Electronic Arts and BP Alternative Energy have collaborated to include climate change education and environmental issues within EA's SimCity Societies city-building title, releases in North America and Europe on November 15th.
The collaboration aims to highlight the impact of electricity generation on carbon dioxide emissions and climate change by providing low-carbon electricity options and carbon emissions monitoring within SimCity Societies. While not forcing players to make environmentally-conscious decisions, the game provides the opportunity for the player to make choices and see the advantages and disadvantages therein.
The game does not force players to power their cities any specific way, but allows them to make choices, each of which come with advantages and disadvantages modeled on real life. For example, the least expensive and most available buildings produce high levels of carbon dioxide, and should the player use these, the game will issue alerts about natural disasters like droughts and heat waves that imperil their city.
Alternatively, players can choose BP Alternative Energy power options like hydrogen and wind power, which are less cost-efficient, but healthier for the player's city. Throughout the game, information and environmental pop-ups are available to educate the player on global climate issues.
Said Sims Label global brand development VP Steve Seabolt, “With SimCity Societies, we have the opportunity not only to demonstrate some of the causes and effects of global warming, but also to educate players how seemingly small choices can have a big global impact. BP was one of the first major energy companies to publicly acknowledge the need to reduce carbon emissions and begin taking precautionary measures. As such, they are the perfect partner to help educate people on this important social issue in SimCity Societies.”
