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15 Minutes of Fame: Making Child's Play of WoW
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about. Kristin Lindsay makes child's play of WoW. In fact, she makes child's play of gaming in general and even of her work. That's because Child's Play, the charitable organization that brings games, books and cash to sick kids in children's hospitals across North America, is her work. As project manager at Child's Play, Kristin helps the organization raise millions of dollars worth of toys and cash for children's hospitals and put a positive face on gamers and gaming. Child's Play was created by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of the online comic strip Penny Arcade. This year, the group has raised $1,302,367, shooting to surpass last year's $1.5 million total. We dove into a niche in Kristin's busy season to visit with her about her WoW habit, her work with Child's Play and how we WoW players can help Child's Play achieve a record-breaking year for hospitalized kids.
Buy a mount in Wizard101 for charity
Remember when you would try and convince your mother to get you something with the rallying cry that it would be educational? It didn't always work, but it was usually worth a try. Kids playing Wizard101 -- or adults looking to justify their latest impulse purchase to their spouse -- will be able to unleash a variant on that: "But it's for charity!" The Meowmodon mount, pictured above, has just been unveiled as the newest addition to the mount options in the game, but there's a twist: buying it sends no money to KingsIsle. It moves straight on to charity. Each time the mount is purchased, KingsIsle will donate the full cost of the mount, roughly $15 US, to two charities, the Austin Children's Shelter and the ever-popular Child's Play. Moreover, the mount will only be available between December 14th and January 5th of next year. The fact that it's a limited-time item makes it even more attractive to many parts of the gaming community, and it marks a Wizard101 player as having donated to worthy causes at one of the most important times of the year. So if you have any interest in owning it, by all means, head to the page with all the details, and remember that you don't have to feel even remotely bad about this impulse purchase.
Webcomic Holiday Postcard Fundraiser returns for 2009
The internet has become the de facto way to send send half-hearted holiday greetings, but why not class it up this year? Why not buy some cards from the Webcomic Holiday Postcard Fundraiser, the perfect way to say "I acknowledge you have not yet died, but I'm certainly not going to buy you anything." Not only will the money go to help Child's Play, but most of the cards (illustrated by webcomic artists like Scott Ramsoomair of VGCats fame) are so pretty the recipient may feel like they've gotten a gift and will, in turn, feel obligated to get you something. And that, friends, is what Christmas is all about.
Last week of Hearts, Hands and Voices
Azeroth United, the internet media community for all things World of Warcraft, has been holding a charity drive for Child's Play since November 1st. Hearts, Hands, and Voices has already surpassed their initial goal of $5000 and is now hoping to reach twice that by their end date of December 13th. Sunday, our very own Mike Schramm played Rock Band for 9 hours -- until his fingers hurt -- to raise money for the drive. Also, you can blame Syrana for all your troubles on Twitter and help raise money for the charity, just by tweeting. If you wish to join in on the fun and support this Penny Arcade-run charity, please donate by clicking on the ChipIn link at the main HHV site, or any of the supporting sites. ChipIn was the same service that the WoWathon players used to also raise money for the hospitalized children who are the recipients of Child's Play's funds, toys, games, etc. The donations from this service go directly to the charity. Hearts, Hands and Voices have drawings for donating $10 or $20 that include some really cool things like ThinkGeek gear or a Warcraft Stein. Please go check out the goodies you could win just for a small donation to a great cause. And if you don't, well, I blame Syrana.
Child's Play raises over $1 million so far
It was announced today that the Child's Play charity has raised over $1 million so far this year. The charity, created by Penny Arcade to aid children in hospitals all over the world, has already raised a total of $1,010,680.28. Said Child's Play project manager Kristin Lindsay, "With so may people out of work, we've been amazed at the huge response this year." The charity hopes to surpass $1.4 million by year's end, which would be on par with what it brought in during 2008. Several events for Child's Play have been planned or have already taken place this year. Notably, the Desert Bus for Hope marathon pulled in over $130,000 in November, while Harmonix will be throwing the Ümloud Rock Band night fundraiser on December 9. Readers can find out more about Child's Play at the official website.
