PlanetPlay and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have joined forces to launch a new initiative called Play2Act.
Through a poll embedded in popular games, Play2Act aims to capture public views about how video games can contribute to addressing the urgent and interconnected climate and nature crises affecting people and the planet.
The poll, set to launch with an initial rollout in the last quarter of 2024, followed by a second phase anticipated in mid-2025, is being conducted in the framework of the ‘Games Realising Effective and Affective Transformation (GREAT)’ project funded by the European Union Horizon and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The GREAT initiative, running from 2023-2026, aims to explore the innovative potential of games in helping citizens express their preferences and attitudes on policy issues, including the climate crisis.
Play2Act will use in-game polls to gather insights from players, particularly younger audiences, on how green gaming content and video games can be powerful tools to help fight climate change and preserve nature. This interactive approach allows players to share their views while staying immersed in their favourite games.
Respondents will have the option to fill out the survey in 10 languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Microsoft Xbox, FunPlus, Rovio (AngryBirds2, Angry Birds Friends and Dream Blast), Niantic (Pokemon GO!), Sybo (Subway Surfer), Space Ape Games (BeatStar, Transformers: Earth Wars), Jagex (Runescape), Trailmix (Love & Pies), Hi-Rez (Smite), Creative Mobile (Nitro Nation) and Ten Square Games (Fishing Clash) are some of the initiative’s founding game studios and publishers.
PlanetPlay and UNDP extend an open invitation to TIGA members, regardless of their size, to join Play2Act.