January 18, 2016

What if you could play games to put brand new winter coats on kids? Learn how one company made giving a gift of warmth to children even more fun.

I really want that blue and green Under the Sea Set fishbowl table for my new apartment. It would go perfectly with my Cozy Sofa and my new blue shoes. In order to earn the gold I need, I am headed out to do some good. That is the premise of A Better World, a popular Facebook game that rewards players for making the real world a better place. Welcome to social good gaming, where the actions you take as you play your favorite games can make a a difference in the real world.

“You are doing good deals in the real and the virtual world and you are being rewarded for the good deeds that you do,” says Ray Hansell, the CEO of  A Better World, which was founded by Hansell and his partners six years ago, after a family visit to a virtual good summit. “Frankly, I am more proud of this than anything we have ever done. This world is really unique; it is really special,” he says.

A Better World Neighborhood

Players can do good deeds in real life, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or helping a family member, and they can encourage and support otherplayers in game. These actions are rewarded with “Do Good Gold” that can then be used for in-game purchases of fun fashion, home decor, pets and other gaming accessories that enhance the play experience. Each time they submit a deed, players also receive an encouraging quote about doing good.

When good deeds are recorded in the game, generous sponsors reward those deeds with monetary contributions that are used to further real life missions, such as supporting Operation Warm and Coats for Kids. The game encourages people, especially younger gamers, to make a difference in the real world with their own actions, which in turn  supports missions that can make a national impact.

There is no doubt that doing good can be contagious. “People should be doing more and telling people what they are doing,” Hansell says. “It is a very positive and uplifting experience.”

A Better World and its’s sponsors have chosen to support Operation Warm, and the mission to provide brand new winter coats to kids. As you know, these coats keep children warm, enhance self esteem and give them a better start in life. “Operation warm is very indicative of our mission to improve the world, and we are happy to help,” Hansell says.

Hansell and the A Better World Team have set a goal of one million good deeds for Operation Warm through January 31, which could provide up to 1,000 brand new winter coats, Hansell says.

A Better World is offering Operation Warm supporters and players an additional gift. Now through January 31, 2016, A Better World is 100% free to play. The only currency accepted is acts of kindness and other social good you can do in game. After January 31st, the game reverts back to a freemium model. The game will still be able to be played for free, but extra enhancements will require a purchase.

Read the full blog post here: Operation Warm Blog