Mobile games may help non-profit groups raise funds

Mobile games have provided hours of entertainment for thousands of people around the world. These games have also become quite lucrative for the game industry as a whole, but they could be used to do some good in the world. The Global Gaming Initiative aims to use the power of mobile games to strengthen the bridge between technology and philanthropy. The organization specializes in developing games that have a purpose that extends beyond entertainment and generating revenue.

Developer creates game for World Bike Relief

The Global Gaming Initiative has partnered with World Bike Relief, a non-profit organization that works to bring bicycles to impoverished communities in Africa, South American, and Southeast Asia. These bikes are a valuable commodity to these communities as they provide a reliable form of transportation to those that cannot afford their own vehicles and those living in areas that do not have dedicated public transit systems. For its partner, the Global Gaming Initiative has developed a new title that aims to raise funds.

50% of in-game purchases to be donated to non-profit group

The game is called Sidekick Cycle and 50% of in-game purchases will be donated to World Bicycle Relief. The game is initially available for iOS devices, with an Android version expected to be made available later in the year. The game tasks players to perform various tricks and collect coins as they make their way through the African wilderness. The bicycles featured in the game can be customized and there are various collectibles that can be found throughout the game.

Charitable organizations see promise in mobile games

Mobile games are quite popular throughout the world, but relatively few of these games are used to support non-profit organizations. These organizations are beginning to see the potential of mobile games, however, and some are beginning to develop their own games in order to raise funds for various projects.

According to a recent Shopgate report, retail needs to appeal to smartphone using consumers.

Shopgate, a highly recognized m-commerce business solution, has released a report called the “2013 Holiday Guide for Online Retailers”, which provided the top 10 recommendations for success, this holiday season.

Among those points, the focus on catering to smartphone users was a considerable one.

What was explained by Shopgate in its report was that retailers should start acting right away to make their way into m-commerce if they haven’t already prepared their strategy for the upcoming holiday shopping season. It is no longer enough to focus on online shopping in general and as a whole. Instead, a focus also needs to be placed specifically on the mobile channel.

In fact, when it came to getting into m-commerce, the recommendation was “do it now!”

The report from Shopgate pointed out that m-commerce traffic is not only already representing more than 20 percent of all American internet traffic, but it is also expected to exceed desktop based internet traffic by the end of next year. The holiday season is predicted to be the transitional time into that exceptional rate of growth to the point that it will be greater on smartphones and tablets than it is on laptops.

The report pointed to a number of m-commerce findings from several recent studies.

For example, it pointed out that shopping over m-commerce is expected to reach $42 billion by the end of this year, and that it will make up a larger segment of e-commerce than has ever been experienced before, according to eMarketer.

In fact, the report went to the extent of saying that retailers that choose not to take part in m-commerce may be actively choosing not to take advantage of an important source of revenue. It pointed to data from Econsultancy, which indicated that 62 percent of businesses that have created a website that is specifically optimized for smartphones and tablets, had increased their sales. The recommendation for the upcoming holiday season was to use mobile friendly elements such as: coupons, push notifications, ad scanners, daily deals, QR codes, mobile SEO, and product categories.