EA and 10 National Red Cross Societies*, including the British Red Cross, today announced the first ever multi-country collaboration with 10 Red Cross societies from around the globe to enable SimCity players to provide assistance to real people impacted by real-world natural disasters just like they do for their Sims in-game. Players will draw parallels between the real world disaster response the Red Cross provides and what they will be able to do in-game.
When a natural disaster strikes their in-game cities, players can supplement the available in-game emergency services with additional assistance from the Red Cross relief centres by purchasing the Red Cross branded digital content. This downloadable content will be available for £7.99; EA will give a minimum of 80%** of proceeds to the Red Cross.
The branded downloadable content includes a Red Cross Relief Centre and two vehicles that will travel around a player’s city in response to natural disasters. When a meteor strikes, an earthquake occurs or a tornado touches down, Red Cross tents will appear in various locations throughout a player’s city. Sims that would have been critically injured are instead cared for at the Red Cross tents. As the city recovers from the natural disaster, the tents will disappear. Each disappearing tent will then release 10 healthy Sims back into a city. Ambulances, fire trucks and police cars will protect a player’s city in addition to Red Cross services. This downloadable content will be available for £7.99.
“Collaborating with the Red Cross is a small way for EA to help others through our creative work,” said Patrick Buechner, GM of the Maxis Emeryville studio. “The content we created alongside the Red Cross not only gives aid to the Sims within our players’ cities, it also enables players to help real people who have suffered from disasters in the real world. After recouping our development costs, the remaining proceeds will go to the Red Cross to help support their work across the globe.”
“This creative partnership with SimCity will help us reach a new audience and raise awareness of the work of the Red Cross during real world disasters, said Mark Astarita, Director of Fundraising at the British Red Cross “This will bring the Red Cross to life for gamers in an exciting and interactive way while raising vital funds to support our work helping people in crisis in the UK and overseas.”
This Red Cross set will be available for a year starting on September 17, 2013. Throughout this year-long campaign, EA will give eighty percent of the player’s payment (less applicable taxes) for the Red Cross downloadable content, with a minimum of $100,000, to support humanitarian services of the participating Red Cross National Societies.
*Participating National Red Cross Societies are The American Red Cross, The British Red Cross Society, The Danish Red Cross, The Finnish Red Cross, The French Red Cross, The German Red Cross, The Italian Red Cross, The Norwegian Red Cross, The Spanish Red Cross, and The Swedish Red Cross.
** EA’s agreement with the Red Cross gives the participating National Societies a minimum of eighty percent (80%) of EA’s proceeds (less applicable taxes) from all sales of this new in-game Red Cross branded content during the promotion.