BioWare's Facebook game gives to charity, takes $10 off Dragon Age for PC
BioWare has launched a browser-based game on Facebook that benefits charity ... and gamers looking to save some scratch on the PC version of Dragon Age: Origins. Called Gift of the Yeti, it's a simple yet surprisingly fun arcade-style dash to deliver presents ... as a yeti subbing for Santa Clause. Outside of the game, BioWare is playing the part of old St. Nick for hospitalized children, donating $10,000 to the Child's Play charity. And by simply loading up the game, players are presented with a link to the EA Store, where they're automagically given a $10 discount off of Dragon Age for Windows. The press release announcing the game indicates that it's just the tip of the iceberg for the company's foray into social gaming. BioWare co-founder, Dr. Ray Mazuyka, said of the endeavor, "Gift of the Yeti is a fun, engaging holiday present from BioWare to our fans, the first in a series of compelling social experiences from BioWare Labs." Sure, they likely won't be for consoles -- but who are we to look a gift yeti in the mouth?
Desert Bus for Hope raises more than $132,000 for Child's Play
After five days and 16 hours of playing the world's most boring game, the Desert Bus for Hope crew has reached its final stop for the year, bringing in a staggering $132,392.94 to benefit the Child's Play charity. With the third iteration of its annual marathon play session of "Desert Bus" -- a mini-game from the unreleased Penn and Teller's Smoke and Mirrors -- comedy troupe LoadingReadyRun raised nearly $110,000 more than its first year. If you want to see just how brutal the experience was, you can try the game for yourself right here. It's just the latest piece in a long line of evidence proving that a bunch of good-hearted gamers and Canadians with a brutal, masochistic streak can accomplish just about anything. Congrats, everybody.
Philanthropic rockers playing 1,000 Rock Band songs for Child's Play
We know you've probably already spent an irresponsible amount of dough this morning on hot Black Friday deals, but there's a unique gaming marathon for charity (a charithon?) taking place right now that could use some help meeting its $3,000 donation goal. Check out the web page of Clan of the Gray Wolf, where four gentlemen are attempting to play 1,000 Rock Band songs for approximately 80 hours, all the while collecting money for Penny Arcade's Child's Play Charity. So, instead of buying that set of Growing Pains-themed salt shakers simply because they're 75 percent off, why not lend a helping hand to four guys who, in 80 hours, are going to have the worst blisters anyone's ever had, ever?
Real World Heroes gives titles for charity in City of Heroes
It's trite and cliche, but also true -- the holidays are the optimal time to stop and remember that there are people less fortunate than you in the world. Charity drives step up in frequency and everyone looks for the spirit of the holiday, of giving gifts out of kindness and hope that others can share in your good fortune. That being said, it can help give an incentive for everyone if there's something more to be had than simply the warm fuzzy feeling. Real World Hero, a player-run charity drive, has teamed up with the community team in City of Heroes to provide a little extra incentive for players of the game to step up and do something super. Running between November 30th and December 24th, players who include their character information when they donate will be eligible for a limited-time special gold title for their character, marking them as a generous soul. The event is not being officially sponsored by the company, but the support is certainly added incentive to take part. With Operation Gratitude, Donate Games, and the ever-popular Child's Play as the designated recipients, it's a good time for City of Heroes players to be a bit more heroic in their day-to-day lives and be known for it in-game to boot.
Help the Desert Bus for Hope at 2 p.m. EST and win terrible games
Today at 2 p.m. EST, Joystiq's own preternatually handsome Justin McElroy will be visiting the brave men and women of the Desert Bus for Hope, and you should tune in! For starters, you'll get to watch former people who have been turned into little more than husks by extended exposure to one of the worst games ever draw strength from the timeless good looks and boundless compassion of Mr. McElroy. But, almost just as importantly, you'll also have a shot of winning a box of terrible games. The Desert Bus team will select one person who donates here between 2 and 3 p.m. at random, and we'll send that unlucky SOB a box full of unpleasant games and other random swag. It's better than nothing but just barely. Besides, you're helping sick kids while treating your ears to a heaping dollop of everyone's favorite Thanksgiving treat: Justin McElroy. isn't that enough for you?
