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A12 BUSINESS
Friday 5 august 2022

‘Stray’ cat video game brings some

benefits to real cats

By THALIA BEATY
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The
virtual cat hero from the
new video game sensa-
tion “Stray” doesn’t just
wind along rusted pipes,
leap over unidentified
sludge and decode clues
in a seemingly abandoned
city. The daring orange
tabby is helping real world
cats as well.
Thanks to online fundraising
platforms, gamers are play- In this image provided by Annapurna Interactive, the “Stray”
video game, developed by BlueTwelve Studio and released on
ing “Stray” while streaming July 19, 2022, is seen.
live for audiences to raise Associated Press
money for animal shelters
and other cat-related char- dan Gepson said. and the Steam platform.
ities. Annapurna Interac- “The whole game and the However, according to
tive, the game’s publisher, whole culture around the Steam monitor SteamDB,
also promoted “Stray” by game, it’s all about a love “Stray” has been the No.
offering two cat rescue and of cats,” Gepson said. “It 1 purchased game for the
adoption agencies copies meshed really well with the past two weeks.
of the game to raffle off shelter and our mission.” North Shore Animal League
and renting out a New York The shelter got four copies America, which rescues
cat cafe. Livestreaming of the game to give away tens of thousands of ani-
game play for charity isn’t and solicited donations mals each year, said it
new, but the resonance for $5 to be entered into a hadn’t seen any increase
“Stray” quickly found from raffle to win one. In a week, in traffic from the game but
cat lovers is unusual. It was they raised $7,000, Gepson they did receive more than
the fourth most watched said, with the vast major- $800 thanks to a gamer.
and broadcast game on ity of the 550 donors be- In a happy coincidence,
the day it launched on ing new to them, including the shelter had just set up a
Twitch, the streaming plat- people donating from Ger- profile on the platform Tilt-
form said. Viewers watch many and Malta. The com- ify, which allows nonprofits
as players navigate the pany also donated $1,035 to receive donations from
adventurous feline through to the shelter. video streams, the week
an aging industrial land- “It was really mutually ben- the game launched. The
scape doing normal cat eficial,” Gepson said. “They player channeled dona-
stuff balancing on railings, got some really good PR tions to the shelter, smash-
walking on keyboards and out of it and we got a ing her initial goal of $200.

knocking things off shelves whole new donor base out “We are seeing Tiltify and
to solve puzzles and evade of it.” livestreaming as this whole
enemies. Annapurna also bought new way for us to engage
About 80% of the game’s out Meow Parlour, the New a whole different audi-
development team are York cat cafe and adop- ence,” said Carol Marche-
“cat owners and cat lov- tion agency, for a week- sano, the rescue’s senior
ers” and a real-life orange end, as well as donating digital marketing director.
stray as well as their own $1,000. Visitors who made Usually, though, organiza-
cats helped inspire the reservations could buy tions need to reach out to
game, one creator said. “Stray” themed merchan- online personalities to co-
“I certainly hope that may- dise and play the game for ordinate livestreams, which
be some people will be in- 20 minutes while surround- can take a lot of work, she
spired to help actual strays ed by cats. (The game also said.
in real life knowing that captivates cats, videos on About nine campaigns on
having an animal and a social media show.) Tiltify mention the game
companion is a responsibil- Jeff Legaspi, Annapurna “Stray,” the company’s
ity,” said producer Swann Interactive’s marketing di- CEO Michael Wasserman
Martin-Raget, of the Blu- rector, said it made sense said.
eTwelve gaming studio in for the game’s launch to JustGiving, which also fa-
Montpellier, in southern do something “positively cilitates charity livestreams,
France. impactful and hopefully said it identified two cam-
When Annapurna Interac- bring more awareness to paigns with the game.
tive reached out to the Ne- adopting and not shop- For his part, Gepson from
braska Humane Society to ping for a new pet.” Nebraska reached out to
partner before the game’s Annapurna declined to an Omaha resident who
launch on July 19, they disclose sales or download goes by the name Trey-
jumped at the chance, figures for the game, which Day1014 online to run a
marketing specialist Bren- is available on PlayStation charity livestream. q