Gaming
Videogame culture provides overlooked opportunity to engage with climate change, says new report
Organisations wishing to have an impact on climate change shouldn’t overlook the opportunities presented by working with the breadth of videogame culture, according to a report from the global entertainment and research charity OKRE and commissioned by UKRI.
Ahead of COP26, Iain Dodgeon, Director of OKRE, said: “Videogames are a global cultural force. Relentless technological and creative innovation alongside the core consideration of the player in the game design process has propelled the sector’s expansion. No other media exhibits quite such a mutability of form and purpose.”
And indeed as videogames have evolved, so too has how people engage with them – not just playing videogames, but playing with them in other media and in other areas of our lives.
Iain Simons, co-author of the report and curator-at-large for the National Videogame Museum, said: “Because so much of the industry marketing around them is about technology – ‘faster! more realistic! better than last year’s model!’ – it’s tempting to think that games are just hardware and software. The most interesting and important part of videogames is how we live with them. They’re a fantastically rich place for public engagement, both in the games themselves and in the cultures we build around them.”
As games such as Fortnite have become social destinations in their own right, they provide a significant and mostly untapped opportunity for public engagement. However rather than focusing on developing a single game with climate themes, the report, Playing With Videogame Culture, identifies seven broader strategic opportunities for public engagement with climate science through videogames
These opportunities include embracing the breadth of videogame culture in both digital and non-digital spaces. This culture includes streaming, fan communities, fan-fiction and cosplay, and provides a rich and collaborative space that can reach diverse audiences.
Harnessing interest in videogames to inspire engagement with a wide array of STEAM skills and careers is another area of focus, and the report says practitioners should particularly try to understand their potential applications in other sectors, such as future innovation around climate change.
Enabling a more diverse range of communities to creatively explore opportunities for climate action is also key, and one recommended way to go about this is by utilising no-code game design tools to open up participation and creative expression, removing a requirement for technical skills. Organisations should also prioritise local and hyper-local engagement, focusing on social and environmental concerns of more direct relevance to these communities who are often underrepresented in public engagement work.
One opportunity for doing this is through the creation of site and time-specific games – projects that are uniquely relevant to different communities and calendar events, and which can enable people to interact with their area in new and exciting ways.
Digital exclusion is a key concern, and OKRE’s report recommends that both digital and non-digital access points should be included in any programme, with public engagement practitioners embracing board games, card games and other physical games alongside videogames to maximise engagement and access.
Iain Dodgeon said: “By embracing the breadth of opportunities available to engage with videogame culture, organisations can create lasting impact in their public engagement work. This is an area that has been overlooked until now, and so there is really exciting potential for organisations to work in fresh ways.”
The report brings to light past and present examples of videogames engaging with climate change and work being done within the industry in a bid to mitigate its own carbon footprint. It concludes that engagement with climate change should not focus on the development of a single game with climate themes, but rather consider the opportunities available within wider videogame culture to engage diverse communities and increase impact.
OKRE is a new charity providing a global centre for collaboration and knowledge exchange across research, the entertainment industry, and the social impact sector. The charity runs the OKRE Network, which connects professionals across sectors, as well as curating events such as the OKRE Development Rooms, and providing funding and resources to catalyse the creation of entertainment that benefits from alternative insights brought via research and lived experience.
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Step into the Hot Seat and chase life-changing wins in Millionaire Megapots
, the latest prime-time release from Big Time Gaming.
This isn’t a game for the faint-hearted. Players take centre stage on the studio floor, facing the electrifying reels where every spin could change everything.
The tension ramps up when six or more Coin symbols land anywhere on the reels, triggering the thrilling Hold and Spin feature with three respins to start. Each symbol position becomes its own reel, revealing additional Coins holding prize amounts, multipliers, or coveted Megapots icons. Every time new Coins land, respins reset to three, keeping the stakes high as the total prize climbs. At the end of the respins, total prizes are multiplied by all revealed multipliers. Collect three matching Megapots icons to win the corresponding jackpot.
For the ultimate thrill, if every reel position reveals a Coin, the Hold & Win bonus doubles the total prize—delivering a show-stopping finale. The Mini, Midi, and Mega Megapots, displayed above the reels, showcase dynamic jackpots that change with every spin and can only be won during the Hold and Spin feature.
