Ubisoft is creating in-game events that highlight the impact of climate change

Date:
Sat, 02 Jul 2022 14:15:50 +0000

Description:
Ubisoft has announced that its going to use games like Skull and Bones and Riders Republic to raise awareness around climate change and the environment.

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Ubisoft has announced plans to use in-game events in games such as Riders Republic and Skull and Bones to raise awareness around the impact that
climate change has on our planet.

The plans were developed as part of Ubisofts participation in the Playing for the Planet Alliances annual Green Game Jam, which encourages studios to find ways to integrate environmental topics in their games.

In Riders Republic, for instance, Ubisoft intends to use a short and intense live event to promote strategies that will reduce the size and frequency of wildfires, as well as have an emotional impact by highlighting their consequences. You wont be forewarned of the event, Ubisoft has said. Instead, one day youll boot up Riders Republic and be immersed immediately in the consequences of wildfires on the outskirts of the map.

The consequences will include an orange sky and "fire smoke fog throughout
the entire game, a default gas mask being equipped and a part of the map
being completely inaccessible as a result of the air being unbreathable.

Itll be up to you and other players to work together to stop Sequoias burning down. This will involve identifying the most fragile and flammable areas of Sequoia National Park by using Photo Mode and then engaging in collaborative activities that will reduce the risk of the fire spreading, for example, cleaning forest paths or protecting trees by putting aluminum foil on their trunks.

Skull and Bones , on the other hand which doesnt yet have a release date
but is expected some time later this year will focus on the consequences of resource exploitation by showing what happens in the game world and the real world when the demand for sharks fins results in the overfishing of sharks.

As Ubisoft explains it, itll be one of the seasonal live events in the game that are designed to encourage collaboration and youll have the choice to contribute to marine wildlife protection and comprehend the destructive
nature of the shark fin trade. Contributing to community challenges will, Ubisofts says, result in rewards being unlocked for everyone depending on the overall level of participation. Upcoming games 2022: all the upcoming game releases for console and PC Ubisoft's new tech may mean never downloading a patch again Skull and Bones could be aiming for a November release There's more to see

The Green Game Jam has been taking place since 2020 and it appears to have grown each year. Starting with mobile games in its first year, it was opened up to all platforms in 2021 and this year is being described as the largest edition yet, with over 50 participating studios.

Scrolling through the list of this years participants shows that there are other Ubisoft studios and games taking part, though not necessarily with such all-encompassing in-game events.

For Assassins Creed Valhalla, for instance, Ubisoft Montreal will apparently add an exclusive Charity Pack that features two unique mount skins, with all profits generated donated to charities focused on nature conservation.

Ubisoft San Francisco, meanwhile, has said it intends to teach guitar
learners & players more about their instrument and everything that went into making it in Rocksmith with environmentally-themed in-app rewards and an interactive curriculum that focuses on the planet with themed song playlists and educational Rocksmith Discover videos and articles.

Even outside of Ubisoft, Guerilla Games and Sony are getting involved through Horizon Forbidden West with its previously announced Aloys Forests project. Media Molecules Dreams, meanwhile, created a community-facing game jam
focused on the themes of sustainable farming, including sustainable food and agricultural practices back in April of this year.

Ubisoft is a prominent presence in the list of participants for the Green
Game Jam this year and it was in 2021, too. The publisher has also been vocal about its Play Green initiative announced in 2021.

However, its also attracted criticism for its push into NFTs despite severe backlash from players and widespread concerns over their highly negative environmental impact.

Ubisoft has claimed that its Quartz platform is the first platform for playable and energy-efficient NFTs in AAA games but in an interview with IGN around the time of the platforms launch, Nicolas Pouard, VP of Ubisofts Strategic Innovation Lab said, If we see [blockchain technology] cannot go [more energy efficient], if its not sustainable, of course, we will think again of what we are doing. Dont believe the hype: The NFT revolution in gaming is a downgrade



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/ubisoft-is-creating-in-game-events-that-highlig ht-the-impact-of-climate-change/


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