Gaming Goes Green

Odds are, you're a gamer whether you want to admit it or not. The gaming world used to have a very narrow demographic: men under 25 who hibernated in their basements or rooms for hours on end playing computer or video games. Times have changed and so has the definition - and therefore the population - of gamers. Now gamers fill the cyber (and mobile) space. According to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study, 97% of teens play some type of digital game whether it be a computer, mobile, or video game. The demographics of the gaming world have broadened; there is a vast amount and wide variety of gamers out there today.

Not only is there and increase in the number of gamers thanks to the new definition of gamer, but there is also an increase in the number of teens and young adults who care about environmental issues. In fact 81% of young people in an ActNow survey rated the environment as the most important national issue. Wait, how does this coorelate with gaming? Social conscious games, just like young gamers, are increasing around the world. Barefoot Explorers iPhone game studio released the adventure game Panda Hero in 2009 which not only taught kids the value of protecting endangered species, but essentially planted trees out in the real world. The company partnered with a non-profit organization which planted three trees each time the game was downloaded. 20,000 trees were planted in just the first three months that the game was released.

So why should brands get in on the action? Not only does gaming reach a variety of demographics these days, but it also has outlets on two very influencial mediums: the personal computer and the mobile phone. Games are not only played at home anymore, they can be played anywhere and everywhere your mobile phone goes. Computer and mobile games are an engaging medium and require a person's undivided attention which we know is not always easy to get from consumers. 

Also, people respond well to friendly competition. Nike found that the most popular features of their website were the challenges which allowed people to turn their training into a game. Thus they introduced more game-like features onto their website. Add a "green" incentive into the picture and you have yourself a master mix just waiting to go viral.

Games allow the consumer to not just simply see the brand visually but to participate in the brand experience as a whole. So make a game out of it! Better yet make a green game, and your brand is likely to get the attention it deserves.