Playing a game is often tied to feelings of escapism, immersion in alternate worlds – where the stress of the real world can be put on pause. Why, then, should we as an industry care about the climate crisis?
A SOCIETAL CONCERN
Over 40% of the world’s population are highly vulnerable to climate change. Without adaptation, the places where we live and work may cease to exist – alongside the ecosystems and species we’ve grown up with.
BUSINESS RISK
To reach 3 billion players, we need to meet players where they are. If regional safety, security, and tech access are disrupted by extreme weather events, we limit our addressable market – blocking new players from entering our ecosystem.
PLAYERS BELIEVE AND CARE
Of 1.2 million mobile game players, 64% believe climate change is a global emergency. About 7 in 10 players in the United States are worried about it. About 3 in 4 players in the United States consider the issue to be important to them personally.
AN ECO CONCERN
14% of the world’s living species face a high risk of extinction if the world warms by 1.5C. Many creatures in vulnerable biodiversity hotspots are expected to double in extinction risk if we exceed 2C – and 10x if beyond that.
TALENT
RISK
People are increasingly seeking work that aligns to their core values. More are interested in employers with strong environmental agendas- and those who can enable them to live and work where they may experience lower climate-related health risks.
PLAYERS EXPECT ACTION
4 in 10 players in the United States believe the gaming industry has a responsibility to take action and reduce its emissions. More than 4 in 10 players say they have actively punished companies by not buying their products at least once as a result of inaction.
The climate crisis is not a hyperbole.
- We can’t make games if our homes and offices are flooded, on fire, or aren’t built to insulate us from extreme heat.
- We can’t play, download, or stream our games if our power grids are disrupted by challenges for which they weren’t prepared.
- We can’t sell our games if players are dealing with severe weather, food shortages, and limited access to clean water.
- We won’t care about reserving the next cutting-edge game or next-gen console if we only have the energy to focus on keeping ourselves and our families safe.
Below are some key insights to get started. For the full list, go to the community website.