Ark Survival Ascended Madagascar Mods Benefit Ankizy Fund
Video games and dinosaurs go together like, well pick your favorite combo! Peanut butter and chocolate, peanut butter and jelly, iced tea and lemonade, the list is nigh endless!
Skymap Studios, Overwolf, and Studio Wildcard teamed up with the Madagascar Ankizy Fund (MAF) and Drs. David Krause and Brian Curtice to create an industry first: downloadable content that is true to the science, fun to play, and saves lives!
Madagascar is the third poorest country in the world, where people earn less than $300 a year. It is also home to some of the most important fossil localities ever discovered, producing such amazing creatures as the cannibalistic, spike-headed apex predator Majungasaurus, who's arms make a T. rex seem buff.
Masiakasaurus, the first dinosaur discovered with teeth that jut forward out of its mouth, looking more like a fish-eating pterosaur than a small, nimble, bipedal predator. Beelzebufo, the "devil frog," the heaviest frog ever discovered at 7+ lbs, with a 6" wide mouth with over 100 teeth and a bite force over 2,200 Newtons, exceeding that of a tiger, lion, snapping turtle, and 60 lb crocodile! We have to mention Adalatherium, the "crazy beast," so named because this nearly-complete mammal skeleton asked as many questions as it answered. Incredibly cool crocodiles, turtles, and long-necked dinosaurs (sauropods) of which the bizarrely-necked Rapetosaurus stands out.
These localities were discovered by Dr. Krause and his team in 1993. Two years later, upon their return, the team discovered a number of children that hung out with them all day (there was no school in their village), had passed away from easily treatable illnesses. Dr. Krause knew he had to do something to help.
A meeting with the village elders revealed that in addition to healthcare, their number one wish was for their children to have education. The team collectively gave the villagers $500 in cash on the spot to hire a teacher for a full year. The first school was held under a mangrove tree that figures prominently in the game. As does the first schoolhouse that Dr. Krause, via Ankizy.org, built a couple of years later. Over the years, Ankizy.org built four schools and today provides education for over 1,000 students! Plus, they provide life-saving clean water via a sodis system, medical, and dental care.
Running a school and providing basic healthcare is not inexpensive. Even in a poor country, where literally every dollar makes an impact, the operating budget often exceeds donations. Enter Doug Kennedy, co-Founder of Studio Wildcard, the company responsible for the wildly successful Ark: Survival Evolved. After hearing the need for MAF to have a source of revenue, Doug and Dr. Curtice hatched an idea. What if the new mod tool that was launching could be used to create a non-violent, scientifically accurate, culturally aware, fun gaming experience?
Doug looped in Overwolf, who loved the idea of saving lives and sharing knowledge via Ark, who generously provided the funding to the incredible Neal Laurenza of Skymap Studios, a AAA software development company who embraced the idea. Neal and his team, working closely with Dr. Krause, faithfully recreated a Malagasy village, including a schoolhouse, water purification center, and peanut plantation. All along the way gamers will see (and hear!) signs that delve into great detail about the Malagasy culture and paleontological work (even citing academic papers!).
Learning has its privileges, and once the water is pure, the peanuts are secured, and dinosaur knowledge is gained the park's dinosaur quarry unlocks. Players crack open rocks to find dinosaur bones. Gather enough of a dinosaur and the Rejuvenation machine springs into action, producing three wonderful, new-to-science dinosaurs, Majungasaurus, Masiakasaurus, and Rapetosaurus, that can be fed, cleaned, and ridden in the main Ark game!
The collaboration of a video game maker and paleontologists for the benefit of a life-saving charity has never been done before.
Be part of this life saving mission! Premium Mods will cost $10 USD for the Ankizy Pal Park, and $5 USD for the Ankizy: Dino Pack available starting today, October 10th, 2024. For more info on ARK: Survival Ascended and the new mods, please visit https://playark.com/