Youth Tackling Debt via Games

[gopu]

A few games at this year’s GFC Expo Night reflected a topic on many people’s minds, the recession and our growing national debt.  One such game was “Debt Ski”, an online game developed by mtvU and the Peter G. Peterson Foundation as part of their Indebted Campaign.  “Debt Ski” is part of a growing line of games sponsored by mtvU dealing with serious world issues (previous games “Darfur is Dying” focused on Darfur refugees and “Pos or Not?” on HIV positive patients).  The game aims to teach youth how to identify/manage debt and cope with tough financial times.  As Piggy Banks, players jet ski through various obstacles to maximize his savings, limit his debt and keep him happy while buying daily necessities such as food and housing.  Along the way, Spending Taunamis, like increases to the cost of living or emergency medical bills, may strike.  When players lose, debt management information is provided.  Ross Martin of MTV360 reports, “Early data shows that there are high replay numbers, which means the audience is spending time on the site and playing the game multiple times—increasing the odds that the core messages are coming through and have the potential to make an impact.” Fuller story here.



Aside from free online game models, another company is looking to push games on financial literacy via in-classroom software.  EverFi’s software tutors students to acquire new financial literacy skills and then use those skills to play a SimCity-style game; in which they control their characters’ spending habits and experience the good and bad consequences of their choices. Customers so far include The D.C. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (purchased 1,250 licenses to launch the Financial Scholars Program, an educational initiative for the city’s youth) and PayPal (bought 500 licenses for students in cities near their company offices).  EverFi hopes to enroll a total of 20,000 students in the program and generate $4 million in sales by the end of 2009.  Read more here.