A new botany project is allowing gamers to step away from their screens and connect with nature in a tangible way. Dubbed Seed Saga, the pilot programme key element lies in the ability of gamers to cultivate plants that they may have encountered in their favourite video games. Guild Wars, a popular roleplaying game widely known for its spectacular flora, has partnered with Seed Saga. Players can apply for seed packets so that they can grow plants that feature in the game.
Seed Saga project creators, Hannah Young and Aleks Atanasovski, believe that the gaming community’s love of nature is being translated into the virtual world, and so “the skills that you have in the gaming world – like when you have to nurture virtual gardens – can be transferred into the real world.” Young said. Both creators hoped that Seed Saga would assist in bridging the gap and encourage gamers to appreciate nature and be more hands-on when it comes to nurturing plants.
There are currently only 30 seed packs available due to the limited availability of seeds, but the response has been heartening, with hopefuls pitching their application with a poignant message about why they should benefit from the Seed Saga. For instance, one applicant said Guild Wars “saved my life during a period of deep depression. It would be an honour to grow [crimson sunflowers] in my yard to pay homage to the game and support the surrounding insects that could benefit from these flowers.”
The project could also have an unexpected benefit for gamers’ mental health. Research has shown that interacting with plants counteracts stress brought on by a virtual world. Young and Atanasovski, who work at London advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, hope to expand Seed Saga, possibly collaborating with other game developers to scale up the excellent concept and help cultivate a new generation of botanists
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