While not a virtual world so much as an online casual game, we thought you would be interested in this relevant news about Farmville. Zynga, the makers of Farmville, have come up with an innovative way to incorporate charitable giving into the gameplay that has already resulted in more than $300K going to Haitian NGOs.
For those that haven't seen this incredibly addictive and popular Facebook game, Farmville challenges the player to manage a plot of farmland by plotting crops, raising livestock and selling their harvest so they can... buy more seeds and animals and grow some more. (I know, it's amazing what becomes popular.)
According to the Virtual Goods News, Zynga recently made available a new virtual item called "Sweet Seeds for Haiti" that costs
25 FV or about US $5. Zynga states that 50% of the proceeds from each Sweet Seeds for Haiti sold will be donated to the Haitian charities FATEM and FONKOZE. According to the Farmville twitter feed, this has resulted in over $323,000 donated to these charities since October 6. The campaign ends on October 15, so buy those seeds if you want to contribute!
