A new BetaDwarf game is on the way, and it will attempt to combat the problem of lonely gamers. After acquiring $6.6 million (yes, million) in venture capital funding, BetaDwarf is building out Project Haven, a game that will be the developer’s largest project to date.
Best known for its work on Forced and Minion Masters, BetaDwarf’s next project will be aiming to combat a social problem that most gamers probably deal with every now and again: Loneliness. As some segments of the world population become more and more socially isolated, this game developer is seeking to do something about it.
“A solution can come from forming friends that can relate to your life and share an activity with you,” BetaDwarf CEO Steffen Kabbelgaard said to GamesIndustry.biz. “We believe that for the coming generation of adults games will be a perfect solution, and that it already is for the younger generations.”
Mr. Kabbelgaard cited a shocking statistic: Being lonely can result in a 26% increased likelihood of mortality. As such, he’s hoping that the new BetaDwarf Game Project Haven will be able to get people talking to one another and establishing friendships. He also noted that communicating over voice can help people feel less lonely, although he didn’t mention any stats or studies relating to its effectiveness.
We all feel a little lonely every now and again, and popping online to play some games is often a good way to get over that feeling. BetaDwarf, however, is aiming for a much loftier goal by trying to design a game from the ground up that will help people find friends. It’s an ambitious mission, but it seems like he’s got a good handle on the task at hand.
“If we can create and maintain friendships through an activity and in some cases reduce or remove loneliness from our players, then we are more than confident that we will set many new industry KPI benchmarks and that our team will be empowered and motivated by the positive impact on people’s lives.”
