How Gaming Makes an Impact on the World

Many people think that gaming has no purpose and is simply a time-waster but they are wrong. Gamers tackle involuntary obstacles every day inside games, making them some of the most likely people in the world to contribute to online projects."They already have the time and the desire to tackle voluntary obstacles. They're playing games precisely because they hunger for more and better engagement" (McGonigal 232). Gamers have a craving for obstacles and a hunger for entertainment, so how can these be combined to help benefit the world? The answer is with online games such as Free Rice that actually make a global impact the more you play.

Free Rice is an online game where the player answers trivia questions and as they answer correctly are rewarded with virtual rice. The questions get harder or easier depending on if you answer correctly or incorrectly. You may be wondering how this benefits the world but the trick is each virtual rice you gain is real rice donated to hungry people around the world. Earning 100 grains a day (10 questions worth) is hardly a teaspoon but with thousands of players earning 100 grains each day it all adds up to a total, so far, of 69,024,128,710 grains of rice. (McGonigal 234-235). The game makes you want to keep playing not only because you know that you are part of something bigger, feeding hungry people around the world, but also for the fact that you get instant feedback with a bowl full of rice on the side showing just how much you have accomplished so far.

This shows me playing Free Rice with a total of 190 grains donated from just a minute of playing.

Free Rice is a perfect example of how games can actually make an impact on the world to help end hunger or save lives. By harnessing gamers' natural craving for entertainment and obstacles, large-scale goals can be accomplished to better the lives of people around the world. If everyone reading this right now went to freerice.com and played just a few minutes worth of trivia we would be able to help a large amount of hungry people around the world. Does that not sound enticing to you? Let me know how much rice you earned in the comments below! 


McGonigal, Jane. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. New York: Penguin Group, 2011. Print.