past century. Thousands of additional individuals have been evacuated from their homes to prevent further injury from the secondary effects of the quake, such as landslides and flooding. Apple's charitable attitude is nothing new for the company, which has a history of donating to disaster relief and various other causes.
Summer Games Done Quick speedruns raise $700k for charity
Sometimes it's good to know that the more superhuman among us choose to use their powers for good; SpeedDemosArchive announced via Twitter that the talented players behind the Summer Games Done Quick gaming marathon raised $713,338.96 for the Doctors Without Borders charity last week. In Games Done Quick marathons, gamers speed their way through games as fast as they can or sometimes with extra conditions like being blindfolded for the entertainment of a live audience, which donates money as they see fit throughout the event. This year marks a combined total of more than $2.75 million raised for charities since the Games Done Quick marathons began. [Thanks, David!] [Image: Games Done Quick]
Humble Store raises $1 million for charity
Humble Bundle's spin-off venture Humble Store has earned more than $1 million in charitable proceeds as of this week. The Humble Store offers a rotating selection of downloadable PC games at deep discounts, with ten percent of sale proceeds going toward the American Red Cross, Child's Play, the World Land Trust, and other charities. The Humble Store has featured more than 500 games since its launch in November last year. Humble Bundle organizers are currently offering a limited-time compilation benefiting Doctors Without Borders, to commemorate the ongoing Summer Games Done Quick charity event. [Image: Humble Bundle]
Bono criticizes Apple for lack of Product RED promotion
Bono's (Product) RED initiative is the sort of program that's easy to support. RED sells specially-branded products and donates a portion of the profits to the fight against AIDS. It's a feel-good promotion that Apple has been of since 2006, raising over US$75 million for the initiative. So why exactly is Bono frustrated with Apple right now? The answer is simple, and sort of odd. Despite raising a huge amount of money in just eight years, Bono feels the company isn't doing enough to promote RED via branding or advertisement of its participation. During a presentation at the Cannes Lions on June 21, the outspoken singer lashed out at Apple with some rather profane language. "Apple is so f*cking annoyingly quiet about the fact they've raised $75 million." Apple could of course do more to promote RED directly, but it has hardly been subtle in its support. You don't subtly sell $75 million dollars worth of goods, make special products just for a project, and auction off one-of-a-kind versions of your hardware. Apple even has a website promoting its work with RED and the $75 million is has raised. Bono's real issue is with a choice Steve Jobs made back when the partnership was formed. In the video below you can see Bono discuss the deal he and Jobs worked out for RED, including Steve's opposition to the use of parentheses in the logo. Several emails from Bono convinced Jobs to change his mind, but with a caveat; Apple would never put the logo in its retail stores. As Bono says, "...and to this day, you will never see the parentheses in an Apple Store." Apple under Steve Jobs focused on building the best design over everything else, even promoting a charity, which it seems is another source of frustration for the singer. Bono takes issue with the fact that RED's branding on the products themselves isn't more prominent, usually located in a place where it won't be easily seen. In particular he raises issues with the (Product) RED iPad case, which has the RED branding on the inside of the case. Once your iPad is inside you'll never seen the logo again unless you take it out. Where's the RED branding? Nobody can see that. This is modestry run amok. This is the Apple way. They're like a religious cult." Which is sort of the point. Would Apple have sold so many RED iPad cases if it had a big (Product) RED logo on the front of the case? That's a reasonable question to ask considering the importance of design aesthetics to Apple's popularity. If you want this "cult's" money, sometimes that means you must accept its design choices. Apple's design mastermind Jony Ive was on hand to provide a different perspective on Apple's relationship with RED, focusing on the company's expansion of their RED line. We started in 2006 with one Red product, a Nano, and now we've got well over half a dozen. It's been really, really special for us." This is a fascinating case of how dedicated Apple is to its design philosophy. It will help you raise money, they will even put your logo somewhere on the product, but when everything is said and done even branded products must look like they came from Apple. It's those design choices that sell so many iPads and iPad covers, and have contributed to the $75 million that RED has been able to use to make the world a better place. If only all overly modest cults could help that many people. In the mean time here are some commercials Apple made to promote it's RED products.
Remember Destiny alpha with shirt 'that came from the moon'
Last week's alpha test of Bungie's massive shooter, Destiny, was a huge success, attracting legions of players and leaving the studio to celebrate its achievements, and even poke fun at the game's most glaring failures. In what Bungie calls a "Post Game Carnage Report," it reveals that the alpha test period played host to nearly 6.5 million Player Games. During those games, testers racked up 149.5 million primary weapon kills, 21.7 million secondary weapon kills, 21.6 million Super Ability kills and just over 4 million heavy weapon kills. Given that the alpha test lasted just over five days, that translates to an average of 39.36 million deaths per day - quite a bit of bloodshed for a game that has yet to enter beta testing. Despite its numerical achievements, many players will remember Destiny most for the hilariously lackadaisical voiceover work featured in this recent trailer. Instead of striking back at the legions of cynical Internet jerks who've spent the past few days poking fun at the game's canonical fixation on moon wizards, Bungie has turned the memetic phrase into a t-shirt. What's more, the developer is forwarding proceeds from the sale of the shirt to charity. Happily, fans quickly responded to this generous gesture by making the shirt one of the best-selling items available on Bungie's online storefront. [Image: Bungie]
Land a role in the new Star Wars movie just for donating to UNICEF
Admittedly, we're pretty stoked about the next instalment in the Star Wars saga -- specifically seeing the old cast back in action. J.J. Abrams announced the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative from Episode VII's set in Abu Dhabi this morning. Abram's company Bad Robot, coupled with Disney and Lucasfilm will use Force for Change to help bring creative solutions to some of the world's greatest problems. The initiative's kick off would see your $10 entry fee go to Unicef's Innovation Labs and Programs and the winner get a role in Episode VII. Yeah, you'll get to flown to England with a friend, become J.J.'s VIP guest, get hair, make-up and costume sorted for your role. Have deeper pockets? Using the Omaze fundraising platform, entrants can choose all kinds of entry points and get gifts -- think Kickstarter for charities. For $5k you get 500 chances to win and a replica lightsaber, for a cool $50K, 5,000 entries and a chance to see the film ahead of the rest of humanity. This first round in what we hope will be an ongoing charity saga, starts today and runs until July 18.
Naughty Dog charity stream rescheduled following DDOS attack
Naughty Dog has rescheduled its plans to participate in the Operation Supply Drop charity drive after a previous attempt was cut short by a DDoS attack, announcing that the event will now take place this weekend. Operation Supply Drop's 8-bit Salute is a charitable streaming marathon that aims to supply U.S. military troops stationed overseas with video game care packages. Naughty Dog will award prizes to top donators after its event wraps up; donators from last week's aborted stream are encouraged to send PayPal receipts to Naughty Dog in order to remain eligible. Naughty Dog's Operation Supply Drop stream will showcase gameplay from its PlayStation 3 catalog on May 24 and 25. A schedule of events is available at Naughty Dog's website. [Image: Naughty Dog]
