Using creativity and storytelling in digital games to address social and environmental challenges
With a global audience of over 300 billion gamers and a world that is only becoming increasingly digital, the digital games industry has an enormous potential to influence global agendas and drive positive social and environmental change. It is therefore essential to ensure that players, and especially younger generations, are exposed to quality content that fosters the well-being of its players. This includes content that is uniting and uplifting, bringing positivity into their daily lives, as well as content that is challenging and educational, and which encourages players to think creatively about solving real-world issues.
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"The Danish games industry is a vibrant ecosystem that not only entertains but also educates and unites diverse communities. By championing inclusivity, we are setting a global example for creating welcoming and enriching digital environments."
Driving social impact through digital games
The digital games industry has embarked on a remarkable journey of transformation in recent years. What was once considered mere entertainment has become a powerful tool for fostering well-being, advancing education, and promoting environmental awareness. Digital games have grown into powerful mediums for building and strengthening communities that transcend societal layers and physical borders, extending far beyond the boundaries of screens.
Digital multiplayer games create spaces where people from diverse backgrounds come together, forming bonds and friendships beyond the virtual world and, in some cases, even preventing loneliness. This is seen with BetaDwarf’s Minion Masters aiming to create lifelong friendships across the world under the common theme ‘Friendshipping Hobbies’ and with SYBO’s Subway Surfers mirroring a diverse society through its characters and narratives.
By incorporating inclusivity and diversity into their narratives, the Danish digital games industry has taken an active role in promoting and driving social impact. For instance, the award-winning Inside and Limbo by Playdead often explore themes of identity, empathy, and inclusion in their narrative-driven games. LEGO GAME’s collaboration with the Geena Davis Institute and the development of the GDI Playbook are also significant advancements in ensuring diversity and representation in games. By following principles that emphasise creativity, safety, and security, they create digital play experiences that are not only entertaining but also inclusive and reflective of diverse communities.
To further support the positive development of digital games, Denmark has recently launched ‘Nimbi GameLab - Denmark's Institute for Game Development’. As the first of its kind in Europe, Nimbi GameLab aims to support and prioritise the development of ethical digital games which foster well-being, support educational purposes, and are not addictive for users. This is an important step in recognising the initiatives already instigated by Danish game developers and the enormous potential of digital games in driving social impact.
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"Our industry is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact on global environmental issues. By embedding sustainability into the core of our game development, we can inspire players worldwide to adopt greener habits."
Using digital games to promote environmental awareness
Besides having a focus on improving the well-being of players and their sense of belonging in communities, Danish digital game developers are also integrating eco-conscious practices into their creations.
By integrating social responsibility and environmental awareness into digital games, it is possible to encourage players to think creatively about solving real-world issues. Examples include race games featuring electric cars and city-building games limited by environmental factors as part of the game. These integrated design elements help raise awareness and encourage a sense of responsibility in players.
To effectively incorporate eco-conscious practices in digital games, it can be an advantage to form partnerships and leverage expertise through collaboration. By joining the ‘Playing for the Planet Alliance’, SYBO has initiated various in-game activities promoting climate action, such as the Play 2 Plant event, facilitating the planting of over 518,000 real trees.
The Danish digital games industry aims to drive meaningful social and environmental change. As the industry continues to innovate, and digital games are transformed from mere entertainment into influential mediums, its potential to address global challenges will only expand, underscoring the role of digital games as catalysts for positive change and the Danish digital games industry as a driving force in fostering valuable ethical games that create value for its players.
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