Entrepreneur Jude Ower recognized the need for more innovative ways to address climate change beyond traditional methods like recycling and reducing single-use plastic use. This led her to start Playmob, a platform that works with game studios to integrate sustainability into gaming. Playmob uses in-game surveys to gather data on players’ views on climate change, which is then sent to the UN Development Programme to help countries make decisions on climate policy and emissions reductions. In-game activations are also used to offset carbon emissions through green projects, and a store front sells premium games with proceeds supporting green initiatives.
By understanding what matters most to players and offering relevant content and activations, Playmob has seen increased engagement and attracted new players. Ower’s idea for Playmob stemmed from her previous experience developing games for education and training, which evolved into a platform connecting online actions with offline impact through micropayments for good causes. After successfully engaging players on a large scale for gaming studios, Ower was approached by the UN to explore how games could be used to gather valuable data and inform global climate policy decisions.
Playmob developed a playable ad called Mission 1.5, which reached 33 million people in over 60 countries, making it the world’s largest study on climate attitudes. Ower is currently working with the UNDP to further understand the urgency and priorities related to climate change. She recently discussed the potential for the UK gaming industry to collaborate with Saudi Arabia on gaming and sustainability initiatives. Playmob was recently acquired by PlanetPlay, a climate-conscious games marketplace and not-for-profit platform. This acquisition formalizes the partnership between the two businesses, both focused on using gaming as a tool to combat climate change.
