2.9
September 1, 2010

BP Still Sucks: Games Clean up the Gulf.

Clean up the Gulf Spill? There’s an app for that.

Saving the world and having fun doing so! That’s a fave motto of ours in elephantland—and the theme of 6th Mega’s new iPhone app Puff, Puff—cleaning up the gulf oil spill, one game at a time. 6th Mega donates 30 percent of net proceeds to help ecosystem restoration of the Gulf of Mexico marine habitats.

The below info comes via our friends at 6th Mega, and tells more of the app and its benefits.

Game on. ~ Lindsey Block

Some of us are beginning to show signs of suffering from Apple fatigue.

That, combined with being bombarded for months about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, may lead one to wonder why on Earth we would talk about a Frankenstein iteration of those two things.

But what if said monster could actually help heal the Earth? Being our only home, this self-serving cause is the mission adopted by 6th Mega, a newly formed independent iPhone App developer who released Puff Puff: Gulf Spill, an iPhone game with an interesting twist: 30 percent of net proceeds go toward ecosystem restoration of the Gulf of Mexico marine habitats.

With the Gulf of Mexico oil spill proclaimed the world’s largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, we thought it would be pretty cool if by just tapping away on our iPhones, we could really make a difference.

So, how can you play a part?

Gulf Oil Spill on your iPhone!

6th Mega’s iPhone game Puff Puff allows players to control the awesome superpower of diodon holocanthus, the spiny puffer, to navigate a coral reef where they race to escape the jaws of tiger sharks, discover sunken ships and pirate treasure. The Gulf Oil Spill update introduces a whole new mind-boggling universe of deep sea drilling with new obstacles, new enemies, new ocean life, new power-up (extra lives!), and refined controls. Explore the underwater world of deep sea drilling, dodge globs of oil, broken pipes, Robo Subs, and more.

What sets this game and the developers behind it apart is that not only do players get to explore the world of deep water drilling—they also get to help save the ocean. According to 6th Mega, 30 percent of net proceeds from game sales go towards ecosystem restoration of the gulf. Plus—a note for you iPhone developers out there—6th Mega is releasing their game source code freely for others as ‘goodware’ (which means they hope you too will put a portion of your proceeds towards charity). Pretty cool all in all.

Embedded Generosity Coming to Product near You.

In the last years we’ve seen a surge in philanthropic products. 6th Mega has embraced the idea of embedded generosity, where by your purchase of their product you are also giving to a cause. The range of companies developing philanthropic products is pretty awesome, here’s just a few (sourced in part from TrendWatching, SpringWise, and 6th Mega):

The FEED bag

Endangered Species Chocolate

Choose Change ATM

Baby Teresa

TOMS Shoes

Fledgling Wine

How can Gaming Change the World, you ask?

6th Mega says that the idea to use an iPhone game to help address environmental problems was partially inspired by Jane McGonigal, game designer, games researcher, and a future forecaster.

In the the inspiring video, ‘Gaming can change the world’, from TED, Jane McGonigal says, “If we want to solve problems like hunger, poverty, climate change, global conflict, obesity, I believe that we need to aspire to play games online for at least 21 billion hours a week by the end of the next decade.”

Swim the Gulf Spill in the iPhone game Puff Puff:

For more, read the 6th Mega Manifesto.

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