With many organizations around the world mobilizing to aid the victims of the recent earthquake that struck the Republic of Haiti, developer Bungie has started a fundraiser of its own. The developer, famous from Myth as well as the Marathon and Halo series, has made a new T-Shirt available in the Bungie Store for the specific purpose of supporting the victims. All profits made in the Bungie Store (on all items, not just the << BE A HERO>> T-Shirt) until the end of February 2010 will be donated to the American Red Cross. Pictures of the T-Shirt can be found after the jump. The Bungie Store can be located here.
Furthermore, Bungie has committed to donate an additional $100 to the cause for every 1000 players that play at least one online match on Wednesday the 20th of January or Thursday the 21st of January while wearing a specific emblem, up to a maximum of $77.000. More information of the specific design of this emblem can be found here.
This is a cool idea. There were some people saying that is is just brand marketing, and it is in a sense, but since Halo 3 is the most played game on LIVE, there isn’t much of an incentive to get new people, just to help out a cause. It is cool that they are donating all their money that they make off of their merchandise, that is cool.
To some degree, this is obviously marketing. But hey… I doubt the people in Haiti care HOW their aid gets financed. And besides, the Bungie merch they have in their store looks incredibly sweet 😀
Quake relief…. That kind sounds like a pun. I guess quake isn’t really a competitor with halo anymore, but it could be a funny jab.
I just hope they donate the 77,000 regardless of whether or not they get the maximum amount of people playing. They set aside that much in their budget, why not hold this event (which is cool as it is), but then just end up giving all of the money. I could definitely see Bunjie doing this