Electronic Arts has teamed up with BP to educate gamers on climate change in
SimCity Societies. That's right, with British Petroleum.
It's interesting to SPOnG that while governments are searching for votes by slamming video gaming, a large corporation such as BP can see value in using the same cultural medium to ensure that one of its messages is put over.
Looks like video games are not just for kids, eh?
SPOnG can hear a collective groan from the gaming community, but fear not! EA doesn't plan to force it down our throats, apparently. Basically, the game will offer environmentally sound alternatives to traditional power sources, but the cost and lower output difference between the two will remain in the game for realism's sake.
Should players opt for the cheaper, sky-blackening traditional electricity generating choice, “their carbon ratings will rise and, at reaching critical levels, the game will issue alerts about the threat of the various natural disasters like droughts, heat waves and others that may strike their cities”, according to EA.
The “variety of BP Alternative Energy low-carbon power options” includes natural plant gas, hydrogen, wind farms and solar power.
"Since their inception in 1989,
SimCity games have served as excellent creative and educational tools to convey complex subjects. With
SimCity Societies, we have the opportunity not only to demonstrate some of the causes and effects of global warming, but also to educate players how seemingly small choices can have a big global impact," said Steve Seabolt (best surname ever?), vice president of Global Brand Development for
The Sims Label at EA, in the corporo-quote du jour.
"BP was one of the first major energy companies to publicly acknowledge the need to reduce carbon emissions and begin taking precautionary measures. As such, they are the perfect partner to help educate people on this important social issue in
SimCity Societies", Seabolt went on.
You can take a peek at what EA has in store (complete with a healthy dollop of BP branding) in the screens below. When you're done, head over to SPOnG's
dedicated SimCity Societies page for more.