MANILA, Philippines - While many people talk about the importance of saving the environment, very few really take on the proactive role in addressing the issue.
Not many of them, in fact, know that switching from disposable plastic bottles to reusable ones can create a big overall impact in preserving the resources of the planet.
With this in mind, one of the Philippines’ leading companies is launching a Facebook game application that is geared toward educating people about the concepts of carbon footprint and cleaner and renewable sources of energy and how being responsible and mindful of their activities could help achieve this end.
The game is called Alter Space, and it is the first Philippine-made Facebook game that directly addresses the greater public about the ways with which they could do their share in proactively contributing to the preservation of the earth’s resources.
Social games are a significant draw for social networking site users. As of this writing, a staggering 56 million Facebook users play daily and 290 million play monthly. Up to 265 million Facebook gamers, meanwhile, spend 210 minutes playing games. Twenty-percent of these game players even pay cash for in-game benefits.
In the Philippines, 54 percent of social networking site users cite gaming as the reason they log on. There are currently 18,124,220 Filipinos on Facebook.
Alter Space is easy to use. The game players’ mission is to take care of their own little planet. They do this by keeping their carbon footprint levels low, while still keeping their Happiness levels up. They will have to accomplish fun tasks and challenges while their carbon footprint is measured.
Every choice they make affects their environment, and the game always gives feedback as to whether the player’s choice was environmentally sound or not. They can also invite friends to be their neighbors, and their overall carbon footprint as a community will be calculated.
If they fail to make the cleaner and greener choice, their virtual planet will experience disasters like Smog, which cause their avatar to lose interaction, and Heat Wave, wherein they will have to perform extra tasks or pay a fee to bring their carbon footprint down.
Aside from the carbon footprint calculator, game players’ progress is also measured through their Happiness level, Current-cy, and Experience points.
Mini-games, meanwhile, provide game players an interactive way with which they could learn more about the different sources of cleaner and renewable energy. Harvesting alternative energy is how they earn points in their planet — a significant function of the game that encourages players to seek out and use alternative energy.
These mini-games include Solar, wherein they are tasked to catch as many sunbeams as they can; Geo, wherein they are asked to click the steam that goes out of the valves of hot spots; and Hydro, wherein they create a passageway for the water to reach turbines.
Practical tips, trivia and other features guide players along as they strive to make their virtual planet a cleaner and greener one.
While addressing the bigger issues of carbon footprint reduction and environmental preservation, Alter Space employs some uniquely Filipino features in doing so. The use of pamaypay (native fan), the playing of the game sungka, and eating what we call “dirty ice cream” are incorporated into the game for that distinct Filipino flavor.
Clearly, Alter Space is one social game to watch out for. It’s free and anyone with a Facebook account could easily play the game. And while they are kept entertained, they, too, learn how they could do their bit in reducing their carbon footprint and helping preserve environmental resources to help achieve a better future for both people and planet.
Alter Space will be available on Facebook soon. Join its fan page by visiting www.facebook.com/AlterSpaceGame.