Charity
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Endangered species get helping hand from Microsoft, Zoo Tycoon
Community challenges for Zoo Tycoon players will benefit more than just virtual animals, thanks to donations from Microsoft. Each month, a new challenge will be issued by Zoo Tycoon developer Frontier. When the challenge has been completed, Microsoft will donate $10,000 to whichever nonprofit organization the players have voted for. Each challenge is focused on a different endangered species, with the first round of voting underway. Players can vote for one of the three following challenges from the in-game community page: Adopt 1,000 komodo dragons in Zoo Tycoon and Microsoft and AZA will donate $10,000 to support the Komodo Survival Program's work with the Indonesian Government to protect this species. Release 1,000 rhinos to the wild in Zoo Tycoon and Microsoft and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) will donate $10,000 to help protect and deter further poaching of rhino horns in Africa. Release 1,000 sumatran tigers into the wild in Zoo Tycoon and Microsoft and AZA will donate $10,000 to the Tiger Species Survival Program to help reduce the number of sumatran tigers killed, displaced or caught in snares. When voting closes on December 31, the winning challenge will begin.
Google's charity donation app comes to iOS for the holidays
It's the season of giving, and this year, iOS users will be entitled to share the love with Google's One Today app. Each day, users will be shown the details of a different non-profit and encouraged to make a $1 donation. It's a nominal amount, but the company's hoping people would challenge their friends to match their pledges through social media. Note that Google still takes 1.9 percent per $10 to cover credit card charges, but the company swears it gives the rest of the amount to charities. For now, the project remains US-only, so those outside of the country will have to resort to other methods to help out those in need.
Robotic chimp, metal dragon aid sick kids in Saints Row 4 charity DLC
Sure, they're a bloodthirsty gang of polysexual criminals, some of whom literally get off on violence, yet the 3rd Street Saints also have a softer side, and a recent agreement to aid Child's Play proves as much in typical Saints Row style. Here's how things work: If you pay a visit to Steam, you'll notice a new DLC pack for Saints Row 4 entitled "Child's Play Pack." All profits generated by sales of the $3 pack will go toward the Child's Play Charity, which seeks to outfit hospitals and family crisis centers with gaming machines in the hopes that kids might find comfort and solace in one of Mario's colorful adventures. That's the happy, heartwarming bit, but this being a Saints Row joint, you just knew things had to take a turn for the wacky at some point. Included in that $3 charity DLC pack are two new skins for the PC iteration of Saints Row 4, a metallic simian named Robochimp and Digital Dino, which is either a clear homage to Mechagodzilla or proof that creating robotic dragons is just too cool for any development team to ignore for long. Finally, the pack also includes a new vehicle, dubbed the "Retro Racer." It's not much of a vehicle, and looks like a cross between an amusement park ride and that bullet ship George Méliès shot at the moon in 1902. Still, in a world of weaponized dubstep and the vocal stylings of Biz Markie, this new ride barely registers as "quirky."
Tony Fadell, the Podfather himself, appears to have purchased the red Mac Pro and gold EarPods from Jony Ive's auction
The Jony Ive and Marc Newson Project (RED) auction held just a few weeks ago at Sotheby's was without question a rousing success. Many items yielded winning bids that were hundreds of thousands of dollars more than what auction officials were anticipating. All told, millions of dollars were raised and subsequently donated to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. With Ive being one of the two designers curating the auction block, there were two Apple-centric items up for bid. One was a one-of-a-kind red Mac Pro that fetched US$977,000. The other was an 18k gold pair of Apple EarPods that were purchased for $461,000. The money and person behind these winning bids has remained a mystery, until now. Two photos posted to Twitter today seem to indicate that former Apple executive Tony Fadell, the podfather himself, may have picked up not one, but both items. The photos come courtesy of photographer Kevin Abosch, who tweeted that his "friend" Fadell came by sporting some unique hardware. My friend @tfadell stopped by with 1 of a kind solid rose gold earbuds. Very cool! Thank you!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/RUc6hpD0JG - kevin abosch (@kevinabosch) December 11, 2013
Twitch exceeds charity milestones, raises $90K for Typhoon Haiyan relief
Gaming-focused streaming service Twitch announced that its recently concluded Typhoon Haiyan charity drive raised a total of $90,000 for Red Cross relief efforts. Twitch solicited donations via a Teespring store advertised in channel pop-ups, with proceeds from all sales donated to the Red Cross. The site raised $82,751 from the sale of over 6,300 shirts, then kicked in an additional donation to raise the total pledge to $90,000. Twitch additionally announced that the Extra Life charity raised a record sum for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals this year, with many participants using Twitch channels to solicit donations. Over 7,500 Extra Life participants reported Twitch affiliation at signup, with collective donations reaching $1.22 million. [Pictured above: Danny Moresco (Red Cross volunteer), Victor Cordon (Corp. Developer Specialist, Red Cross), Emmett Shear (CEO/Founder, Twitch). Photo by Jarques Pretorius.]
