Jude Ower MBE’s Post

At PlanetPlay we never just play around, so as part of Earth Month in April we not only launched a major new initiative, Make Green Tuesday Moves, but I also joined Jude Ower MBE and a group of like-minded games industry folks for an important meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York. We were there for the UN Development Programme's (UNDP) Climate Promise event, with support from Secretary-General António Guterres, the Climate Promise aims to support countries to up their game on the fight against climate change before 2025. It’s about keeping things cool (literally) and staying below the 1.5-degree warming limit set in the Paris Agreement. So, how can games help? That's exactly what we discussed at a special roundtable with the UNDP, facilitated by myself and Jude, plus Mathias Gredal Nørvig, who led the conversation from a studio perspective, and UNDP Global Director of Climate Change Cassie Flynn. We had some amazing folks join us, including representatives from Bolton University, The Danish Trade Council, JSA, Riot Games, Tilting Point, The Raine Group, Unity and Xbox Game Studios Publishing. The conversation was electric. We talked about the challenges developing countries face with climate change, the importance of young generation getting involved, and how games can be a force for good. Imagine millions of gamers getting fired up about protecting the planet through in-game events, surveys, and stories that inspire action. SYBO is already a champion for this. Recently, they teamed up with ourselves and music star J Balvin to raise awareness and funds for climate action through their game Subway Surfers. The campaign illustrated just how powerful our industry and players can be when we all come together for a common cause - Talk about a real-world impact! And speaking of impact, at PlanetPlay we’ve just launched our own ‘Make Green Tuesday Moves’ initiative, which is all about empowering studios, publishers, and gamers to make a difference. We're serious about climate change, and we know you are too. For those who didn't make it we wish you were there, but meetings like the one we had at the UNDP are just the beginning. Together, the games industry can be a powerful force for good. Let's rally our communities and make a real change for our planet 🌍

On the thoughts behind creating Oceania 2084: I felt like I should share some thoughts I've had during the development of Oceania 2084. This game is in a few ways a "serious game", in the same way, that Dostoevsky's books are serious. It is not a "fun" game. It is a meaningful game. It is an engaging game. It is meant to bring up heavy topics, it is meant to do so not in an exploitative manner but as a possible catalyst for further and deeper thinking about those topics.  The game makes game design decisions based on this serious fundament. It has a few design choices that are perhaps counterintuitive if you want to make something that is easily marketable. It steps out of the norms of how roleplaying games usually are expected to work. It trusts the players. It trusts you to play the game according to the rules. It trusts you to be honest and open to exploring your vulnerability and your thoughts through the movements of the system.  For me creating this game is just another way of struggling against oppression. It is one act of defiance. This game is my note to the future of resistance.  I have written a few times that the game is anti-authoritarian. How? Well, even though the game is creating stories that can be felt as a series of personal failures and the downfall of a resistance movement (even before it gets going), it is actually about not giving up. It is about resisting oppression because it is the right thing to do. Not because it is a winnable fight. Because the fight against oppression is a neverending quest, it will never end. So fighting against it is paramount, or we will be thrust into an even worse and less livable reality.  The campaign has now been 30% backed and we are already halfway through the 30 days. The game is a collaborative storytelling experience, with one player playing as the other player's clear antagonist. it is an emotional game, it is a philosophical game, and it is in many ways a serious game. It is a game about resistance to an authoritarian world. Help me spread the word, share the link, record actual plays, and discuss it with your friends. I rely on word-by-mouth since I do not have any budget for marketing. I hope to have you on board with this act of resistance! https://lnkd.in/dzCy6-kn

As times change, so do the games we love. Catan, a classic in the world of strategy games, has recently introduced a new version with a focus on clean energy. This not only keeps the game relevant but also educates and inspires players about sustainable practices. Klaus Teuber, Catan's creator, once said, “I developed games to escape. This was my own world I created.” And today, i think world continues to evolve with these changes by offering us new ways to strategize and think deeper about our impact on the planet. #Sustainability #Innovation #BoardGames #Catan #productinnovation #productadapting

