Great gamers raise $6.4 million for charity

Gamers are a good lot. Really, we are. For all the media that paint us as rabid killing machines going through digital training before going on a rampage, we're generally good people who like to play games. Just because it's Call of Duty or League of Legends instead of checkers and backgammon, doesn't make us any different. Just look at the Gaming For Good campaign. It raised almost $6.5 million for Save the Children over the past six months – $2.5 million of which came about in just one weekend of gaming, known as “The Siege.”

Teaming up with developers of some great indie titles, Gaming For Good is like Humble Bundle, in that you donate money, get games and help charity. However it works a little differently in that when you donate, you don't get games directly, you earn yourself points. Those points can then be spent on picking up a whole host of games. From titles like: Deponia, Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, Skulls of the Shogun, Dungeonland, Organ Trail, Gunpoint, SPAZ, Trine 2; the list goes on and on.

It was doing very well too, earning millions of dollars for Save the Children and ultimately helping to reach over 150,000 children around the world. However last weekend, Gaming for Good took things up a notch with, “The Siege,” where gaming streamers around the world banded together for a marathon gaming session. Their plan: to game as long as they could, earning donations from fans and viewers along the way.

The list of games available for “purchase” with your earned points, is absolutely huge

The money poured in. From the streamers with 40 viewers earning a hundred bucks here and there, to the big boys like SIVHD who pulled in over $100,000 in 12 hours of straight gaming. Over all, almost $2.5 million was raised over the two day “Siege.”

While the Siege of G4G might be done now, the donations aren't. They're still coming in. $5 here, $10 there and the total is continuing to creep up. The currently listed goal on the site is $6.6 million and as it stands, the total is just $114,000 shy of that threshold. What do you guys say we see if we can help tip the scales there?

One of the big stories to come out of this gaming event however, has been the coverage in the press. While a few publications have covered it, there's been a lot of apathy going around, especially according to event organiser Athene. He attempted to have the story covered by the Associated Press, who refused.

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A few select publications have mentioned the heroic efforts of these gamers, but too few.

Kitguru Says: So not only do we need to help out with a few bucks if we can, but we need to spread this campaign around and show the world that gamers as a whole, are a good lot. We are not represented or dominated by those few crazy individuals who do something horrific. 

Let's help stop the stigma and save some kids at the same time.

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