mtvU offers $50,000 for a game about the crisis in Sudan
by Ross Miller 
{ Oct 19th 2005 at 4:45PM }
Jack isn't the only one who can make game
proposals to the community. MTV's college-focused
subsidiary, mtvU, is running a contest in order to bring about
awareness of the genocide in Sudan. Send them a proposal for an "online video game or viral campaign" about the crisis,
and mtvU may give you $50,000 to develop your proposal to fruition.
This is a contest only for those with a passion for activism, as the money will be used (hopefully) towards your idea.
With $50,000 at your disposal, the game should be phenomenal, and not just a
text adventure thrown together out of contempt. If you go
the route of viral campaign, might we suggest you avoid at all costs a countdown of any kind - there is nothing we
despise more than the slew countdowns as
of late.
E-mail your ideas to sudan@mtvstaff.com and be sure to check mtvU's
page for information regarding the current conditions and history
of Sudan.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SickNic @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Thats a great idea. Who says videogames are worthless and rot our children. With these incentives, videogames could be more useful at creating awareness about these types of things.
BxJoseff @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Right, please read up on Sudan's history, because none of your idiotic MTV kiddies know what the hell is going on in the real world. Way to go MTV, please continue to attempt to prove that these poor kids...Generation "I don't know what the fuck is going" really cares. It's incredibly sad that MTV would choose to focus on Sudan when the entire region is in turmoil...but see at least those MTV kiddies have heard of Sudan on TV, so it must be easily accessible.
Excuse me while I go vomit.
Ben Sanborn @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
that will be a sweet ass game made with 50,000 .....
BlackYoshi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
If your goal was to bring media and public attention to the crisis, you could make it one of the most gruesome games. Just brutal civilian massacres, gore, possibly rape and such like what goes on in Sudan. And then when the media firestorm hits and says "HOW CAN YOU MAKE SUCH AN OFFENSIVE GAME", you simply reply "Well, how can all these civilized nations allow such a thing to continue in the real world?"
Badison @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Excellent.
larryh @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
will penny arcade pay the 50,000 when mtvu balks??
Dralt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Why does this make sense?
If they want to "bring about awareness of the genocide in Sudan", why don't they show it on MTV?
I guess that would not be cool enough, eh?
A proposal to create something fun about something as sad and terrible is just sick.
Another corporation trying to wrap their personal interests in the appearances of public service and common good...
SickNic @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Like post #2 says, if you make this game a satire such as a modest proposal, which gets media and politicians appalled, then you have created awareness about this incident. BlackYoshi is right on about this. Sometimes doing something extreme like this is the only way to open people's eyes...
Art Guy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
"With $50,000 at your disposal, the game should be phenomenal"
LOL. Do they have any idea how much it costs just to license a game engine? Or how long it takes to make a decent game? You can only make a very cheap, crappy looking game for that kind of money. Phenomenal... that's just funny.
Goober @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Who says it has to be fun?
MTVU has been discussing and showing stuff about Sudan for a few years now that I recall, they play it at the gym on two dozen TV's on campus where I go to school (makes sense since it's MTVUniversity, I think). The whole MTVU is way better than MTV could ever hope to be, it plays music, and it discusses real topics in between, even if only briefly.
I think there are plenty of options for a "game" based around this. I'm thinking more "interactive" than "game" really, as game implies fun, but it's a nice thought and I support the cause.
Goober @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Who says it has to be fun?
MTVU has been discussing and showing stuff about Sudan for a few years now that I recall, they play it at the gym on two dozen TV's on campus where I go to school (makes sense since it's MTVUniversity, I think). The whole MTVU is way better than MTV could ever hope to be, it plays music, and it discusses real topics in between, even if only briefly.
I think there are plenty of options for a "game" based around this. I'm thinking more "interactive" than "game" really, as game implies fun, but it's a nice thought and I support the cause.
Ross Miller @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
In mtvU's defense, they do have activism as a big link on their main page, and while I'm not an avid watcher of mtvU (or TV in general, unless it's adult swim), I think any little bit of effort shouldn't be scorned as not enough or with vindictive ulterior motives is unfair.
If the game is fun it will bring attention. Assuming it is a game - it could be a viral campaign akin like ilovebees.com. If it is a game, it could be a parallel scenario much like "The Wave" was to Nazism. I'm for anything that gets people out there and active, however misguided or crude their ulterior motives are. People wouldn't pay attention unless it was $50,000 on the line, and if the prospect of cash gets people educated, so be it.
Ryuukuro @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
This is a great thing. Not just for gaming but for brining more attention to Sudan.
But if you've heard the news lately then you know it might be too late. Word has it that the genocide has been completed.
james @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
This is a noble idea. Me thinks that if the idea flies it'll help raise the awareness among the younger generation of the sudanese crisis that the world has long ignored. while there are documentaries and movies about it it might be better to immerse the audience inside the game.
It doesn't have to play like fucking GTA.That's pretty stupid.
it can be a Splinter cell-ish adventure.
The character can be a village boy/girl that was raped or a child that was abducted and turned into a mercinary. Children are randomly abducted abused and brainwashed into serving the fundamentalists rebels as soldiers.It can show the child's history with the rebels and the pain of remembering all the shit he/she was oput through and how nobody ever came not even the mighty US or even the UN.The child runs away and finds other groups trying to fight aginst the other fuckheads that did this to him and his family.It should depict a grassroot struggle and cross over to tghe truth of the political situation and ineptitude of institutions who chose to stand idly and watch.naturally the gaem should end tragically so as to reflect real life situations.
The game play doe not have to be flawless but the storyline and development must blow people away and leave a lasting impression that will compel them to make an effort to find a way to end the conflict or at least make the world pay attention.
Or something to that effect.
sorry. I'm not an activist nut. I'm just passionate about world conflicts and video games. hahahaha
Random92 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
the game could be a mod to a pc game to save money.
this is a good idea, but i'm not sure if it'll happen.
sonicinmobius @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
I'm disappointed in Joystiq readers. This is PR bullshit through and through. Just think about it: they're doing this so people look and say "Hey, MTV is doing something to make a genocide aware. They must be good people. I'll give them money."
What about the Armenian genocide? One and a half million out of two and a half million people were killed there. Why isn't MTV bringing up that forgotten genocide? Oh, because it isn't as good PR as the Sudan thing.
MTV is a consumer whore-fueled corporation, not a way of spreading the peace. This is public relations.
Spencer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
While I don't disagree that this is selfishly-motivated PR crap, I do disagree with Art Guy.
Art Guy clearly hasn't played many freeware games. He obviously hasn't checked out many of the games like Cube, Battle for Wesnoth, Neverball, or Soldat.
Dralt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
Oh well, I still don't see how you could produce a game that would reach the goal.
People don't assume games have anything to do with reality. (unless you agree with Jack Thompson)
So, it is more likely to banalize a real drama than to make people care.
I still think it's PR with an ounce of good intention, but very vain.
Haha @ Dec 18th 2005 10:09PM
I got an idea for the game.
Make it a MMORPG where little distrophic kids run around looking for food while dodging land mines, where general populations is trying to survive deseases like AIDS/Leper/Ebola/etc; the game uses the regular chars like amazon, warrior, shaman, zombie and such.
I mean a game that actualy reflects the day by day surviving. Idi Amin comes to mind as a boss character.
Make the game without a happy ending, the character should always die from some cause.