Gaming used to spread Covid-19 safety message to youngsters
Government and leading UK video games companies see it as a way to get key public health messages into more UK homes
Gamers will be targeted with adverts reminding them to stay indoors during the coronavirus outbreak.
The “Stay Home, Save Lives” message will be woven into Candy Crush Saga, DiRT Rally and Farm Heroes Saga to remind players of the importance of staying in to halt the spread of Covid-19.
It is part of a joint effort by the Government and some of the UK’s leading games companies to try and help stop the spread of coronavirus.
The Government sees it as a “creative, targeted, and immediate” tool to try and reinforce its stay at home message to a generation of young people who are likely to spend more time playing video games than the rest of the population.
Approximately 37 million people in the UK play games, and there are around 2,277 active video game companies in the UK, according to the Culture Department.
The firm has also donated more than 230 “digital poster” advertising spaces in London, where it would normally promote its own products, for the public health messages.
Humam Sakhnini, president of King Digital Entertainment, said that allowing the messages to appear on Activision Blizzard is “a small part” in helping to deliver “vital” information.
He added: “Through our millions of players we’re able to assist Public Health England and the NHS spread their life saving message: stay at home, protect our NHS, and save lives.”
Stay At Home posters are already featuring in Codemasters’ DiRT Rally 2.0, which has been played by millions of people since its February 2019 launch.
Toby Evan-Jones, the vice president of business development at Codemasters, said: “We came to realise that technology within our games, which enables the remote updating of banners within the virtual environment, could be repurposed to assist with the coronavirus communication effort.”
He added: “It’s fantastic to see conversations already being sparked amongst our community.”
Rebellion multimedia studios has also offered to advertise these messages in the comic books that it publishes.
The company’s co-founder Jason Kingsley said: “We know how fundamentally beneficial video games, like Sniper Elite and Strange Brigade, and comics, like 2000 AD, have been and will continue to be for many of us during this extraordinary time.
“It makes total sense for us to help promote important public health messaging while keeping those fans entertained in the safety of their homes.”
The Government is inviting any company to contact them – at enquiries@culture.gov.uk – if they want to use in-game messaging in their products as part of the battle against coronavirus.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden added: “It is absolutely vital that we all follow the simple Government advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
“I’m delighted to see the UK’s brilliant video games industry stepping up to strongly reinforce this message to gamers across the UK.”
