Video games, ever since the dawn of the medium, has toyed with the idea letting you save the world. It’s a delightful, somewhat juvenile, gift: you, the everyday, regular you, now have the chance be a hero. Games never get tired of giving you a world in need of saving: whether from a zombie apocalypse, a biochemical weapon ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting millions, a space rock just a few miles away from impact, or a dragon king keen on reclaiming his land, you feel the need — their need — to step up and become “The One.” A hero out to save the day, at least in the virtual sense.

But what about real-world problems like poverty, hunger, and AIDS? Will you be so willing to spend just a minute of your game time solving problems already at our doorstep?

That’s what a team of Filipino students are out to find out with Wildfire, the 2010 Imagine Cup winner in the Game Design category:

The goal is simple: inspire others to solve the world’s most pressing of problems, lead them to a structure that represents the problem, and move on to the next one. Bigger problems need bigger crowd, so you have to inspire more people. It’s basically a Pied Piper game in a stunning, minimalist package.

By Implication, the team behind the Wildfire, shared that the game is inspired by the bayanihan movement they witnessed after the devastation left by Ondoy. The idea struck a chord among Imagine Cup judges and selected it as the best among thousands of entries.

If you guys have the time to be inspired and make the (virtual) world a better a place, download a free copy now from the team’s official website.

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Post Published: 08 August 2010
Author: mangnelson
Found in section: GAMES, Lakwatcha, lakwatcha news

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