EA's Origin Humble Bundle brings $1.65 million to American Cancer Society
Remember EA's Humble Origin Bundle and how the publisher vowed to donate its share of the proceeds to charity? EA COO Peter Moore tweeted the above picture this week of himself presenting a $1.65 million cut of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society. The Origin Bundle's launch followed Moore's insistence that EA could "do better" just before it won its second consecutive Golden Poo award. It would be interesting to see a full breakdown of the Humble Origin Bundle's revenue, but it's nice to at least see this sliver of the results, especially when EA isn't necessarily raking in cash for themselves.
RuneScape opens 2013 Premier Club, donates $90K to charity
If you've got the cash and interest to spare, then RuneScape would like to convince you to invest in one of its 2013 Premier Club packages. Jagex has unveiled its new limited-time Premier Club membership tiers, which offer extra goodies in exchange for committing to a multi-month subscription. The bronze package is $23.50 for three months, the silver is $44.50 for six months, and the gold is $86.50 for a full year. Extras include exclusive pets, bonus spins on the squeal of fortune, and access to a VIP server. Jagex congratulated the community on donating in-game wealth via the Well of Goodwill that was translated into a real-world donation by Jagex to several charities. The studio split $90,838 between seven charities. RuneScape also just added a level 92 slayer, the Airut, for players to defeat.
EVE Evolved: Donate your old spaceships to charity
The Philippines recently suffered its worst natural disaster in living memory when typhoon Haiyan made landfall on November 8th, leaving over half a million people displaced and millions without food and basic supplies. Countries and organisations around the world have been sending relief aid into the region, and gamers have once again proven to be a generous bunch. Several livestreamers have been running donation drives; the developers behind Luvinia Online even promised to donate 100% of the income from three new in-game items to the Philippine Red Cross. EVE Online has now also joined in the fundraising by reactivating its popular PLEX for Good scheme. CCP started the PLEX for Good scheme back in January of 2010 as a way for players to donate in-game assets and ISK to help people in the real world. EVE Online players have collectively donated over $150,000 US in aid following 2010's Haitian earthquake, tsunami devastation in Japan, flooding in Pakistan, and tornadoes in the US two years ago. Players hope to smash all fundraising records this time around with dedicated fundraising auctions, events, and liquidation firesales happening across the game. There are even ways for ex-players without active subscriptions to donate their idle in-game assets to charity. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the PLEX for Good scheme, the fundraising efforts players are using to help out a country in need, and how you can donate your ISK to charity even if you've long since quit EVE.
Inaugural Super BR Jam donates 100% of proceeds to help kids in Rio
Super BR Jam is bringing together 30 indie development studios from across Brazil for a little bit of gaming and a whole lot of charity. Those so inclined can donate any amount of money they choose to receive copies of every game made during the game jam, while those who pay $5 or more will receive eight more games, including The Showdown Effect, Dungeonland, and Magicka. All proceeds will go to Solar Meninos de Luz, an organization that provides education and healthcare to low-income kids in Rio de Janeiro. The game jam itself is already over, having run from November 22 to November 24. The bundle package is likewise available for a limited time, and will close shop December 4. You can learn more and purchase the bundle by visiting the Super BR Jam website. [Thanks, Ran!]
Child's Play raises $2.5 million in 2013, $520K from Desert Bus
The 7th annual Desert Bus for Hope charity gaming marathon raised $522,348 for Child's Play, an organization that provides games, consoles and toys to sick children in hospitals and therapy facilities worldwide. Since 2003, Child's Play has raised more than $20 million, and this year alone it saw $2.5 million in donations. Online comedy group LoadingReadyRun started the Desert Bus gaming marathon in 2007, and it has since raised more than $1.7 million for Child's Play – making it "the most successful charity gaming marathon in the world," its description reads. Those who watched Desert Bus 7 can help make next year's marathon even better by filling out a brief survey.
