Video Game Studio and Wilderness NGO Ahead of the Pack in Protection of Wildlife

Pocketwatch Games, makers of animal-themed video games Venture Arctic and Venture Africa, announces corporate sponsorship of The WILD Foundation with cash donation.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 25, 2008 -- Animal-themed video game developer Pocketwatch Games (http://www.pocketwatchgames.com) is proud to announce their continued sponsorship of The WILD Foundation, a Boulder, CO organization that works internationally to protect and sustain wilderness and endangered wildlife while meeting the needs of human communities. For two years, Pocketwatch Games has donated a large percentage of the revenue from their PC/Mac games Venture Africa (http://www.wildlifetycoon.com) and Venture Arctic (http://www.venturearctic.com) to The WILD Foundation.

Venture Africa, an ecosystem-building game set in the Serengeti, was originally released in 2005, garnering major award nominations in the 2006 Independent Games Festival and 2006 Slamdance Gamemaker festival. The follow-up to that game, Venture Arctic, was released in 2007 and received GameTunnel's Sim Game of the Year award, as well as being named the 28th best "indie" game of all time. In both games, players build and manage ecosystems of animals, trying to balance the needs of each of the diverse species. In addition to their entertainment value, both games have been used in the classroom to help kids learn about food chains and animal behaviors. Pocketwatch Games sells the games in digital format from their website as well as in retail box format in stores across North America.

Beyond its cash donations to WILD, Pocketwatch Games' has consistently contributed to the environmental movement. Founder Andy Schatz recently served as the Executive Producer of Green.com, an upcoming eco-themed kid's website, while the retail box of Venture Arctic will be made entirely from recycled packaging. According to Schatz, this will be the first ever major video game released in such an eco-friendly box.

The donation of revenue to The WILD Foundation is significant since it is coming from an independent video game studio. Typically, "indie" studios operate on such a small budget that they cannot afford to make charitable contributions. Vance Martin, President of The WILD Foundation, commented, "The WILD Foundation is very enthused about our partnership with Pocketwatch Games and Andy Schatz, because they are at the front end of the curve in their approach to environment and business. Our programs will benefit from this continued Pocketwatch sponsorship, and we applaud the corporation's exemplary commitment to wilderness, wildlife and education."

About Pocketwatch Games

Founded in 2005 by game industry journeyman Andy Schatz, Pocketwatch Games, LLC creates "enriching entertainment" for kids, gamers, and families. For more information, visit www.pocketwatchgames.com.

About The WILD Foundation

The WILD Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Boulder, Colorado. WILD works internationally to protect and sustain wilderness and wildlife while meeting the needs of human communities. For more information, visit www.wild.org.

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