Socially responsible 2kgames

Selous

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SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE: 2K Games is donating a total of $250,000 to four education based charities, and users' choices will determine how the money is dispersed: simply select your choice from the pre-selected charities during the install process.†
*Modding SDK available post launch as a free download.

† Charity selection available until Dec. 31, 2010. Not valid in all territories

was trolling around steam tonight and checking out the ciV steampage came across this, which i remembered from before the game came out, didnt get any options for charities and forgot about how socially responsible 2kgames was.

anyone get the option to vote when they installed the game?
anyone heard news of these 4 education based charities? did i miss that news?
 
Perhaps it was American only? Besides, I didn't like any of the charity options anyway.
 
Blimey thats a good point, i don't remember being asked to choose any charity during installation either.
 
I had this option when I installed the game. Can't remember the choices though.
 
yup I remember it too, the 4 options were pretty poor, I guess I voted for the lesser evil, i think it was Schollarship for America, which recently hit the jackpot with 2k.

But yeah... I really dislike charities, I've been volunteering for a long time and its always an inneficient reminder that the US probably needs some real and more efficent social programs (and not just the Army)

But that's off topic, the point being this was a lame attempt by 2k, Civ 5 is by no means an "educational" game and there are better ways to help your community.

PS: in the non profit were I volunteer they sent a letter to Firaxis games for donations, it came back without a penny... now that's sad.
 
You had the choice to build schools in Pakistan or Africa and you thought those were POOR OPTIONS?! I don't know if Civilization has taught you anything, but education is the key to a greater future for any country. Building a girls' school in Pakistan or a school in Africa with running water is one of the greatest long-term investments you can make for the human race.

Anyway, it was a cool thing for 2K to do. Never heard who won, but whoever it is, I'm sure they're doing good with their money :)
 
Oh I've volunteered: taught ESL, helped african immigrants to develop reading skills, volunteered at the salvation army and also volunteering at another non profit now.

So yeah... something about just clicking a button after I bought a 50 dollars game just... it just doesnt strike me as "giving back". Now if I went in person to help build those schools, that would be different, then I'd be giving back. But that's just me, I just thought it was a poor promotion.
 
You had the choice to build schools in Pakistan or Africa and you thought those were POOR OPTIONS?! I don't know if Civilization has taught you anything, but education is the key to a greater future for any country. Building a girls' school in Pakistan or a school in Africa with running water is one of the greatest long-term investments you can make for the human race.

Anyway, it was a cool thing for 2K to do. Never heard who won, but whoever it is, I'm sure they're doing good with their money :)


is that where the money is going? to schools in africa or pakistan, thats a good thing or is it to schools in america? imo not such a good thing (im sure america can look after themself fine in this dept)

if you look back at all the pages related and in the initial reviews that were released they all say something about how great 2k games is ... but i couldnt find any news article about actually giving anyone any money
 
is that where the money is going? to schools in africa or pakistan, thats a good thing or is it to schools in america? imo not such a good thing (im sure america can look after themself fine in this dept)

if you look back at all the pages related and in the initial reviews that were released they all say something about how great 2k games is ... but i couldnt find any news article about actually giving anyone any money

I don't think they still have given any money, the 4 charities were:






Basiclly , and quoting from another forum post:

- giving people in South Africa and East Asia access to resources to help them become literate
- helping Americans get college scholarships
- building schools in Africa
- and helping girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan become educated

Since I live in Baltimore City, where Firaxis is, I thought these were extremely poor choices. I mean talk about the murder capital of America, were most of the programmers and artists that make the game probably live... and you want to give money to charities in Asia and Africa, because that's were your heart really breaks. You don't want to help the huge black population here in Baltimore city (60% black people here), you don't want to do something to stop the drug trade, to get kids through high school or maybe so that they won't get into prison before they turn 18, you really have your heart set on these other people that live extremely far away, not on the ones that live here.

I dunno, something about that is just really messed up, Maryland is really more than just Civil War historical sites. I understand that 2k is giving the money, but it's not like there isnt any problems in California either.

The donation was mostly PR, I guess it's better than most companies, but I just can't help to think it could have been better. That's why I choose Schollarships for America, I thought at the time maybe some kid from west Baltimore might get it.
 
I know right? Screw Africa, Asia, hell anywhere that isn't the Baltimore, Maryland. Nobody is worse off than Baltimore and they deserve all the charity money from everyone.
 
is that where the money is going? to schools in africa or pakistan, thats a good thing or is it to schools in america? imo not such a good thing (im sure america can look after themself fine in this dept)

if you look back at all the pages related and in the initial reviews that were released they all say something about how great 2k games is ... but i couldnt find any news article about actually giving anyone any money

Before you say that, look at our test scores.:goodjob:
 
South Africa and East Asia? Those aren't places that have a big problem with illiteracy.
 
