The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with PlanetPlay, a non-profit organization dedicated to using games to promote environmental change, to launch the Play2Act initiative, the United Nations announced on their website in late November.
As a far-reaching and broad community, gamers worldwide can potentially address the climate crisis and issues relating to our ecosystem, the UN noted. As a result, the initiative aims to harness the gaming community’s significant influence, with over 3.3 billion gamers expected by the end of 2024, and drive a global positive environmental action.
Play2Act initiative is part of the European Union-funded GREAT project, which explores how video games can engage citizens in policy discussions, including climate action. According to the announcement through in-game polls, the initiative gathers player comments "on how video games can help combat climate change and protect nature." By including these polls inside games, players can share their views on the subject while still playing their favorite games.
The data collected from Play2Act will help shape a better understanding of how games can inspire collective action on environmental issues, the UN emphasized.
Launched in late 2024, Play2Act has surveys in ten languages, including Arabic, English, French, and Mandarin, to ensure global accessibility. By mid-October, over half a million participants from more than 200 countries had already taken part in the survey, and the initial results showed significant potential for games to educate players on climate challenges and environmental programs, according to the UN’s announcement.
In addition, leading academics from institutions such as Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, Zentrum für Soziale Innovation, Bolton University, Oxford University, and Universidad Internacional de La Rioja are analyzing the findings, aiming to provide a scientific foundation for the use of games as tools to influence global policy to create change.
Gaming as a cultural tool
Moreover, major gaming companies, including Microsoft Xbox, Rovio, Niantic, Bandai Namco, Creative Mobile, Eline Media, FunPlus, Lockwood Publishing, SYBO, and Ten Square Games, are founding partners of the initiative, according to the announcement. These companies are helping promote Play2Act within their games or through social media, raising environmental awareness by including sustainability themes in their games.
At the launch, PlanetPlay’s CEO Rhea Loucas emphasized the significance of video games as a cultural tool, stating, "This initiative aims to engage the gaming community, leveraging its reach to drive positive change." UNDP Climate Hub Director Jennifer Baumwoll added, "Play2Act will enable players to voice their ideas on how gaming can contribute to global climate action. We aim to use this platform to foster groundbreaking solutions."
Through initiatives like Play2Act, the UN and the gaming industry are demonstrating how entertainment platforms can be turned into vehicles for meaningful change, according to the announcement. These efforts also strive to inspire the gaming community to raise awareness and take action on climate change and environmental degradation, offering a path toward a more sustainable future.
PlanetPlay and UNDP invite additional gaming studios and producers to get involved, regardless of their size.
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