Gaming News - February 2006

New York, NY (February 1, 2006) - mtvU, the Reebok Human Rights Foundation, and the International Crisis Group today announced the three finalists in the mtvU Darfur Digital Activist competition and the launch of www.darfurisdying.com. 

From mtvU:

A vanguard use of video games as tools for positive social change, the competition is designed to spread awareness of the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan and further empower college students to help stop the crisis. Students are invited to log on, play the games, and vote for the submission that holds the greatest potential to spread virally – and serve as a compelling call to action. The games will be available for play until voting closes on February 16th.

“College students are pioneering the future of activism and their Darfur Digital submissions represent a powerful and viral way to spread awareness about the genocide in Sudan,” said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. “We’re proud to offer our network and this competition as a national platform activists can use to rally support for the dire crisis in Darfur.”

The finalists in the mtvU Darfur Digital Activists competition, representing the best of prototype games submitted by college students nationwide, are:

“Peace Games: Darfur” – Carnegie Mellon University: Camilla Kydland, Clay Reister, Albith R. Delgado, TJ Jackson, Sam Spiro – The player is a UN worker charged with distributing food to warring tribes and preventing conflict.

“Darfur: Play Your Part and Stop Genocide” – University of Southern California: Susana Ruiz, Ashley York, Mike Stein, Noah Keating, Kellee Santiago – A narrative-based game where the player, from the perspective of a Darfurian refugee, tries to survive threats from marauding Janjaweed and save his village.

“The Shanti Ambassadors: Crisis in Darfur” – DigiPen Institute of Technology: Peter Kugler, Thanh Nguyen, Katie Merrill – The player navigates desert terrain and avoids attacks in an attempt to drain the Janjaweed’s fuel supply and end their tyranny.