The Australian bushfires tragically rage on, and amid countless efforts from many angles and groups, the video game industry is getting more involved. This week, three new efforts have emerged from major companies in gaming.
Infinity Ward has renamed its cosmetic Outback Pack DLC as the "Outback Relief Pack" and has announced that 100% of the pack's sales between now and January 31, including any previous purchases of the cosmetic bundle. They also say that this is only part of their initiative to send aid to Australia.
Meanwhile, Destiny's Bungie has designed a new T-shirt for fans to purchases online. Bungie says half of the profits will be sent to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, while the other half will go to WIRES, Australia's largest animal rescue organization. Recent estimates from the affected areas say over one billion animals have likely died, with countless more being displaced from their habitats.
Ubisoft is also getting involved, though its made the choice to do so in a more direct way than others. Ubisoft Australia, a marketing arm of the massive French publisher, is donating AUS$30,000 to the Australia Red Cross Disaster and Recovery Relief Fund. On Twitter, Ubisoft Australia said they feel "immediate action is required" and believes the direct donation is more effective than creating assets for players to buy as charitable actions.
It's likely this isn't the last we see of gaming companies lending support to Australia as the fires continue to ravage the outback. Ahead of the curve was actually an indie studio, Convict Games, which is led by Australian director Gregory Louden. Convict Games recently donated a week of their sales of their "stoner noir" adventure game about a koala detective, Stone, to the World Wildlife Fund's Australian chapter in an effort to rescue the real life koalas currently in mortal danger due to the fires.
