What is the "Good Samaritan Games" Initiative?
The "Good Samaritan Games" Initiative (GSG) is a unique effort using computer games to provide direct monetary support to charitable causes. GSG allows computer game players everywhere to purchase entertaining computer games with the satisfaction of giving back to society at the same time.
How does GSG work?
The concept behind GSG is simple. The GSG Initiative selects a respected charity or non-profit organization for sponsorship. During the Sponsorship Period, a percentage of the net profits from all games sold through Xenopi Studios' website (www.xenopi.com) will be earmarked for the selected charity. The percentage donated to this charity starts at a minimum of 10% increasing incrementally (up to a maximum of 50%) as sales milestones are reached. At the end of the Sponsorship Period, the total donation will be given to the charity and a new charity recipient will be selected, starting the process anew.
How do you choose the Charities that will be sponsored?
While there are innumerable noble causes to support, GSG is aimed at charities that directly help people in need. Since there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of charities out there that fit this description, we are extremely careful when we select a charity to sponsor. Charities selected for sponsorship must be rated highly by watchdog groups such as Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org - 3 stars or higher) or Charity Guide (www.charityguide.org - "B" or higher). Organizations that are rated poorly by watchdog groups will not be sponsored. Occasionally, we may select smaller charitable organizations or causes that are not listed by these watchdog groups, since omission from the watchdog lists does not imply a negative evaluation or rating.
Can I nominate a Charity/Non-Profit for sponsorship?
Yes, you can. Go to our website (www.xenopi.com) and click on "Nominate a Charity." Fill out the form given, and click "submit." Please note that GSG is a non-political initiative. Political causes are generally not selected. Religiously affiliated charities will be considered as long as the charity is doing actual significant and tangible work to help those in need.
Are the Charity/Non-Profit Organizations required to do anything?
No. Sponsorship Recipients are not required to do anything to benefit from the GSG Initiative. However, it is in their best interest to try to get people to purchase games during the Sponsorship Period since more games sold equals more money for them. We give preference to organizations that are efficient with their use of money and are willing to work with us to make their Sponsorship Period as successful as possible. With that in mind, we do ask that Charities notify their members and donors about the GSG Sponsorship - but we don't require it.
How long does the Sponsorship Period last?
The Sponsorship Period varies from a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 4 months. On average, most charities will receive 3 months of sponsorship. Since the GSG Initiative is a new idea, this time period may be adjusted to be more effective as the program evolves. Any and all changes will, of course, be publicly announced on our website.
Why such a short Sponsorship Period? And why not sponsor more than one Charity/Non-Profit simultaneously?
Our goal is to help as many people as possible. We believe that we can best achieve this goal by sponsoring as many different organizations as possible. However, we also acknowledge that sponsorship should be significant and not just a proverbial drop in the bucket. That is why we sponsor one charity at a time, for a few months. Sponsoring a single charity allows those who are interested in supporting that charity to rest assured that their sponsorship donation is going to that charity alone.
How much money does the charity receive when I buy a game from you?
The short answer: it depends on which game you purchase and how many total games are sold during the Sponsorship Period.
The long answer: The sponsored charity receives a percentage of the net profit from each game sold. The net profit depends on the game. For Xenopi-created games such as "Spellunker," the net profit is approximately $17-$18 per copy sold. For games published via Xenopi Arcade, the net profit is considerably lower (approximately $7 per copy) since Reflexive Entertainment supplies the games and Xenopi pays a substantial royalty for the right to publish those games. Furthermore, the percentage of net profit donated to the charity increases until it reaches a maximum of 50%.
So, the amount of money donated to charity from each game sold can be anywhere between a minimum of 70 cents (10% of $7) to a maximum of $9 (50% of $18).
Why only 10-50%? Why not 75% or even 100%?
Xenopi Studios is a business, and we exist solely on the proceeds from selling our games. Being a small company, we have low overhead, but we still have considerable expenses and families to feed. We make games, and we want to help those in need. We figure it works best for us to sponsor other organizations that are dedicated to helping those in need rather than trying to do it ourselves directly. We don't think giving a copy of "Space Mutants from Planet X" to a starving child in Sudan is going to help very much, but a portion of the sale proceeds will.
So what are the sales milestones for each percentage increase?
The current net profit percentage structure is listed below. Please note that this structure may be adjusted from time to time to account for changing conditions and effectiveness.
Milestones (Games Sold*) | Percentage of Net Profit |
<100 | 10% |
100 to 199 | 11% |
200 to 299 | 12% |
300 to 399 | 13% |
400 to 499 | 14% |
500 to 599 | 15% |
... | ... |
3900 to 3999 | 49% |
4000 and up | 50% |
*Note: Games must be purchased directly from Xenopi.com to qualify.
Why is Xenopi doing this?
There are many reasons behind the creation of the GSG Initiative. The founder of Xenopi Studios - Eric Cha - has long felt that the video game industry has a responsibility to do more than merely entertain the public. Video gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry, which reaches almost every corner of the earth. Unfortunately, there are no companies (that we are aware of) that specifically use that money to improve the life for our fellow humans. We believe that there is more to life than merely lining our own pockets - and we believe it strongly enough to do something about it.
What does Xenopi get out of it?
To be honest, Xenopi benefits from the GSG Initiative in several ways. First, we receive positive PR and expanded visibility to the public. Second, we also hope that people will realize we are doing something worthwhile - and we're not like other faceless, nameless mega corporations who only care about increasing their stock value. Third, we hope that more customers will buy our games, if only to know that the games they buy from Xenopi are helping other people in need in a very direct and tangible way.
Visitors should note that the games on our site do not have jacked-up prices. You can find these games on other sites and they will be exactly the same price. The only difference is we direct a portion of the proceeds from every sale to charity - and the other guys keep it all for themeselves. In other words, we put our money where our mouth is.
If I purchase a game from Xenopi, is it tax deductible?
No, Xenopi is not a non-profit organization. We are a company interested in using some of our profits for a good cause. If you would like your donation to be tax deductible, we encourage you to contact the sponsored charity directly (a link to the current sponsored charity is located on the Xenopi.com home page).
Sounds wonderful! Is there any way I can help besides buying games?
Yes, spread the word. Tell your friends about Xenopi and the Good Samaritan Games Initiative. Direct them to our website. If you have a website of your own, add a link to our website. Sign up for our newsletter. Talk to your local/national charities to see if they would like to be sponsored (if they do, have them fill out the nomination form on our website!) We welcome all news media (big and small) inquiries as well.
I have more questions! How can I contact you?
Please go to our website and click on "Contact Xenopi." There you will find additional information.
