[Helljumper]

"Changes need to raise awareness and encourage others to consider additional ecological causes that need attention."

Ubisoft is using its games to help make players aware of the impacts of climate change.

That's according to the website Playing for the Planet, an UN-led initiative which seeks to use games to "inspire young people to learn and act in support of the environment".

For instance, for Riders Republic, Ubisoft says it will host a "short and intense" in-game event in Phoenix which will promote "strategies to reduce wildfire frequency and size as well as have an emotional impact on players regarding the consequences of wildfires".

"The live event won't be announced to players proactively. Instead, they will be immersed immediately in the consequences of wildfires on the outskirts of the map when booting the game," Ubisoft explained.

"The sky will be orange and there will be 'fire smoke' fog throughout the entire game because of wildfires, "players will be equipped with a gas mask by default, and part of the map won't be accessible to players as it will be unbreathable "due to wildfires close by."

With the whole game "on alert" and a "special reskin" on the Social Hub in-game, players will have to "join forces to prevent Sequoias from burning down".

Similarly, its upcoming pirate adventure, for Skull & Bones, will feature an event that "will address resource exploitation, showing what happens in the game world and the real world when the demand for sharks' fins results in the overfishing of sharks. Players will have the choice to contribute to marine wildlife protection and comprehend the destructive nature of the shark fin trade".

"Like our current societal challenges, changes need to be collaborative, raise awareness, and encourage others to learn of and consider additional ecological causes that need attention," the publisher said (thanks, NME).

"In Ubisoft's upcoming AAA title Skull & Bones, players spend a significant amount of time out at sea, in our oceans. As pirates fighting for survival, the ocean is their home, their world.

"Much like our own oceans, this world provides many resources to benefit them on their adventure but also opens the possibility of exploitation."

Ubisoft has said it will attend Gamescom 2022 even though many other publishers have confirmed they are skipping the show this year. A brief message posted to Ubisoft's Twitter revealed the publisher would be present at this August's Cologne-based convention, though did not detail what games might be on offer.

Ubisoft's decision comes after the recent pull-outs from Sony, Nintendo, Activision Blizzard and Take-Two, which have all chosen not to attend. Microsoft has yet to make an announcement - though it's unclear what it might bring.

Ubisoft plans to use in-game events to teach about climate change

Ubisoft is using its games to help make players aware of the impacts of climate change.

www.eurogamer.net

 

[Arkam]

Honestly I am fine with some pragmatic info sharing via games. But it does become a slippery slope like in film. But if done by honest parties hoping only to inform I could get behind it.

I do think its kinda funny that the solution to all environmental problems is excess (consumption, travel, etc) and the simple solution is to preach LESS. Yet they are going to use a recreational electronic game for their messaging. I guess that is slightly better than having kids create art for "earth day" and then making calendars (that no one wants/needs) by the thousands. <-- my company has done that a few times.

 

[Grumpy Karen]

I for one, can't wait to climb my 50th tower, in another open-world game where I shoot people in the head and loot their bodies for money, to be greeted with some ham-fisted moral messaging from a company the virtue signalled all the way up to getting investigated for toxic practices.

Less preachy preachy, Ubisoft.
More Beyond Good and Evil 2-y.

 

[Snes nes]

aren't these the same people who believe there should be a eco button on your computer power supply?

 

[Night Sky]

Company that makes useless 100h games designed for a box that does nothing but consume electricity, lectures others on why they shouldn't use electricity.

Get fucked you frog cunts

 

[cryptoadam]

Good because it will just make the climate hoax a bigger joke and fantasy. Nothing says real life like a video games. People will just associate climate garbage as fake fantasy video game stuff.

 

[Hinedorf]

"Report details toxic culture, sexual harassment and racial pay disparity at Ubisoft Singapore"

Group of people thriving in a toxic environment care about the environment?

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I can't wait to learn about woke millionaires and billionaires beachfront property that supposedly won't exist in 10 years.

Are we allowed to root for rising seas?

 

[Neil Young]

I'm replaying Ass Creed Odysee after the 60 fps upgrade (and it's fucking fantastic), but I can just imagine Socrates saying "Hello Mistios, thank you for recovering the artifact. Let me tell you about chlorofluorocarbons and their impact on the ozone layer.". Can we just play games and escape for an hour or two?

 

[HeresJohnny]

As if there weren't enough reasons already to avoid Ubisoft games.