During a cocktail reception yesterday opening the Austin Game Developers Conference, Sony Online Entertainment’s (SOE) Austin studio presented the local Habitat for Humanity (HfH)with a $10,000 donation to their efforts to end poverty housing in the area. The funds were raised as part of an in-game event for the company’s Star Wars Galaxies® Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) video game, where players were allowed to demolish abandoned or unoccupied player-created houses and buildings. SOE Austin also generated an in-game event where fighters from the evil Galactic Empire swooped down from the stars and bombed the buildings.
A crowd of more than 150 was on hand at the Speakeasy Austin to see SOE Austin VP of Development John Blakely present Austin HfH Executive Director Michael Willard with an oversized photo check for the donation. In addition to the donation, SOE Austin staff members will also engage in volunteer work to help create affordable housing for those in need in the Austin community.