Asheville City Councilman Gordon Smith tweeted the news this morning. Time to follow up for details.
Here are the basics:
Last fall, members of the UK indie video game developer Red Redemption visited Asheville at the National Climatic Data Center and were impressed by all that they saw. Red Redemption says it makes video games that make a difference, and they’ve been working on one called Fate of the World. It’s a global strategy simulator. Players learn how various decisions affect the globe’s climate.
Red Redemption also does some scientific collaboration and research based on the games. That’s why they came to Asheville – to see how they could collaborate with NCDC and make use of its vast stores of weather information.
Here’s some of what Red Redemption wrote last year about its team’s visit to Asheville:
Our team would love to highlight the excellent work they do and so I was keen to visit and discuss possible collaborations. NOAA was particularly impressed that Games for Change and the MacArthur Foundation are part of a Presidential initiative on using computer games to improve STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). …
I took away from the trip a greater understanding of the importance of the work carried out by NOAA and the NCDC, but also how switched on they are to the potential of social impact games in communicating some of the more difficult elements about climate. I would love to work with Games For Change to organise a Games for Science summit there in 2011.
Exciting news. Look for more details soon.