Why Microsoft Cares About Global Warming
You know, it's an interesting point - does Microsoft care because it's the right thing to do right now, or do they care because they really believe? Either way, it works, and Gamasutra covered the fourth annual Games For Change conference in New York this week, which is building up quite a head of steam, and talked to Microsoft's Jeff Bell about their Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge.
The competition itself, which begins this August "...challenges university students around the world to design a game around the theme of global warming... Students will design their entries using Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio Express, and the winners, announced next August in Paris, will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to present their games to Microsoft’s games management team for possible inclusion as a download on Xbox Live Arcade."
And Bell makes some good points: "We wanted to use XNA Express, which is a free download, as a slow but steady move towards democratization of our gaming industry. We wanted to focus with Games for Change on something that was dealing with an issue or challenge of the real world, and we chose the environment, because it’s such a large issue in popular culture right now." So it _is_ a little of both, it turns out - and it's really none the worse for that. You rock, Al Gore.
Comments
???
I submit: C) Because they want to ensnare impressionable college students and encourage them to grow on a Microsoft-proprietary multimedia framework.
And democratization?! ^_^
Posted by: Daniel Kinney | June 14, 2007 11:45 PM
MS cares about global warming??? BOLLOCKS!!!! HAs anyone noticed that if you unplug either XBOX console it doesnt remember the time or date etc. When i phoned MS about this they said just leave it plugged in it only consumes a few watts when its not on-I said well times that few watts by 10 million and you are killing the planet!!! bullshitting fake BASTARDS way to go to kill them polar bears microsoft coz you were to cheap to include a c-mos battery in your consoles like sony and nintendo! EARTH KILLERS!
Posted by: carl | June 15, 2007 11:24 AM
Great new Serious Games Portal site !
Has profiles of serious gamers, forums, blogs, news, pictures and video all in one place. Plus links to all the best serious games content including: blogs, forums, podcasts and communities. Find links to serious games companies and research centres.
Customise your profile page's look and contents. Paste in widgets, youtube, any html. Start a serious games blog or add an RSS feed of your existing blog. Import your flickr pics, comment on others videos, pictures and posts.
It's like mySpace for Serious Games !
---------------------
http://seriousgames.ning.com/
http://seriousgamesblog.blogspot.com/
Posted by: AC | June 16, 2007 4:51 AM