Inspired by the iconic Hot Seat from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the Hot Seat Free Spins Gamble replicates the same heart-pounding risk-versus-reward excitement. Players can climb the ladder for up to 50 Free Spins, with unsuccessful gambles risking lost spins. Rungs two and seven act as safety nets, guaranteeing 10 and 20 Free Spins, while classic Lifelines—50:50, Phone a Friend, Ask the Audience—offer support at every stage.
Free Spins are triggered by landing three or more Millionaire Scatters, awarding 10 spins and entry to the Hot Seat Gamble ladder. Each Scatter moves players up the ladder, and during Free Spins, win multipliers start at 1x and increase with every Coin that lands. Additional Scatters extend spins, building tension and potential.
For instant intensity, Bonus Buy offers direct access: Hold and Spin for 65x stake, 12 Free Spins for 125x, or 20 Free Spins for 250x. Power Play, available for 8x stake, guarantees at least 10,000 Megaways per spin.
With up to 200,704 Megaways, high volatility, and a maximum win of 91,000x the stake, Millionaire Megapots delivers the drama, spectacle, and life-changing ambition of the Hot Seat—all powered by BTG’s signature gameplay innovation.
Nik Robinson, Founder and CEO of Big Time Gaming, said:
“With Millionaire Megapots, we wanted to capture the raw, edge-of-your-seat tension of the Hot Seat. By combining our Megaways engine with Megapots and the Hot Seat Free Spins Gamble, players truly feel the heat of the studio floor. It’s all about the big risk, rising stakes, and life-changing reward.”
The post BTG Launches the High-Stakes Thriller, Millionaire Megapots™ appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
GodLike Esports star Sharkshe has revealed her newly upgraded gaming room, created in partnership with Red Bull to deliver a premium streaming and content production setup.
Sharkshe, one of India’s leading female gaming creators, boasts over 500,000 YouTube subscribers and is known for her lifestyle content and livestreams featuring games like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).
The revamped room is designed to elevate both her streaming and content creation. It features moveable custom studio lights for flexible shooting angles, allowing Sharkshe to produce a variety of content without leaving her room.
Red Bull branding is integrated throughout the setup, including a Red Bull cooler, custom can holders, and a mesh wall for hanging memorabilia and personal items. The layout doubles as a fully functional content studio.
The upgraded space will now serve as Sharkshe’s central hub for livestreams, videos, and other creative content, enhancing the experience for her audience.
The post GodLike Esports’ gaming creator Sharkshe unveils upgraded gaming room powered by Red Bull appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Provider introduces an additional arcade game to its expanding collection, enabling operators to capitalize on the increasing demand for dynamic content.
A single action transforms everything in Mines, the newest virtual game from sought-after iGaming content creator, ICONIC21.
Mines operates on a clear grid where each successful uncovering of a safe location immediately increases the multiplier. Enabling the user to choose both the grid dimensions and the count of hidden mines grants them greater control over the unpredictability and possible expansion of their session.
This style of play focuses on the “Cash Out,” a moment of heightened control where the player chooses precisely when to lock in their progress before a mine resets the game board.
The essence of the experience is influenced by managing risk and timing. Players have the option to choose from 3×3, 4×4, or 5×5 grids, in addition to deciding how many mines can show up, effectively creating their own risk-to-reward ratio on the spot.
Mines secures complete market reach with one product, enhancing lifetime value as users revisit to explore new strategies amid various volatility levels, fostering deeper and more meaningful engagement.
This changes the game into a high-efficiency, streamlined format that seamlessly accommodates all player groups.
Edvardas Sadovskis, CPO at ICONIC21, said: “Mines is the perfect balance between simplicity and strategy. Players choose their grid, define their own risk-reward level, and decide how far they want to push their luck.
With the option to use autoplay for fast gameplay and the potential for extremely high multipliers, it creates a thrilling experience where every click matters.
In addition, ICONIC21 provides flexible real estate for custom branding, allowing operators to deliver a bespoke experience that aligns with their specific market identity and target audiences.“
The post Drive player engagement higher with ICONIC21’s Mines appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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