OrsonM, I think you're incredibly misguided on this subject. I'm with Maktaka's sarcastic response on this:

I know right? Screw Africa, Asia, hell anywhere that isn't the Baltimore, Maryland. Nobody is worse off than Baltimore and they deserve all the charity money from everyone.
 
OrsonM, I think you're incredibly misguided on this subject. I'm with Maktaka's sarcastic response on this:

It's hard not to be, I mean it's Africa and Asia, they are sort of easy to explain (where children make your ipods and mine those diamonds). But that wasn't my point, I mean we are talking about a company that works a few miles from a city with one of the largest murder rates in the country. It just feels messed up ("I'm not donating to the poor people from here where I could actually see an improvement, I'm sending my money where I could just plain ignore it after a while")

Sure, donate to Africa and Asia, nevermind you work or probably live in the same city where they shot The Wire. Nevermind the illiterate black people here, mind the illiterate black people there.

This being besides the issue that the money comes from the profits of a war game, it just feels like a ridiculous attempt at PR.
 
It's hard not to be, I mean it's Africa and Asia, they are sort of easy to explain (where children make your ipods and mine those diamonds). But that wasn't my point, I mean we are talking about a company that works a few miles from a city with one of the largest murder rates in the country. It just feels messed up ("I'm not donating to the poor people from here where I could actually see an improvement, I'm sending my money where I could just plain ignore it after a while")

Sure, donate to Africa and Asia, nevermind you work or probably live in the same city where they shot The Wire. Nevermind the illiterate black people here, mind the illiterate black people there.

This being besides the issue that the money comes from the profits of a war game, it just feels like a ridiculous attempt at PR.

All I can say is you seem like an incredibly bitter and cynical person from your posts on this subject. I think maybe they chose charities they felt were worthy causes. I'm sorry that you don't see educating people in other countries as worthy.
 
I don't remember being prompted about this. I'd call BS but I trust my fellow Civ Fanatics.
 
All I can say is you seem like an incredibly bitter and cynical person from your posts on this subject. I think maybe they chose charities they felt were worthy causes. I'm sorry that you don't see educating people in other countries as worthy.

Let's have a case of some rich corporation in Afghanistan, we all know it's terrible there, yet this corporation decides they will donate part of their profits to another country, that likely has it worst (say, Sudan). Terrific... now the question is: why?. I mean this is great, but really, why?, that money could have gone to the people you know in Afghanistan, why is it so hard to give back to the community in which you are rooted? (or to criticize corporations that don't give back to their community)

I think it's terrific that Firaxis or 2k decided to give money towards education, it's amazing. So to which neighbouhood from Baltimore are you guys investing on?, which neighbourhood are you guys uplifting, so that black people here actually have a chance at getting out of the ghetto, so that they will thrive and go to college (and not end up in the drug trade). You know them, they are the guys who drive that taxi you rode last night, the ones you see on your way to downtown Baltimore from Hunt valley, the ones that provide services for you and that likely your kids don't go to college with.

It just feels weird and off, I'd love to support 2k and Firaxis on this, but the effort feels really half assed, it basiclly boils down to a not very well thought off generic contribution for "education". I've seen them all before, when the corporations went green for global warming (meaning they changed their logo to an actual green color) and when they supported that epidemic of breast cancer (and changed it to pink).

It's not cynicism or bitterness to say that Baltimore is a messed up place (they made a show about it: The Wire! and Homicide: life in the Streets), where a lot of companies that work here don't really try to uplift it. I'm all up for Firaxis and 2k giving a little bit back, but you don't have to go out of your way and send it extremely far away, things are messed up where you live too.

http://www.firaxis.com/company/commrel-education.php

Firaxis donates employee volunteer hours to the Maryland Business Round Table for Education in mentoring creation of a Teen Website to improve school performance for under-performing high school students in Baltimore City.

and yet this was a less advertised, far more responsible effort.
 
Newsflash, there's ALWAYS going to be some group in the local area that could use charity work. There's ALWAYS going to be someone who needs help in the neighborhood. If you refuse to offer any assistance to anyone who doesn't live nearby until the locals are taken care of, you'll always be able to employ that excuse to avoid ever helping anyone.
 
I think the real question should be: does ANY aid ever help? This is a pretty contested topic.
 
I'm pretty sure the thread's title is an oxymoron. I mean, look at how 2K treats its costumers. And those are the guys *giving* them money.
 
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