Extra Life 2014: Playing for a Good Cause

extralife2012_300x250Have you ever wanted to do something good for someone else? What if you could play the games you love and have it benefit a good cause? That is exactly what’s happening this month! Don’t ever let anyone try to tell you gaming is a waste of time. Extra Life 2014 is a charity campaign that happens each year since 2008 where tens of thousands of gamers from all over the world come together to save the lives of kids through a charitable organization. It happens on a Saturday in Autumn and this year the big date will be October 25th.

Play Games. Heal Kids.

Here’s how it works:

Originally designed as a 24-hour marathon of gaming, Extra Life has evolved to mean different things to different people (though most of our participants still attempt the marathon).

To participate you need only sign up (free) and gather the support of your friends and family through tax-deductible donations to your local CMN Hospital.  Then on Saturday, October 25th, 2014 (or any day that works for you!) play any game(s) you want on any platform(s) that you want with anyone you want for as long as you want.

The proceeds from Extra Life stay where they’re raised to support children’s hospitals.

Since 2008, our incredible players have raised more than 8 million dollars, $4 million of which was raised in 2013 alone!

With your help we can set a new record and save so many more kids!

WHEN:  October 25th, 2014 @ 8am (Or pick a date that works for you!)

WHERE:  Anywhere you like to game (Most people play from home!)

GAME/PLATFORM:  Play any games on any platforms you want including mobile devices or board games!

HOW IT WORKS:  Simply ask your friends and family to sponsor your efforts.  They can make a monthly pledge or a one-time gift.  Then, have a seat and play games on October 25th.

WHO IT BENEFITS:  Gamers select the children’s hospital they want to play for during registration.  In the US and Canada there are more than 170 CMN Hospitals to choose from.  Players outside of North America can choose hospitals and causes that work specifically in their area of the world.

Now that you know the basics, you might like to know that there are some SWTOR teams already set up so if you want to jump into one and enjoy some SWTOR marathon time for a good cause, then here are a few who have posted on Reddit.

chrisplay posts about SWTOR Extra Life: “You sign up for an account, join our fan team via the fan page – it’s the big green join our team button! (or click here) and get everyone you know to donate! Then, on October 25 simply play some SW:TOR :)”

magic518 says, “I’ll be streaming for this on October 25th for 24 hours. Not sure what my game rotation will be but SWTOR will be a main slot with this 12x XP for leveling. Watch me here”

dumdadum123 adds, “I’m already part of a team on Saturday but will be streaming for about 6 hours or so on Sunday for Extra-Life as well. My stream is located here. Now be warned, I have not touched my channel in awhile so the info is quite old. I’ll also be giving away TawnFawn and Droid Pet codes throughout the 6 hours (1 every 30 minutes or so) I’m already streaming on Saturday with my team so It’ll be me along on Sunday probably extremely exhausted lol”

Are you already on a team or are you planning to  join one and participate in this event? Will you be doing anything extra like giveaways? We want to hear all about it and stay tuned as we will continue to update you more about Extra Life 2014 as the date draws nearer.

Lisa Clark

Lisa has been an avid gamer since she was old enough to hold her first controller and a game writer for more than a decade. A child of the Nintendo generation, she believes they just don’t make games like they used to but sometimes, they make them even better! While consoles will always be her first love, Lisa spends most of her gaming time on the PC these days- on MMOs and first-person shooters in particular.