The one-hour gaming fundraising event will raise money for the British Red Cross’ work supporting communities affected by the changing climate.
December 17, 2021
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Author: GameByte
The British Red Cross has chosen GameByte, a Social Chain Media Brand, to run a live game jam event raising money to support communities affected by the changing climate..
The game jam is hosted on itch.io and will see GameByte’s community of over 6 million gamers compete to create the best game that tells a story about climate change.
Climate change is increasingly important to today’s consumers, particularly those in younger age groups. For the British Red Cross, males aged 18-35 with an interest in gaming and charity prove a crucial demographic to engage, as a group typically affluent, educated, and willing to invest in what they care about.
GameByte’s award-nominated journalism, original content and influencer partnerships reach over 20 million people every month, 5.6 million of which are 18-34s. More than 25% of this audience donates to charity at least once a month.
We’ve all seen TV charity adverts designed to pull on public consciousness, but young gamers are best engaged elsewhere. That’s why this campaign takes the form of a game jam, engaging the audience’s competitive nature and love of games storytelling authentically.
The game jam engages 18-35s on climate change in a space they understand and willingly spend time in, but will also incentivise their involvement. Any teams that raise over £1,000 will be rewarded with mentorship to develop their games further, from GameByte’s panel of experts, while any raised funds over £200 will win custom merch and £50 to spend on the GameByte shop.
Rich White, Social Chain head of gaming, said: “Authenticity is at the very heart of what we’re creating with the British Red Cross. Game Jams are a unique part of gaming culture. An incredibly effective way for gamers to gain valuable experience, work with new people and push their creative boundaries, Game Jams bring a sense of inclusivity and community.
The very principles of the Game Jam perfectly align with those of the fundraiser, bringing people together to help raise awareness and money for communities in need.”
Ben Cohen, Head of Fundraising Innovation at British Red Cross said: “We’re excited to be working with GameByte and Social Chain on the first-ever Game Jam for Good.
“Raising awareness of the work we do is crucial to support communities affected by the changing climate across the globe. And what better way to do that than through games? We can’t wait to see the games that are submitted.”
The British Red Cross is also creating exclusive beanies for the Game Jam for Good, which people can purchase on Tiltify when signing up to the game jam. All proceeds will go towards the British Red Cross’ work supporting those affected by a changing climate.
GameByte has also pledged to provide mentorship to teams that raise over £1,000, to help them develop their games further.
To sign up to “Game Jam for Good” visit: https://itch.io/jam/game-jam-for-good
The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is supporting people caught up in climate-related emergencies, helping them to prepare, respond and recover. Visit redcross.org.uk/climate to find out more and donate.
About GameByte:
GameByte, based in Manchester UK, is a social-first publisher with over 6 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Its award-nominated journalism, original content and influencer partnerships earn an average of 25 million views every month. Founded in 2016, GameByte is now one of the most-followed and most-engaged social publishers in the world.
About the British Red Cross:
For over 150 years, the British Red Cross has helped people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies. We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them recover and move on with their lives. www.redcross.org.uk
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