Jony Ive and Marc Newson-curated Project (RED) auction a huge success; Mac Pro fetches $977,000 while Leica M camera nets $1.8 million bid
This past Saturday, Sotheby's held its long-anticipated auction that saw folks with extremely deep pockets bid on a selection of items curated, and in some cases designed, by famed designers Jony Ive and Marc Newson. The auction was held to benefit Bono's Project (RED) charity and all proceeds will be donated to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. By the time the auction ended on Saturday, the winning bids were leaps and bounds higher than what anybody could have anticipated. For instance, one of the items up on the auction block was a one-of-a-kind red Mac Pro. It was initially expected to fetch upwards of $60,000. The actual winning bid checked in at a whopping US$977,000. Another Apple-centric item that was put up for bid was a pair of solid gold 18k EarPods designed by Ive. Initial estimates pegged the winning bid to come in somewhere around the $25,000 range. The real winning bid? $461,000. Also up for bid was a one-off production of a Leica M camera designed by both Ive and Newson. The winning bid? An astronomical $1.8 million. Initially, the auction house was expecting the winning bid to come in somewhere between $500,000 and $750,000. Meanwhile, a uniquely designed aluminum desk, also designed by Ive and Newson, fetched a winning bid of $1.68 million, while a customized Steinway & Sons grand piano fetched $1.93 million. Incredibly, the auction house was anticipating bidding to come in between $150,000 and $200,000. Also worth mentioning is that a custom-made pair of leather shoes went for $12,500. Only in America! You can check out the full listing of all the products that were part of the Project (RED) auction over here on the Sotheby's website.
Typhoon Haiyan victims to be aided by CCP 'PLEX for GOOD' campaign
CCP, developer of EVE Online, DUST 514 and the upcoming World of Darkness MMO, is currently holding a donation drive to help aid those affected by Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines earlier this month. Each donation of an EVE player's Pilot License Extension (PLEX) during this "PLEX for GOOD" campaign funnels $15 toward the Icelandic Red Cross, and CCP is prepared to give up to a maximum of $75,000. The drive will last until December 7. For those who haven't yet launched into the vast and open world of EVE Online, PLEX is not only an in-game item, but also how players subscribe to the game. By either purchasing PLEX outright with real-world currency or earning it in-game, players are allowed to fly their ships for 30 more days. In other words, players aren't just donating in-game items, they're donating the item that allows them to play. To thank them for their contribution, CCP is rewarding donors with a special in-game shirt. Those who want to donate can read more about the process over on the EVE community blog.
WoW supporting Make-A-Wish through new charity pet sales
Through the end of the year, Blizzard is supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation with proceeds from the sales of World of Warcraft's cuddly new pet, the Alterac Brew Pup. From now until January 1st, 2014, at 2:59 a.m., players can purchase the charity pup for $10.00, half of which goes right to Make-A-Wish. Additionally, a new Enchanted Fey Dragon mount is also available; during the charity event, it can be bought in a special bundle with the Brew Pup. Players who opt for the bundle purchase will receive a $5.00 discount over buying the two separately, and $5.00 still goes to the charity. If you think these two critters sound too cute for words, see them for yourself in the clips below.
White Xbox One charity auction raises $11,300
A black Xbox One costs $500, but a white Xbox One sets you back $11,300. No, Microsoft isn't going with an ambitiously priced second SKU, but the much nicer story of an eBay user stumping up the cash for the normally employee-only console, with proceeds going towards the Wounded Warrior Project. Microsoft's charity auction ended yesterday evening, after the bidding sat at $11,100 across a number of days. Then, with hours to go a new user snuck in to snatch up the limited edition console. He or she will receive their new, shiny white console when everyone else gets their boring black ones this Friday on November 22. There's at least one other member of the public due to receive a white Xbox One, but over in the UK. Another white Xbox One was auctioned over there earlier this month, raising £5,000 (around $8,000) for charity organization GamesAid, which is passing on the money to a number of small UK charities for children and young people.
Another white Xbox One being auctioned for charity, this time in the US
Microsoft is auctioning a white Xbox One in the US, and the bidding at the time of writing is at a whopping $11,100. As Major Nelson revealed, the proceeds are going to the Wounded Warrior Project, which supports men and women injured in service of their country. The bidding ends on November 18, at 5.42PM PT (8.42PM ET). Microsoft will hope its auction isn't plagued by the suspicious bidding UK charity GamesAid had to endure earlier this month. That auction, also for a white Xbox One, had to be pulled after a flurry of astronomic bids, leading to GamesAid selling the console at a set price of £5000 (around $8,000.) This time around, Microsoft is using auction management service Kompolt to pre-qualify any bids over $3,000. The white edition Xbox One is normally reserved for Microsoft IEB employees, so you won't find it at retail stores when the console launches next week on November 22. If you have money to burn and a generous heart (and really like the color white), you may like to know the winning bidder also gets a one year Xbox Live Gold subscription, and copies of Forza 5, Ryse, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct, and Crimson Dragon.
