Play For Japan Launches Relief Efforts

    - Online Charity Auction Starts Today

    LOS ANGELES, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Play For Japan (PFJ), a global campaign designed to raise funds for the victims of the recent tragedies in Japan, announced today the launch of its online charity auction.

    Play For Japan's committee states:

    "Japan's impact and contributions to videogames have been undeniable. Now it's time for us to give back to the country that has given the world so much."

    In the wake of recent disasters that have struck the island nation, a collective of gaming industry professionals and members of the gaming media have combined their resources to create Play For Japan. The global campaign will raise funds for donation to various organizations devoted to relief efforts, including American Red Cross, Global Giving, International Medical Corps, Save the Children, UNICEF.

    The goal of Play For Japan is to aggregate and promote online auctions of items culled from the resources of its members -videogame rarities, art, signed games, etc.- in order to generate donations for disaster relief. Today, PFJ committee member Meagan Marie's auction for a Nintendo DS signed by several Nintendo luminaries closed at $4,050 with 78 bids and all proceeds going to the American Red Cross.

    PFJ is not an auction house. Rather, it is a movement designed to endorse and promote the gaming industry's efforts to help. Members of the gaming community can brand their individual auction as part of the PFJ campaign as they initiate them. 100% of all proceeds will go toward charitable organizations to benefit earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. Here are a few examples of PFJ's numerous active auctions:

• A Brutal Legend Eddie Riggs statue signed by Tim Schafer
• A Super Mario Kart SNES cartridge signed and illustrated by Shigeru Miyamoto
• A copy of Killer7 signed by Suda 51
• A life-sized Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Ghost statue signed by Infinity Ward
• A copy of Final Fantasy Tactics signed by Akihiko Yoshida & Hideo Minaba
• A copy of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic signed by Bioware
• A copy of Katamari Damacy signed by Keita Takahashi

    If you are a member of the gaming industry or the gaming media and are interested in affiliating your gaming-related auction with Play For Japan, please contact auctions@playforjapan.org. For general inquiries, please contact contact@playforjapan.org. If you are looking for more information on upcoming auctions, please visit PlayForJapan.org, follow @PlayForJPN on Twitter, visit playforjapan.tumblr.com, or visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/playforjapan.