he BBC has just announced that a new live gaming fundraiser is coming to Nottingham on November 10.
The event, which will be broadcast live on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, will see celebrities, gamers, influencers and other creatives come together for what the BBC is describing as a two-hour “spectacle”. Details about who will be included in the starry line-up are still to be revealed.
The fundraiser, which has the working title Game to Give, has been created to raise money for the BBC’s Children in Need charity, which supports disadvantaged children and young people throughout the country.
“Game to Give is a brand new and exciting initiative to add to the BBC Children in Need TV portfolio,” said BBC Studios’ creative director of Entertainment North, Pete Ogden.
“It’ll be live, loud, and potentially a little manic, but most importantly it will raise vital funds. We know that the gaming community is filled with people dedicated to using their platforms to give back, so we’re thrilled to bring this to the BBC Three and BBC iPlayer audience.”
Some of the games that will feature in the show include F1 Sim Rigs – a racing game that has been devised to transport players to the Las Vegas Grand Prix – Just Dance 2023, where two teams will “dance-off”, and Hado, an augmented reality technology sports game.
By using sensors that have been placed on the head and arms, and incorporating AR, Hado combines physical sport with computerised features. This in turn alleviates some of the restrictions that are usually part and parcel of physical activity, making playing sports more inclusive.
“We are helping to fund charities all over the UK who are using video games to support children,” explained BBC Children in Need about the event. “We want to raise awareness about the benefits that responsible gaming can have. We also want to celebrate the social aspect of gaming and its power to unite people through play.”
The event is set to take place at Confetti X in Nottingham, a 4,000 square feet venue that specialises in VFX, gaming and ESports, but the behind-the-scenes action will be live-streamed TikTok.
The BBC has said that more details about Game to Give will be “announced in due course”. There will be several ways viewers can donate to Children of Need during the broadcast of the show, from a Text to Donate number, to a prize draw, to charity streams on Twitch and YouTube which will be provided by some of the gamers.
Children in Need was launched by the BBC in 1980. The charity project has been wildly successful, raising over £1 billion over the last four decades. This year, the fundraising event will take place on November 17 and will be co-presented by celebrities including Ade Adepitan and Mel Giedroyc.
Game to Give will be broadcast live on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on November 10, 2023