Get Guild Wars 2 for 30 bucks and give to charity at the same time
Have you bought Guild Wars 2 yet? If not, there's no time like the present thanks to The Humble Store. The title is currently on sale for $29.99, and the best part is that 10 percent of the proceeds go to charity. Better hurry up, though. The site's ticker says the current deals expire in just under 18 hours. [Thanks burnhaus!]
Bargains abound as Humble Bundle evolves into Humble Store
In case periodic Humble Bundle releases and weekly sales aren't enough to sate your appetite for wildly cheap games that directly benefit charity, the people behind the Bundle have now launch the Humble Store. The video above serves as a mute demonstration of how the Humble Store works, but anyone familiar with Steam or Good Old Games should feel right at home. The virtual retailer offers a number of games (largely independent titles) at sizable discounts, only unlike those aforementioned digital distribution services, the money earned by the Humble Store will be partially earmarked for charity: 75 percent of your purchase goes to the game's creators, 15 percent goes toward administrative fees, and the remaining 10 percent goes to charity. The game selection on the Humble Store is a bit scant at the moment, but it's a quality over quantity situation. You'll find games available on Windows, Linux and Mac, and standout releases such as Don't Starve, Gunpoint and Rogue Legacy - none of which are currently priced higher than $7.50. If you prefer the old way of doing things, you're in luck: Despite the Humble Store's debut, the Humble Bundle will continue to appear on a regular basis. Joining the Humble Bundle mailing list will now inform you both about upcoming Bundles as well as new deals on the Humble Store, which are said to change on a daily basis.
Humble Store launches, skips the Bundles and flash sales
Man can not live by flash sales alone... or something like that. Humble Bundle, the premier destination for pay-what-you-want bi-weekly packages of indie games knows that. And so today it launched a new store front, appropriately called The Humble Store. Instead predetermined groups of games being offered in one shot, you can buy individual titles at any time. Titles are hand selected by the Humble team, but your choices will be much broader than could possibly fit in a single Bundle. New games will be added every day as the Humble Store builds its library, starting with a number of deeply discounted options, including 'Don't Starve.' As with the Bundles and Weekly Sales, a portion of the proceeds go to charity. However, unlike those chances to set the split, a standard 10 percent of your money is earmarked for groups like the American Red Cross, Child's Play, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Of course, every little bit helps. So, what are you waiting for, hit up the Humble Store and get shopping.
White Xbox One sells for £5,000 at relisted charity auction
A limited-edition white Xbox One console has sold for an astounding £5,000 (approximately $8,000) at auction following an intense bidding war that resulted in the console being pulled and relisted. Originally put up for sale earlier this week, the console was donated to charity by an anonymous Microsoft employee, and is emblazoned with a unique Gamertag and the text "I Made This." The console's original auction was yanked after sellers noted "suspicious activity" among bidders, resulting in a secure buy-it-now relisting that subsequently sold for its £5,000 asking price. Proceeds for the auction benefit GamesAid, a UK-based charity that helps disadvantaged and disabled children.
Extra Life raises record $3.8 million in 2013 despite Saturday's DDoS
Extra Life 2013 raised $3,809,607 for the Children's Miracle Network during this weekend's 25-hour charity game marathon – and it's not over yet. The Extra Life website came under a DDoS attack on Saturday, temporarily making donations inaccessible, and the team has scheduled a re-do day for Saturday, November 9. "I am not sure what kind of person would DDoS a charitable initiative," Extra Life founder Jeromy Adams wrote at the time of the attack. "I am so sorry that you are going through this frustration today. Our entire team is purely heartbroken that someone would do this. But it has happened. As frustrating as this is for everyone involved, it pales in comparison to what the kids we're trying to save go through. That reality, for me personally, is about the only thing keeping me somewhat calm right now." The makeup day is officially on Saturday, but participating teams can of course reschedule their streams any day they wish. Extra Life raised $2 million before the marathon and another $1.7 million over the weekend. The 2013 fundraising period ends on December 31.
