Bungie: Play Halo and help Haiti

[nitromullet]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10436596-17.html?tag=mncol

Bungie wrote on its company blog that gamers who play Halo 3 or Halo 3: ODST on Xbox Live any time on Wednesday or Thursday will need to wear a "special emblem signifying [their] commitment to the cause." That special emblem is a red heart that can be added to the user's player by visiting the "Appearance" menu. Bungie will donate $100 to the Red Cross for every 1,000 gamers that participate. Gamers need only to play one game to qualify.

Bungie will keep donating cash to the Red Cross, up to a total of $77,000.

Here are the specifics:

1. Round up all of your friends and hop online with Halo 3 or ODST any time next from 00:01AM PST Wednesday, 1/20, through 23:59PM PST Thursday 1/21.

2. Edit your appearance settings so your character is wearing the RED HEART emblem.

a. Press START
b. Select “SETTINGS” / “APPEARANCE”
c. Select “EMBLEM”
d. Select “Hearts” ICON, “Circle” BACKGROUND
e. Back out to the APPEARANCES menu and select “COLORS”
f. Set “EMBLEM PRIMARY” to RED (or MAROON / BRICK / ROSE depending on which game you’re playing!)
g. Set “EMBLEM SECONDARY” to WHITE

3. Once your emblem is set, play! This can be a custom game or a matchmaking game, just make sure it’s played online, on Xbox LIVE, or we can’t track it.

...Might have to dust off ODST tonight.

 

[mugs]

If Bungie wants to donate money to Haiti they should just donate the $77k instead of using it to get people to play their game. A whole 10 cents per gamer isn't going to make me feel like I'm contributing anything by playing a video game. I'd rather donate my own money than spend my time changing my emblem for a 10 cent donation.

 

[nitromullet]

I already did donate myself, but I'm still gonna play ODST with some friends tonight with the emblem. It's not as if Bungie is asking me to do something I didn't already pay them to do in the first place.

edit: they are also donating 100% of the profits until the end of Feb. from their store.

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BeAHero

 

[chalmers]

I would but Halo isn't fun.

 

[gorcorps]

If Bungie wants to donate money to Haiti they should just donate the $77k instead of using it to get people to play their game. A whole 10 cents per gamer isn't going to make me feel like I'm contributing anything by playing a video game. I'd rather donate my own money than spend my time changing my emblem for a 10 cent donation.

Exactly my thoughts. If a company wants to help them, then help them. There's already going to be a beta of Halo Reach available to owners of ODST, which will probably get more people to buy it than anything else.

 

[nitromullet]

I would but Halo isn't fun.

It ended up being Halo 3 mp, which is not as fun as MW2 IMO. I was hoping for some firefight, but one of the guys was missing his ODST disc. Bungie will donate a dime on my behalf, and I had an excuse to play some Halo with friends.

Exactly my thoughts. If a company wants to help them, then help them. There's already going to be a beta of Halo Reach available to owners of ODST, which will probably get more people to buy it than anything else.

I think the point is that they know that they will meet their goal (they know how many people play their game online), and I'm pretty sure they already plan on donating the full $77K.

It's really not uncommon for larger organizations to donate, but make it contingent upon what others are willing to do or donate. For example, my wife's company matches donations made by their employees to most charities. They're obviously willing to donate a lot of money, but you have to take the initiative.

I'm honestly really surprised at the reaction this got... oh well... /shrug

 

[Oyeve]

If Bungie wants to donate money to Haiti they should just donate the $77k instead of using it to get people to play their game. A whole 10 cents per gamer isn't going to make me feel like I'm contributing anything by playing a video game. I'd rather donate my own money than spend my time changing my emblem for a 10 cent donation.

It's a tax write-off and a company expense at the same time if they do it this way.