Comic Relief US launches new Roblox game to help children build community virtually and in real life
NEW YORK — The idea that online gaming could help players develop charitable habits seemed audacious when the nonprofit Comic Relief US, which works to alleviate poverty, tested it his own multiverse last year on the popular world-building app Roblox.
As philanthropy grapples with how to authentically engage new generations of digitally savvy donors, Comic Relief US CEO Alison Moore said it was âboldâ to design an experience that still retained the âtwinkleâ of the organization behind it. entertainment-focused fundraisers such as Red Nose Day.
But the launch was successful enough that Comic Relief US is expanding the game this year. Kids Reliefâs second annual âGame to Change the Worldâ campaign includes a magical new Roblox world, an exclusive virtual concert and a partnership with childrenâs television pioneer Nickelodeon.
The goal is to build empathy and raise money through a quest through various realms, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Users travel through portals to collect magical resources that will improve their surroundings. Net proceeds from in-game purchases are donated.
The community-building inherent in cooperative gaming is intended to subtly encourage acts of kindness beyond the screen.
“It’s kind of like I help you, you help me â all of us together. I love doing that in a game space,” Moore told The Associated Press. “It’s not meant to be a banner ad or a sign that says ‘Do Good.’ It’s meant to be emblematic of the gameplay itself.”
Nickelodeon is also promoting an instructional guide for kids that will help them start their own local projects in real life, such as backpack drives.
Quests are delivered by wizards voiced by âDoctor Whoâ icon David Tennant, âVeepâ star Tony Hale and âNever Have I Everâ actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. One wizard invites users to âembark on an enchanted journey to awaken the heart of your community.â
The campaign will culminate in a weekend music festival on Roblox starting on September 13, featuring the rock band Imagine Dragons, whose lead singer Dan Reynolds has focused his philanthropy on LGBTQ+ causesThe virtual acts also include Conan Gray, Poppy, d4vd and Alexander Stewart â all musical artists who got their big break on YouTube.
Moore said she was âblown awayâ by last yearâs numbers. The inaugural game was played for more than 55 million minutes and one performance received the highest âconcert thumbs up ratingâ ever on Roblox, according to Comic Relief US.
According to business strategist Marcus Howard, charitable donations are increasingly being made through gaming.
The match will come naturally, he said, as young people value experiences like gaming over the material possessions that previous generations might have purchased at a charity auction.
âIt just makes sense,â Howard said.
But he believes partners need to overcome the negative stigma attached to online chat rooms. Howard said Roblox combines the creativity of popular competitor Fortnite with less “toxicity” because of its emphasis on collaboration rather than competition.
Comic Relief US kept in mind that it had to create a game that would appeal to both children and their parents, Moore said.
To strike that tricky balance, the nonprofit has adopted a mindset it says originated with Nickelodeon: Involve parents in the conversation, but also talk to their kids.
“Good games are good games,” Moore said. “Good games that make me feel good are good things.”
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