Child's Play & Harmonix rock San Fran for charity Dec. 9
Harmonix and Child's Play have announced that they're banding together for a charity benefit Rock Band night at San Francisco's DNA Lounge the night of December 9. "Ümloud!" is an all-ages event organized by GameLife's Chris Kohler, Gamehelper's Joe Markert and Telltale Games' John "Seg" Seggerson, and staffed by a number of Bay Area games bloggers, including yours truly. The party kicks off at 7PM PT and runs through 2AM PT on December 10, with a suggested $10 donation for admission. Everyone who attends will automagically be made eligible for a chance to win some of the many raffle prizes that'll be awarded throughout the night, but those who wish to donate more can sign up for two different "band packages" -- which include reserved songs and the chance to play on DNA's main stage -- at the Ümloud! site. Proceeds from the event will go to provide toys and video games to children's hospitals nationwide, including the local Oakland Children's Hospital.
Desert Bus for Hope 3 pulls onto the road tomorrow
Can something still be considered a game if you know you're going to lose? That's the exact question the brave crew of the Desert Bus for Hope will have to answer as it sets off on its third annual excursion tomorrow. As they play the Desert Bus mini-game from Penn and Teller's Smoke and Mirrors for days on end to raise money for Child's Play, sick kids will win, we the viewers of their live video stream will win, but the bleary-eyed LoadingReadyRun driving team will absolutely, positively lose. If you'd like to help their sacrifice not be in vain (while at the same time prolonging it), you can donate on their homepage. [Thanks, Koehler83]
Azeroth United and Raid for the Cure running charity giveaways
Halloween is over and we're headed towards Thanksgiving, which means it's the time of year that charities everywhere ask you to open up your hearts and wallets and support some good causes. Azeroth United, the recently-formed community for WoW players, just revealed the prizes in their "Hearts, Hands, and Voices" charity giveaway. They're officially supporting Child's Play (they got mentioned on the main website), and your donation there (of $10 or $20) will get you into two tiers of giveaways, featuring prizes of all kinds from all over the WoW community. Sounds like a great chance to both support a good cause and maybe even win some free stuff. And from our old friend John "BigBearButt" Patricelli comes news of a "Raid for the Cure" -- on Saturday, November 14th, a group of players from both factions will walk in-game on the Kael'thas server from Darnassus to Ratchet (and on to Booty Bay) to raise awareness and funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity. Pink shirts will be handed out at the event, and making a donation of any kind over on the WoW page for the charity will enter you in a raffle to win a guest appearance on the Sidhe Devils Gone Wild podcast (a member of that guild has been dealing with breast cancer, and the in-game run is in support of her and her cause).
Azeroth United announces Hearts, Hands and Voices charity drive
Our good friends over at Azeroth United have announced their charity drive for the year, and while it's still getting underway, you can now head over and start giving donations, of either money or items to be offered as prizes for sponsorships. The drive doesn't officially start until November 1st, but especially if you have a site that has WoW-related items or services to offer, AU could use your help putting together gifts for people who donate. Additionally, they've put together mp3 promos of various AU members, so if you have a podcast in the community or any other audio outlet, you can run promotions of your own to help out the cause.Said cause is an excellent one, of course: they're aiming to get at least $5,000 to donate to Child's Play, the charity started by the Penny Arcade folks that helps get video games together for children in hospital. The drive, we're told, will run through December 13th, so they've got a long way to go, but right now they're working hard at getting sponsor items together and getting the community revved up for the event. Stay tuned for more -- this seems like an excellent opportunity for the Warcraft community to do good and help out the world outside of Azeroth.
Newell pays way to Australia, donations go to Child's Play
Despite the internet's best efforts to pay Valve prez Gabe Newell's way to Australia, the man simply won't take it. Posting on Fly Gabe Newell, the now infamous Australian Left 4 Dead modder "Joe W-A" says that not only are Newell and Valve project manager Erik Johnson heading down under next week, but they've paid their own way. "All the money accumulated will be going to the Child's Play charity," which Joe W-A tells Joystiq totals $3,099.54 from 233 donations. Said Valve's Newell in an official statement, "The power of the gaming community and their ability to rally around a cause -- be it serious or fun in nature -- is amazing." And Newell's no stranger to both sides of it, having recently invited the creators of a Left 4 Dead 2 boycott to visit Valve's studios, sparking the joke email thread between Newell and Joe W-A that eventually resulted in the trip to Australia.We'll have more on the visit next week; hopefully including a promised video from the Australian modder hosting Newell.
