Nina Chestney PlanetArk 2 Nov 10;
Ever wondered how one person could save the planet from the effects of climate change? A British-made computer game on trial release on Monday creates different ways of doing just that.
'Fate of the World' puts the Earth's future in players' hands, placing them in charge of an international environmental body which could save the world from the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions or let it perish by continuing to rely on emissions-heavy fossil fuels.
Through different scenarios, players can explore options such as geoengineering and alternative energy sources to save the planet from rising temperatures, dwindling natural resources and a growing population over the next 200 years.
A rough cut of the game will be followed by a three-month feedback period from players, with final release due in February next year.
Created by Oxford-based games developer Red Redemption, the game departs from more mainstream action games by using data from real climate models and advice from scientists and economists in Britain and the United States.
"Science data is often inaccessible and we are trying to put players in a position of power and connected with the issues," Gobion Rowlands, Red Redemption's founder and chairman told Reuters.
"We are not pushing one particular agenda. There are a range of options, including nuclear power and renewable energy. We are not saying one route is the best route," he added.
The firm has an advisory board which includes some climate change experts. Myles Allen, head of climate dynamics at Oxford University, contributed the prediction models in the game.
This year, a series of apparent flaws in climate science and the failure of U.N. talks to reach an international deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions appeared to undermine the public's interest in climate change.
However, games centered on sustainability and human rights have been growing in popularity and are welcomed by green groups as a way of raising awareness.
Using climate change as inspiration for entertainment shows the issue has permeated global culture, which can only be a good thing, Friends of the Earth's head of climate Mike Childs said. "We need creative industries to work with these big issues as the results can be immensely powerful and can help us to understand what a sustainable future looks and feels like," said Fiona Bennie, senior sustainability advisor at UK-based non-governmental organization Forum for the Future.
Save the world from climate change -- by computer
Beatrice Debut Yahoo News 15 Nov 10;
OXFORD, England (AFP) – Computer gamers who like a challenge can now take on one of the toughest around: saving the entire planet, this time from climate change.
Billed as a strategy game with a social conscience, "Fate of the World" sees players try to protect the world's climate and resources while managing a growing population demanding more power, food and living space.
"'Fate of the World' is a scenario-based game where you run Earth for 200 years and you save it or potentially destroy it. The whole power is in your hands," said the game's British inventor Gobion Rowlands.
The player takes charge as head of the fictional Global Environment Organisation (GEO). They can impose policies such as banning logging in the Amazon rainforest, making all Europe's public transport run on electricity or slapping a one-child policy on the whole of Asia.
However, such power comes with grave consequences.
If, for example, you decide to bring down the birth rate to protect natural resources, the workforce could plunge and people could be forced to work until 80, triggering unrest against the GEO.
Gamers see the impact of their decisions: orangutans are saved from extinction, global temperatures drop by a degree; however, bad moves could see Europe battered by floods, or Africa ravaged by war.
"Even if they choose to destroy the world, they still learn more about the subject," said Rowlands, the 35-year-old head of video games developer Red Redemption, which employs 15 people at its base in Oxford, southern England.
The game was based on scientific, economic and demographic data from sources such as NASA, the United Nations and Oxford University.
"Fate of the World" was developed in partnership with academics working under Oxford University climate change expert Doctor Myles Allen.
The game "allows people to experience the decisions we are likely to confront and makes clear there are no easy answers", Allen said.
"Fate of the World" is a sequel to Red Redemption's 2007 "Climate Challenge" game produced by the BBC, which focused only on Europe.
Despite its straightforward graphics, the game has been welcomed by environmental and development groups, which were on board throughout the process.
"This game offers a new way of telling the climate change story and helps us to reach new audiences," said Ged Barker, the British digital campaigns leader for the Oxfam aid agency.
"Those who play the game will learn about climate change... without having to read lots of material that they might find boring."
The collaboration between Red Redemption, which is on its fifth computer game, and non-governmental organisations could go further. Rowlands is trying to negotiate a deal whereby a share of the profits go to their coffers.
A taster version is available to download now. The full version will cost 20 pounds when it is released in February.
The French, Spanish and German versions come out in March.
