December 14, 2005 - 12:01pm Luke Wallace

The gaming industry has continued to expand every year, meaning there are more gamers, and more money in gamers' hands. One thing that gamers have been doing for the past few years is to put this money towards a noble cause, helping children in hospitals. The Child's Play charity orginization was started by the guys at Penny-Arcade, a online comic that centers around gaming.

In its first year, the charity raised more than a quarter of a million dollars in toys and funds for the Seattle Children's Hospital. Since then, the numbers grow faster and larger every year. The number of hospitals has grown from one to over twenty, letting gamers help children in their area and around the world.

Since 2004, the charity has also held an auction, where people can come to bid on various Penny-Arcade memoribilia, with all the money going towards the charity. The amount raised by this auction has also grown every year, with the 2005 auction raising over 80 thousand dollars in a single night.

The relevance this has on the gaming industry is immense. Oftentimes, video games are blamed for a violent crime commited by a child or young adult. Never had they been credited for causing joy in the life of a suffering child. The goal of Child's Play is to change the perception to show that playing games can be helpful for children, and that people that play games are a responsible part of society.

What might be the most surprising part of the story is that the holiday season this year coincides with the release of a new, and quite expensive, gaming system; Instead of "taking a break" this year to get themselves something, the community at large has given more than ever before. And for that, they should be commended.



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