HYPER-CASUAL DEVELOPER KWALEE HELPS FARESHARE FIGHT CHILD FOOD POVERTY

Hyper-casual mobile game developer Kwalee has pledged to donate 100% of UK profits from its hit game Teacher Simulator to the Marcus Rashford-backed charity FareShare.

The company says the initiative was inspired by the campaigning of Marcus Rashford MBE, ambassador for FareShare, on the issue of free school meals. 

On the week ending 10 January – the date that would have marked the end of the first full week back at school for Britain’s kids, had schools not been closed for the latest COVID-19 lockdown – every penny of UK profit generated from video ads and in-app purchases in the free-to-play mobile game Teacher Simulator will help fund FareShare’s work to combat food poverty in the UK. 

Launched towards the end of 2020 on iOS and Android, Teacher Simulator is completely free to download, and has already reached more than 6.5M players worldwide, making it into the top 3 games on the Apple App Store in both the UK and UK. On the UK Google Play Store, Teacher Simulator has done even better, reaching the #2 spot in the Games category. 

Simon Platt, Head of Development at Kwalee, said:

“Teacher Simulator was partly inspired by our own experiences at school, from the mundane to the bizarre. These were largely fond memories for us, fortunately, but no child should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from when they should be learning and playing, whether in or out of the classroom.”

While CEO of Kwalee, David Darling CBE, added:

“We’re huge admirers of Marcus Rashford’s campaigning and strongly believe in the work done by FareShare. Now more than ever, as the country enters another testing lockdown, no child should have to go hungry. 

“With Teacher Simulator having been such a success for its cheerful depiction of school life, we want to do our bit to support those for whom that is not necessarily the reality – especially with the added strain of remote schooling on kids and families.”

Darling is co-founder and former CEO of Codemasters, which is in the process of being acquired by gaming giant Electronic Arts for $1.2B. He has been creating games professionally since he was a teenager, and in 2008 was awarded a CBE for services to the computer games industry. 

He now runs Kwalee, which recently surpassed 100 employees, and has recorded over half a billion game downloads. This makes the Leamington Spa-based company officially Britain’s biggest developer and publisher of hyper-casual mobile games.

Welcoming Kwalee’s support, FareShare Commercial Director, Alyson Walsh, said:

“After a year where understanding the importance of school-aged children receiving nutritious food has come under the spotlight, we are extremely grateful to Kwalee for donating 100% of UK profits from their Teacher Simulator game as children return to remote schooling.

“FareShare’s work with Breakfast, After School and Holiday Clubs each year help vulnerable children access the food they need to learn, grow and thrive.”

AYO.NEWS says:

The fact that so many children are going hungry in the UK, one of the world’s wealthiest nations, is an utter disgrace, and the way its politicians are mismanaging the COVID-19 crisis, causing ever more social and economic damage, is reprehensible. Against this frustrating backdrop it’s fantastic to see charities like FareShare being supported by the games industry, so kudos to everyone involved. 

Staying with Kwalee, in November the company selected AdInMo to integrate immersive brand ads into its latest title. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2019-2021.