Geoterra: Serious Games For GE's Ecomagination

Via: GE's Ecomagination Initiative

Ecoimagination is a commitment by GE to develop and drive the technologies of the future that can protect and clean our environment.

GE is investing in innovative technologies to meet industrial and environmental challenges head-on. Those challenges present an opportunity for GE Water & Process Technologies to imagine and build innovative solutions that benefit society at large.

Established in May 2005, "ecomagination" has four primary pledges. In R&D, the company has pledged to more than double the $700 million it spent researching cleaner technologies in 2005, to $1.5 billion by 2010. GE also seeks to generate at least $20 billion of revenue in 2010 from products and services that "provide significant and measurable environmental performance advantages to customers." The third "ecomagination" commitment calls on GE to improve its operations' energy efficiency 30% from 2004 levels by 2012. Finally, GE is planning to keep the public fully informed of these efforts through various means, including its website and advertising.
In this context, Geoterra flash game works as a perfect vehicle for promoting enviromental education. Although it has been launched almost two years ago, I've only recently became aware of it.

Through the Geoterra destination site, BLITZ developed an immersive online experience to entertain, educate, promote and inspire individuals, while demonstrating the innovation of GE products. 

Geoterra is an interactive GE-branded experience that presents game-like attractions that allow players to enhance the well being of an island’s inhabitants and environment through the diversity of GE’s ecomagination products and their ability to create a greener planet.

Geoterra immerses players in an environment where they discover and utilize GE products and allows them to understand the positive impact on their own world.

The challenge of the game revolves around the player’s ability to interact with three eco-challenges and not only score as high as possible, but recognize the best use for each of the GE products and effectively utilize them on the fictitious island. Optimal performance results in a higher Geoscore.

As players complete the three challenges, their Geoscore increases. The higher their score, the more the island becomes a world of pure ecomagination. As a reward for completing Geoterra, users are invited to register with a U.S. or an international map that features a real-time network tracker. The purpose of this network is to illustrate environmental consciousness on an international level and to track which areas have the most participants. This viral component has players telling their friends about Geoterra via e-mail.

And last, but not least, is Ecomagination for Kids There they will meet Dr. I. M. Brainy and find ecogames and activities related to alternative fuels and energy conservation.