Curious about TAG: The Adaptation Game? TAG serves as a valuable tool for local councils, designed to empower communities to become better prepared and more climate-resilient. It takes the form of a facilitated tabletop game that simulates how players can respond effectively to the challenges of climate change within their own town. This game is designed for local councils seeking to engage people who acknowledge the reality of climate change but may sometimes feel powerless to take action. TAG's focus is all about fostering community-level adaptation, empowering people to envision and construct the world we urgently require. This short film documents the first-ever play-through of TAG: The Adaptation Game with players from the Merribek community. It offers an insightful overview of the game and its profound impact on its players, showcasing the potential for positive change and resilience in the face of climate change. #TAG #TheAdaptationGame #CommunityResilience #amblestudio https://lnkd.in/gxaSDX_K

It's not about beating the competitors; it's about making them irrelevant. When you stop competing on the same factors as everyone else and reshape your industry, then you are in effect setting the rules of the game. #blueoceancompetition #blueoceanstrategy

The latest winner of The Spiel of Approval Award is.. Daybreak! We live on a planet whose average temperature is rising. Climate change is happening all around us and the rate of that change is sure to bring far reaching and often catastrophic consequences on a scale humanity hasn’t seen or dealt with before. But all hope is not lost. If the collective will, intelligence, and resources of societies around the globe can be marshaled to confront the overlapping challenges posed by climate change, we can create a path to brighter days ahead. Daybreak is a cooperative board game about stopping climate change. It is an unapologetically hopeful vision of the near future, where you and your friends create the technologies, policies, and resilient societies we need to sequester more carbon than we collectively produce. Congratulations to designers Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace and publisher CMYK Games! ALSO FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE... Daybreak designers Matt and Matteo join us for a Meal segment. We discuss the development of the game and then Matt and Matteo give us a recipe and game recommendation for a great night of food and fun. -AND- We chat with T Caires about the Green Games Guide, a best practices document looking at environmental impact and sustainability in the board game industry, whether you are a publisher, retailer, or player. Then we learn about a couple of T's favorite games. https://lnkd.in/gVtXHT29

It's not about beating the competitors; it's about making them irrelevant. When you stop competing on the same factors as everyone else and reshape your industry, then you are in effect setting the rules of the game. #blueoceancompetition #blueoceanstrategy

Gaming for a Greener Future: Join Us in a Beach Cleanup! At Mind Blown League, we believe in the power of gaming to create positive change in the world. That's why we're thrilled to announce our participation in the upcoming SAAMBR - The South African Association for Marine Biological Research beach cleanup, where learners from our school clubs will be joining forces to make a tangible impact on our environment. In our quest for a greener future, we recognize the importance of nurturing not just virtual ecosystems, but also the real-world environments that sustain us. Our approach goes beyond the screen – it's about fostering awareness and action among today's youth to combat climate change. Through our unique ecosystem, learners engage in immersive gaming experiences that extend far beyond the digital realm. By participating in real-world activities like beach cleanups, they gain firsthand knowledge of environmental challenges and become empowered to make a difference. Join us as we game for a greener future and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. Together, we can create a world where sustainability is more than just a concept – it's a way of life. #mindblownleague #GamingForChange #EnvironmentalAwareness #BeachCleanup #ClimateAction #EducationForSustainability #gamingforagreenerfuture #gamebasedlearning #learningthroughplay #SDG13 #climateaction

One week to go! How can the gaming industry be leveraged for biodiversity and climate goals? With 3 billion gamers globally – and billions of engagement hours daily- there is untapped potential for the conservation sector to activate outreach and action through gaming.    🌱  Strategic partnerships can link insights from conservation technology such as wildlife monitoring, bioacoustics, and earth observations into the virtual worlds of games.    🌱 Initiatives like ‘Humble Bundle’ (which raised $240 million for charities) and ‘Playing for the Planet’ have shown that industry alliances generate significant funding when gamer values align.    🌱Whether through building awareness, providing visions for preferred futures or inspiring action through donations, activations for conservation causes and calls-to-action, there are growing proof points that games can inspire a generation to engage in shaping their future.   Join me, Helen Crowley, Hugh Possingham, Gautam Shah and Alan Gershenfeld as we discuss Gaming as the Next Frontier for Nature Conservation at the #NatureForLife hub on Nov 7th - or reach out to learn more!  Games for Change Register at https://bit.ly/NfLHub2023 https://lnkd.in/g3EJjEMc