Industry veteran Jude Ower recently launched her new podcast, the Good Game Club, at the prestigious World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Backed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, the initiative champions video games as a profound positive force for societal change. This debut aims to reframe the narrative around gaming’s global influence.
The podcast, co-hosted by Ower and industry commentator Mathias Gredal Norvig, builds upon their prior collaboration, the 2024 book “Gaming for Good,” which explored similar themes. Its launch at Davos, a nexus for global decision-makers, strategically underscores gaming’s potential beyond mere entertainment, aligning perfectly with the Forum’s “A Spirit of Dialogue” theme.
Tencent’s decision to support the Good Game Club podcast reflects a shared conviction that “healthy gameplay is a global force for positive progress,” as stated by Danny Marti, Tencent’s head of public affairs. This substantial backing highlights a growing recognition of gaming’s profound role in fostering essential life skills, building vibrant communities, and promoting overall wellbeing worldwide.
Gaming as a catalyst for social good
Jude Ower, founder of Playmob in 2007 to leverage games for global good, sees the medium as a powerful force. “Gaming is the biggest change-making platform in today’s culture, and one of the most transformative art forms for social impact,” Ower stated, as reported by gamesindustry.biz. This view challenges traditional perceptions, positioning games as vital tools for addressing global issues.
With an estimated three billion people engaging with games worldwide, this medium uniquely unites diverse cultures and communities. Tencent’s Danny Marti highlighted how gaming fosters “essential life skills such as collaboration, leadership, adaptability and problem-solving.” The Davos launch aims to showcase these benefits through interviews with industry leaders and experts like Bastian Bergmann, David Barrie, Dr. Mick Donegan, and Kirsty Rigden.
Tencent’s strategic investment in positive play
The significant financial backing from Tencent for the Good Game Club podcast is more than a sponsorship; it’s a strategic endorsement of gaming’s broader societal role. As a global entertainment powerhouse, Tencent recognizes the immense reach of video games to drive meaningful learning, wellbeing, and belonging, aligning with its commitment to fostering healthy and impactful digital ecosystems across its vast user base.
This initiative could significantly influence how policymakers and the public perceive the gaming industry, moving past stereotypes. By amplifying diverse voices from within and beyond the sector, the Good Game Club podcast seeks to create profound connections and experiences that matter for players, families, and communities globally. It represents a pivotal shift towards advocacy, utilizing a global stage like Davos to solidify gaming’s social impact narrative.
The launch of the Good Game Club podcast at Davos, supported by Tencent, marks a significant and forward-thinking moment for the gaming industry. It elevates the conversation around video games from mere entertainment to a powerful platform for social good, skill development, and global community building. As the series unfolds, it holds the potential to reshape public perceptions and inspire new, impactful initiatives that harness gaming’s vast influence for positive global change.
