Gaming and Biodiversity Conservation
Computer games have become a vast business (worth $40 billion worldwide in 2010), and gaming is an important part of the lives of significant numbers of people across the world.
- 500m people play online games for at least an hour a day, and the number is expected to grow to 1.5 billion in the next decade;
- People spend 3 billion hours each week playing online games.
- By the age of 21 American children have spent 10,000 hours playing games, as much time as they have spent in class from fifth grade.
- The average gamer is 30 years old.
New trends in the gaming industry include the expansion of ¨serious games¨, and the application of 'gamification' strategies in the commercial and policy worlds. Online and mobile 'conservation' games exist, but as yet attract few mainstream gamers. Fate of the World, developed by Red Redemption, has triggered debate about the implications of "games going green".
This project involved the organisation of a seminar and workshop to explore these issues. Further details of the outcomes of the project and ongoing activities can be found at the project website: www.gamesfornature.org