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Gaming for Good: PapayaMobile on Android Helps A4G Gamify Nonprofits
The gamification trend is picking up steam, thanks to group-buying programs, check-ins and social media at large. When it comes to game platforms, however, there’s an untapped potential for deep integration that a number of verticals can leverage. One Economy, for instance, is turning to PapayaMobile’s massive game platform in order to extend its reach and its fund-raising capacity. It’s Applications for Good (A4G) program is teaming up with PapayaMobile to push a “new breed” of mobile apps, designed for public purpose. The types of apps you’ll see from this partnership include those that further One Economy’s goals for social good, which provide better access to education, banking, jobs and health in under-served communities. With this partnership, AG4 app developers are able to make entertaining games focused on social good, which will run in the Android Market. The combined resources of A4G and PapayaMobile gives their developers access to an expansive game network that’s been built up around the creation and cross-promotion of social games.
“At Papaya, we constantly see the benefits of game mechanics and monetization in the mobile virtual world,” said Si Shen, CEO of PapayaMobile. “Papaya is committed to bringing the benefits of the virtual world to the real world for people who need our assistance.”
It’s a shift in the right direction for PapayaMobile, and I expect a number of game platforms to follow suit. Engaging social users to raise awareness and funds is something implicitly extracted from an entertainment app, and the high level of interaction makes gamification ideal for A4G’s purposes. Incentives, sharing and donations are all aspects of a mobile game that can be tweaked for social good, and it’s kind of nice to see creative implimentations of fund-raising mechanisms.
To that end, PapayaMobile will actually be adding a new category for social goods games, developing an entire channel around developers and gamers that share this common goal. “It’s not very often non-profits get to do this, and with A4G, there seemed to be a great match,” Shen goes on. “Our tools can help monetize these games, and we have the knowledge and experience to help A4G. We’re more than excited to do this, and it’s great that we can convert our knowledge in a helpful way.” The games themselves will be able to take on a number of characteristics, all aimed at engaging users at different points of game play and development. There are a couple of models A4G will initially focus on, including games that have a direct relation to funds raised (click on a game item to choose your donation amount), and the more sustainable model, which revolves around virtual goods.
“When you get massive uptick on game adoption where everyone’s buying virtual goods, adding a mechanism for something like free game play lets gamers achieve game benefits, while the vast majority of players will drive the monetary engine,” explains Arthur Grau, Community Manager of A4G. With this multi-layered approach, “the game itself becomes an education platform, where they learn about their health or some other aspect of their life,” Grau continues. “A game that actually does some good.”
These games are much more involved, putting players in a position to budget virtual currencies, or maintain a game character’s health. Combining their social good goals with mobile entertainment, A4G’s apps serve a dual purpose that also allows them to virtually promote their message, and educate through PapayaMobile’s channels. This level of in-app integration is appearing across several industry players, including Tap.me. A4G’s games will be available in the Android Market.
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