As the G4C movement goes global, more actors are looking at how games can improve life for developing world denizens. Programs that seek to change people’s behavior–getting a mother to wash her hands before feeding her family–can use games as an outreach tool. Advocacy organizations can use games to raise awareness about events overseas. For all their promise, there are also challenges to using games in international development. Platforms in the developing world are drastically different than those in the developed world. Traditional funding streams and the model for game development and publishing don’t always work in an international context. NetHope’s Gaming Working Group seeks to answer some of these questions. In this open meeting of the USAID-supported Gaming Working Group anyone—developers, publishers, funders, non-profits—who is interested in exploring how to use games to improve lives in the developing world is welcome to join the discussion. PARTICIPANTS: John Maris, SVP, Programs, Relief International Virginia Zaunbrecher, Senior Program Development Officer, Relief International, NetHope Gaming Working Group Co-Chair

1. GAMES AND INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Using games to address global poverty

2. GAMING WORKING GROUP
GOALS
 Bring together resources (particularly human
resources) to facilitate making games for
international development
 Define challenges and assets, and develop path
forward

3. INTRODUCTIONS
 Who you are
 Where you work
 What you do
 Whyyou’re interested in international
games for change

4. THE REALITY—SOME CHALLENGES
 Most accessible
platform is usually a
relatively simple phone
 Limited access to
electricity
 Limited alphanumeric
and technological
literacy
 Need for localization
 Almost no chance of o Traditional methods
being commercial for product delivery
probably won’t work

5. THE REALITY—SOME OPPORTUNITIES
 Interest in a much
broader subject matter:
behavior change in
hygiene, health,
nutrition, livelihoods,
etc
 Often easier to capture
attention

6. BREAKOUT GROUPS
 Publisher: provides financing (foundations,
government donors, etc)
 Developer: develops game under direction of
publisher
 Distributor: responsible for pushing the game out
to players (NGO, Ministry of Education, Mobile
Network Operator, etc)

7. QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT
 Why are you interested in int’l serious games?
 Why have you (have you not) invested in int’l
serious games?
 What do you need to make decisions about int’l
serious games?
 Whatcan you offer to the int’l serious games
space?

8. TO GET INVOLVED
 Put your name on the sign in sheet and indicate
who you’d like to be involved
 Attend working group sessions
 Volunteer to present at a working group session
 Email virginia.zaunbrecher@ri.org with any
questions