upbeat-gaming-stories-of-2022

There's a lot of good in the world of gaming. Finding upbeat gaming stories is never hard.

In a news climate full of drama and strife, our weekly Feelgood Friday segment is our humble attempt to shed light on the good things our favorite industry has brought to the world. And it fills us with hope to tell you that finding upbeat gaming news on a regular basis is easier than you might think.

Take, for instance, the gaming industry's rousing response to one of the darkest events in recent history: the war in Ukraine. The Bundle for Ukraine saw a slew of mostly indie developers, whose budgets are typically dwarfed by their triple-A counterparts, donate their proceeds to Voices of Children and International Medical Corps. They ended up raising a whopping $6.3 million.

Powerhouse publisher gamigo, meanwhile, wielded their extensive library to generate financial support, and top streaming troupe SK gaming also weighed in on the myriad charity streams during the spring. And these stories were just scratching the surface of the industry's overall contributions.

In fact, fundraising efforts for gaming charities have become a staple in the Feelgood Friday cycle. No year is complete without reporting on the successes of such large events as Flame Fatales, which continued to break its previous fundraising efforts in aid of the Malala Fund.

And as the industry goes from strength to strength, it's great to see newer fundraising events like the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Wish 200 Week harness the power of gaming to raise vast sums of cash for children in need. Not to mention the brand-new Power Up campaign instigated by UK-based housing association Framework to help combat homelessness.

Personal stories have also been a great source of upbeat gaming news in 2022. Such as that of the streaming senior, WowGrandma78, who held a weeks-long WoW streaming subathon (with breaks) for her 80th birthday and accrued thousands of followers and donations in the process. Or the more literal "gaming marathon" undertaken by a gamer looking to get fit whilst gaming, whilst raising yet more money for charity.

And then there's the examples of upbeat gaming news that confirms some gaming truths that we already suspected. Such as the studies that prove the intrinsic link between gaming and high intelligence. Or the links between gaming and improved mental health, as shown by the power of Pokémon Go. Or better yet the way gaming has helped people with disabilities find a world of solace and inclusion.

Suffice to say, the Feelgood Friday segment has consistently helped to kickstart our weekends with a dose of good news, and we hope it does the same for you. So we'll continue to forge ahead and spread the good word in 2023, and usher in a truly "Happy New Year"!