I-play talks My Happy Planet

With climate change such a high-profile issue in the news, it's surprising there haven't been more mobile games based on green themes.

I-play is aiming to change that with My Happy Planet, which, as we reported earlier this month, is a collection of eco-themed mini-games.

So where did the idea come from? I-play's European marketing director, Caroline Dupuy, explains that it started early last year.

"We were looking to develop a brain challenge game, but with the aim of making it different from the competition, and not another me-too product," she says.

At the time, green issues were big in the news in France, thanks to environmental campaigner Nicolas Hulot, the presidential election, while on an international level there was obviously Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' campaign.

"A light came on while walking in the Paris streets," says Dupuy. "Why not work on a 'Green Challenge' game?"

My Happy Planet was the result. It's been developed internally and, as head of art and design Stewart Waterson explains, the mini-game structure seemed a logical choice.

"The game had to be pick-up-and-play, easy to enjoy in short bursts, but also have the depth that players who were more adept would have more taxing gameplay as they progressed through the modes," he says.

I-play also wanted to give the game a sense of humour, rather than have it come across as po-faced preaching.

"We chose to have some games based on classic gameplay like Whack-A-Mole, some that we engineered to suit the subject matter a little more, like conveyor belt games, and then original ideas that we thought were both funny and enjoyable to play," he says. "[For example,] shooting corks at farting cows in space."

The blurb for My Happy Planet claims that it's a carbon-neutral game. How? Dupuy explains that the development team has worked out the cost for power (PCs, lighting, etc) and travel for the project.

"Using this costing, we will hopefully be re-investing these costs into a 'plant a tree' scheme," she says. "On an ongoing basis we are constantly looking for avenues to follow to ensure we are as energy efficient and green as possible."

Will the game's green theme make it more popular? Dupuy says that there's room for innovative and creative games whatever the subject material, although cynics might suggest that the ELSPA charts indicate that material has to be an existing brand.

But I-play is clearly hoping for some kudos from being the first publisher to release a dedicated eco game. European marketing and PR manager Ian Macleod says the mobile operators are keen, which is a good start.

"The game will be released around the World Environment day, which is June 5th," he says. "We hope to work with all the carriers to drive awareness of this occasion and the message which both the day and the game are trying to convey."

I-play may work with different charities and organisations in each country, for example The National Forestry in the UK, to link sales of the game with a separate plant a tree promotion, organised with the operators.

The publisher will also be promoting My Happy Planet on social networking sites and on its own website.

The omens are good, then. Click 'Track It!' to see if it will warm our office environment when we review it.