David Hasselhoff surprise face of new green gaming initiative
Bay-watch yourself!
Actor David 'The Hoff' Hasselhoff - known for his roles in 80s TV series Baywatch and Knight Rider, as well as his music career (I still get Jump in my Car stuck in my head from time to time) - is the new face of an initiative which aims to fight climate change with video games.
It's called Make Green Tuesday Moves (MGTM). On the first Tuesday of each month, participating studios will launch a collection of 'green' items within their games, with these items being exclusive to the movement. MGTM will then invest proceeds from these items into "fully certified sustainability projects by not-for-profit digital platform PlanetPlay".
And, this month, it is all about that Hoff DLC, with other celebrities expected to follow in subsequent months.
The Hoff himself has starred in several promotional videos for July's initiative push, posing with Knight Rider's KITT and whipping himself up a healthy smoothie all in the name of Planet Earth.
"Snag those pixel-perfect skins and lots of other great gear," he says, adding that each "piece of gear is a power up" for the planet. "Your play time turns into green time, zapping pollution and healing the Earth, one epic item at a time!"
Games involved this month are casual Google Play store offerings, including Peridot from Pokémon Go developer Niantic and Solitaire from Tripledot.
Projects this initiative will be supporting, meanwhile, include the Hongera Clean Cookstove project - which is "working to improve the livelihoods of poorer families in Kenya, preserve indigenous forestry and reduce global CO2 emissions" - and the Teeny Tiny Truth. This initiative is focused on "reducing the influx of microplastics into New Zealand's fresh water systems".
"As someone who has spent years entertaining audiences around the world, I know the power of influence," said Hasselhoff in a press release for Make Green Tuesday Moves. "Climate change isn't just a distant threat; it's here and now.
"By joining the Make Green Tuesday Moves initiative, we can turn our everyday gaming into a force for good. Let's make every play for our planet. Together, we can create a legacy of sustainability for future generations.
"Stay cool, stay green, and make a difference!"