Congratulations WoWathon!
After almost two weeks, the WoWathon team dinged to 80 last night to the strains of The Final Countdown.On August 1, they started their mission to raise money for the charity Child's Play by playing WoW straight from 1 to 80. They have suffered through griefers, trolls and extended maintenance -- all while streaming to the public. The team surpassed their initial goal of $5000 goal and have raised over $8000 as of this writing, all for making the lives of sick children more pleasant.There is still time to donate, if you want to congratulate them in a charitable fashion. Just go to their main website and click on the ChipIn! button before August 15th. Any contribution helps, no matter how small.I'm so proud of them (sniff) and I'm looking forward to next year's WoWathon.
Playing WoW for charity: Interview with the WoWathon team
The gamers who are playing WoW, marathon-style, for charity are still streaming their mega-leveling session over on Ustream. Thanks to fellow gamers and readers like you, they are getting close to have surpassed their goal of $5000 in order to stay playing until they get level 80. Every penny of the donations goes to Child's Play, the Penny-Arcade charity for helping sick kids in children's hospitals.The WoWathon team are leveling, chatting, eating, singing -- living their lives on the internet for your viewing pleasure and hopefully your donations. They are also, unbelievably, being griefed while questing and trolled in chat. Unflappable, these Gamers for Good continue their quest to help raise money for an excellent cause -- sometimes with Blizzard GMs as guardian angels.They took time out after reaching level 40 and even woke up one of their team (Thank you, Alex!) to answer my interview questions:
WoWathon for Child's Play
Have you heard about WoWathon? Three gamers have been playing WoW since August 1, broadcasting live in order to raise money for the charity, Child's Play. They are streaming live right now on Ustream and have been for 54 hours as of this writing. Starting from level 1, they have leveled their characters to 35 so far, all while responding to chatters.They are not account sharing and have the blessing of their realm's GM, for those of you who are worried about them going against the ToS.Child's Play is the charity that the guys at Penny Arcade put together to provide toys, games, books and cash to sick kids in children's hospitals. The WoWathon team's goal is to reach $5000 in fundrasing for the charity and are currently near $2300. If you wish to donate to help them reach their goal, please go to their website and click on the Chipin button. We are talking to them now, so stay tuned to WoW.com for an interview with the team.[Thank you to the many readers who have tipped us about this awesome event.]
Madmen completing every Mario game for charity
We love Mario. We mean, we're somewhat contractually obligated to, being huge nerds and all. Still, there's certain stages in the core Mario games that are simply excruciating to play -- we usually skip them during our nostalgic romps. That's why we can't help but admire the efforts of three men who are playing through every Super Mario title -- collecting every star, completing every level and Shining every Get! (Err -- getting every Shine.)They're not doing this for fun, of course -- for the second year in a row, they're running through this "Mario Marathon," collecting donations for Child's Play. They've already been at it for two days -- but with the team yet to totally complete Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine, then Super Mario Galaxy again (as that totally secret character), there's a lot of ballgame left to be played.
WoW Insider Show Episode 92: Giving Druids another chance
We had a great time as always last Saturday on our podcast -- Turpster and I welcomed Kevin Dika, the winner of the Child's Play Children's Week auction, who gave a very generous donation to Penny Arcade's charity and won a guest spot with us on the show. We talked with Kevin about his WoW experience -- he plays a Ret Pally, but hey, nobody's perfect, right? -- and got some insight from him about running a guild in the game and what a tough job it can be, how to deal with kids and other folks playing along with you, and how to come up with a worthwhile balance between playing the game and living in real life. We answered your emails (including a few more "Turpster is..." emails), and then we talked about the most popular posts from the last week of WoW.com: the new Druid art form coming to the game, what's new in 3.1.3, and where Blizzard has gone wrong recently with 5-mans, and where they might go next.It was an excellent show, and we're happy to have Kevin on to thank him for his support (and he did a pretty great job on the podcast, too). We'll be back on as usual next Saturday at 3:30pm Eastern over on the Ustream page, and we might even do some more video streaming next week -- we did a little bit during the aftershow this week, and it worked out better than I thought. Stay tuned.Get the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.Listen here on the page:
