The video games industry is taking up the worldwide fight against COVID-19. Beat the Bomb, a Brooklyn-based games company, recently released a game called Fauci's Revenge that allows players to shoot at coronavirus. This comes as good news in the video games industry, which has been hit hard by the virus.
The game is a vertically scrolling shooter that puts players in the role of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Fauci is the USA's leading expert on coronavirus, with experience working against other viral outbreaks that the US has faced including HIV and Ebola. He has encouraged people to work from home to help stop the spread of the virus.
While playing the game is free, players are encouraged to donate $10 or more to a GoFundMe for healthcare providers and first responders in New York City. The game is available from now until April 26. The Top 10 high-scoring players will also be invited to a livestream on April 30 where they will compete to win an Oculus Quest VR headset. All top 10 players will also receive t-shirts, and the runner-up will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. All proceeds go to fighting the virus, which has claimed many lives.
Beat the Bomb isn't the only developer pitching in their effort to fight COVID-19. Sony is currently building a $100 million fund to help fight the virus. Video games developers and companies around the world have been donating and raising money to help the cause. Beat the Bomb's donations on NYC healthcare providers will hopefully help the USA's largest public healthcare system as "they are being hit hard and need our help in this hour of dire need".
Playing Fauci's Revenge isn't the only way for people to help the fight from home. An online pledge was started last month to encourage gamers to social distance by playing video games from home. Video games are a great way for people to connect with others, explore new places, and escape from the stress of life for a while, all while staying at home. Medical professionals like Dr. Fauci have called for people to stay at home and help flatten the curve, and gamers can help with that.
Like many businesses, the video games industry has faced setbacks and delays due to the spread of the virus. People's lives and livelihoods have been affected greatly across the globe. It's great to see so many people from different backgrounds and disciplines coming together to help fight a common cause.
Fauci's Revenge is a web-browser game that is available until April 26, 2020.
Source: Beat the Bomb