Gamertell

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) hosted a panel discussion at the BAFTA venue in London earlier this week (October 9, 2008) during which a series of church and charity leaders discussed the ways in which video games can be a “force for good in today’s society.”

Mike Royal, the national director of the Lighthouse Group (a charity that specializes in helping young people who have been, or are at risk of being excluded from the school system), noted that games are useful in educating children about “boundaries” and the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

Martin Houghton-Brown, The Children’s Society’s deputy director of new business, explains that children in the United Kingdom now see gaming as a…

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826NYC, a nonprofit organization which runs a writing workshop for kids between the ages of 6~18, is going to be holding a very special fundraiser on May 9, 2008 at 7pm. A huge Dungeons & Dragons event, called “Dungeons & Dragons (With Girls!), is going to be held at their 372 5th Avenue center in Brooklyn, New York. People over the age of 21 are invited to register at the official site and attend the event.

Girls get to play for free, but guys have to pay $25. All the money goes to support the 826NYC center though, so its for a good cause. Once you’ve registered, you can donate real money to purchase gold for your character to use at the event. 

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When you think of cheap games, the first thing which usually comes to mind is a resale shop, like GameStop, or a chain discount store like Wal-Mart. A hidden treasure trove of deals is available though for those willing to work a little harder: Goodwill Thrift Stores. Goodwill thrives on donations from local individuals and retailers, and you never know what deals you’ll find. Plus, by shopping at Goodwill you are making a difference in your community, as Goodwill is a nonprofit organization which uses over 83% of money earned to find jobs for people who can’t get one on their own.

Today (February 1, 2008) at my local Goodwill I came across $10 copies of the PC version of Stranglehold. They were accompanied by assorted Xbox 360 and PS3 titles like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Forza Motorsport 2. All were brand new in their original wrapping. I asked a clerk about them as she assisted another shopper (who wanted a copy of Stranglehold), and she said that often retailers like Target, Sears or JC Penny will send overstock items as donations. 

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I ran into Zach Wigal (pictured right) online well after our interview for the “Teen with a Dream” story and was glad to hear his dream came true. He and his friends were finally able to host a Halo tournament through a CyGamZ fundraiser held in November 2007.

He told me GOF was able to raise $500, which was used towards community service projects within his area and that this year he and his friends are hosting another Halo tournament event called Gamers for Giving February 29, 2008.

“I believe last we spoke about GOF happenings I told you we had a small fund raiser for our organization at a LAN center called CyGamZ planned, and that we were still discussing possible dates and things for our big comeback event, Gamers for Giving,” Wigal said when I caught up with him earlier this week. “Well the CyGamZ event has ended, and we’re 100% focused on Gamers for Giving, which is a Halo 3 tournament combined with a 3 day straight PC LAN.”

Wigal plans to “raise at least $7,500 dollars to help families and kids who struggle with Autism,” he explained. “All profits made from the event are…

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Sony’s Santa Monica studio is offering a chance for a gamer to become a designer for a day and a sneak peek at the upcoming God of War 3 for the PS3. All they have to do is bid on the chance through an auction with Charity Folks Online. Currently the bid is at $375.00, with only a few days left to bid as the auction will end 6 p.m. EST on Wednesday (December 5, 2007). Winners of the auction will be allowed to bring one guest, and the prize includes a tour of Sony’s Santa Monica studio, one-on-one time with the Game Director and Key Designers of God of War 3, and a chance to play and test a portion of an unannounced title.

All proceeds of this auction will be donated to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization of Los Angeles and the inland empire. The only requirement to participate in this auction is to be at least 18-years of age. This offer expires June 1, 2008.

Read [Playstation Mods] Site [Charity Folks ] Site [Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles and Inland Empire]

This has so many shades of coolness I hardly know where to begin.

Is it the NES gun staircase? How about the old school gold cart in the oversized system? Maybe the blocky design of the Duck Hunt garden? Maybe the giant “GameBro” on the side!?

This building extraordinaire is the genius work (and possible home) of…

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