Breakthrough Launches ICED Video Game to Create Awareness of Unfair Policies

NEW YORK, NY, Feb 18 (MARKET WIRE) --
Breakthrough (www.breakthrough.tv), an international human rights
organization, today launched its compelling video game, ICED -- I Can End
Deportation, to help reframe the immigration debate in the United States and
ensure
due process and fairness for all those who live in the country. The game is
available for free download at www.icedgame.com.

Designed to spark dialogue and create awareness of unfair U.S. immigration
policies,
ICED -- I Can End Deportation (a play on the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Department), is a free, 3D downloadable game that teaches players
about current immigration laws on detention and deportation that affect legal
permanent residents, asylum seekers, students and undocumented people by
violating human rights and denying due process.

Game players can choose one of five characters to inhabit and live out the
day-to-day life of an immigrant youth. The youth are being chased by
immigration officers, while making moral decisions and answering myth and
fact questions about current immigration policies. If the player chooses or
answers incorrectly, he/she increases his/her chances of being thrown into
detention. Once in detention, the player endures both physical separation from
his/her family and unjust conditions while awaiting -- often for unknown
amounts of time -- the random outcome of his/her case.

"Breakthrough believes it's important to engage young people in social
issues
and encourage civic engagement. Games for change help people to better
relate to an issue because they can put themselves into the shoes of a
character experiencing injustice," said Breakthrough Executive Director Mallika
Dutt. "Close to two million people have been deported and thousands more
affected -- many without just cause -- due to unfair immigration policies. When
we let the government deny due process and human rights for some people,
we're putting all of our freedoms at risk."

ICED was created as a collaborative initiative coordinated by
Breakthrough,in partnership with various community-based organizations, high
school teachers
and more than a hundred students from across high schools and after-school
programs in New York City.

ICED will also be featured on Global Kids Island in Teen Second Life, a 3D
virtual world, shaped by urban teens, which brings the youth development model
to
global issues. On February 18 at 8:30PM EST/5:30PM PST, teens can log on to
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Global%20Kids/168/199/22 to take part in a
"fireside" workshop on immigration issues in the world, which draws from
Breakthrough-generated curriculum. Visitors to the island will also be able
to meet and greet the five ICED characters, view a demo of the game, engage
in an online dialogue session and learn about take-action components where they
can
effect change.

Built on the Torque Game Builder Engine and 3rd party software with Maya
animation software, ICED requires a 74MB(PC)/85MB(MAC) download, and was
created and designed for Breakthrough by Heidi Boisvert (now a multimedia
manager at
Breakthrough) and Natalia Rodriguez, two MFA students at Hunter College in the
Integrated Media Arts program and the Performance and Interactive Media Arts
Program at Brooklyn College, respectively, in partnership with Breakthrough
staff. Many others have been involved with modeling, sound design and website
design.

Each character in ICED is based on true case studies. All five characters
represent
different regions of the world and different immigration status situations.
Gameplay takes part in two sections: Level 1 -- The City -- where they must
navigate the city, answer myth/fact questions, face moral decisions, earn civic
points and try to avoid immigration officers. If they are caught, they are
sent to Level 2 -- Detention Center -- where they continue to face moral
dilemmas, try to avoid being sent to solitary confinement and await any formal
proceedings of their outcome... if they are heard at all. There are four
ending scenarios to the game (deportation, indefinite detention, voluntary
deportation or citizenship), allowing players to take on each character and play
through the game multiple times.

Nearly two million people -- both legal and undocumented immigrants --
havebeen deported without due process since new immigration laws have been in
effect. Laws for detention and deportation are mandatory, judges have no
discretionary power and immigrants are not always given court hearings.

"ICED was designed to show people in an interactive, first-hand experience
what is
happening today to thousands of people on a daily basis," said game designer
Heidi Boisvert. "We hope through awareness of these human rights violations,
the public will take action and work toward righting this wrong."

The game, targeted toward high school and college students, will be
accompanied by curriculum for high schools and community groups to utilize in
social studies and civics discussions, and align with New York State and New
York City Social Studies and English Language Arts Standards.

About Breakthrough

Breakthrough is an international human rights organization using innovative,
high-impact education, media and popular culture projects and campaigns to
transform communities and bring about social change. Using the core values of
dignity, equality and justice, its media products and education programs have
reached millions around the world. Breakthrough's mission centers on several
key
issues, including: women's rights, sexuality and HIV/AIDS and racial justice and
immigrant rights. Breakthrough works through offices in India and the United
States -- the world's two largest democracies. For more information, visit
www.breakthrough.tv.

Media Contacts
Paula Gottlob
PGPR
Email Contact
+1.206.281.5389

Crissy Spivey
Breakthrough
Email Contact
+1.212.868.6500

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