mtvU to Unveil Student-Developed Viral Video Game to Fight Sudanese Genocide April 30th on National Mall

mtvU to Unveil Student-Developed Viral Video Game to Fight Sudanese Genocide April 30th on National Mall

Olympic Gold Medalist Joey Cheek and Student Activists to Launch 'Darfur is Dying' at 'Rally to Stop Genocide' in Washington, D.C.

Kanye West, Matisyahu, Other Top Artists and College Students Nationwide to Spread Game and Help End Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

NEW YORK, April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, in partnership with the Reebok Human Rights Foundation and the International Crisis Group, today announced that the winning game in the mtvU Darfur Digital Activist competition -- "Darfur is Dying," conceived and developed by a group of digital activists from the University of Southern California -- will launch this Sunday at the "Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide" in Washington, D.C. The viral, online video game aims to spread awareness of the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan, serve as a call to action, and further empower college students to help stop the killing.

"Darfur is Dying" will be available for play at http://www.darfurisdying.com/ beginning April 30th at 1:30 pm ET. At that time, gold medalist Joey Cheek, who in February donated his $40,000 Olympic prize purse to relief efforts in Sudan and helped spark additional donations approaching $1 million, and Nate Wright, a senior at Georgetown University and co-founder of STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur), will officially launch the game near the steps of the US Capitol. They will then send "Darfur is Dying" to everybody in their e-mail address books in an effort to start the game's viral spread.

Several artists and student groups from across the country are also participating in the online launch of the game, including Kanye West, Matisyahu, Serj Tankian from System of a Down, Paul Wall, Against Me!, Chamillionaire, Lupe Fiasco, Atmosphere, Thrice, Aesop Rock, Thursday, Gym Class Heroes and Hillel.

"College students were among the first to cry out for an end to the atrocities in Darfur and this game is another way mtvU is serving as their megaphone," said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. "'Darfur is Dying' is a powerful tool college students can use to help stop the genocide in Sudan and we applaud the USC team for their important contribution to this critical cause."

The winning game in the mtvU Darfur Digital Activist competition was developed by Susana Ruiz, Ashley York, Mike Stein, Noah Keating and Kellee Santiago of the University of Southern California. "Darfur is Dying" is a narrative-based simulation where the user, from the perspective of a displaced Darfurian, negotiates forces that threaten the survival of his or her refugee camp. Humanitarian aid workers with extensive on the ground experience in Darfur advised the students throughout the development process, helping to ensure the game accurately captured and was sensitive to the refugees' plight.

"Darfur is Dying" was carefully designed to engage users and provide a window into the refugee experience -- offering a faint glimpse of what it's like for the more than 2.5 million who have been internally displaced by the crisis in Sudan. Calls to action are a fundamental part of the game and the user is presented with several opportunities during game play to become involved: write or e-mail the President, petition Representatives to support the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, start a divestment movement on campus, and most importantly, spread word of the genocide in Darfur to others.

mtvU will be onsite at the "Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide," with a presence on 4th street NW between Madison Drive NW and Jefferson Drive SW. Kiosks will be set up where people can play "Darfur is Dying", send it to others and take immediate action to help end the crisis. mtvU will also be exhibiting the student-filmed documentary, "Translating Genocide: Three Students Journey to Sudan." The film captures the devastation of the genocide in Darfur and was entirely filmed by college students from Swarthmore College, Georgetown University and Boston University.

"Darfur is Dying" will live on http://www.darfurisdying.com/, an extension of mtvU's comprehensive Sudan resource center on http://mtvu.com/. The site offers news updates, critical facts, background information, profiles of student activists, ways to take political and humanitarian action, divestment options and more. mtvU's Sudan campaign was recently recognized with four Beacon Awards, cable television's highest awards for public affairs excellence.

About mtvU

Broadcasting to over 730 colleges across the country, with a combined enrollment of over 6.8 million, mtvU is the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are, through a three pronged approach -- on-air, online and on campus. mtvU focuses on content including music videos from emerging artists which can't be seen anywhere else, news, student life features, events and pro-social initiatives. mtvU is always on campus, with more than 300 events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU shows and more. For more information about mtvU, and for a complete programming schedule, visit http://www.mtvu.com/.

mtvU Uber makes mtvU the first MTV Networks channel distributed in its entirety via broadband, streaming 24/7 and on demand, featuring all of mtvU plus exclusive new music, original shows and student-produced programming for college students and music fans everywhere.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 100 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 95 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

About The Reebok Human Rights Foundation

The Reebok Human Rights Foundation supports programs that seek to promote and protect human rights around the world, focusing on initiatives that generate awareness and motivate advocacy, particularly among young people. The Foundation funds the Reebok Human Rights Young Activist program to identify and cultivate high school and college students who demonstrate the potential to become effective social entrepreneurs and change agents

Source: MTV

CONTACT: Jason Rzepka for mtvU, +1-212-654-7198, +1-917-826-3420,
jason.rzepka@mtvstaff.com, or David French for MTV/MTV2/mtvU, 310-752-8110,
david.french@mtvstaff.com

Web site: http://www.darfurisdying.com/
http://mtvu.com/

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