Masaya Matsuura’s iPhone Game Provides Support for Save the Children Activities in Japan for the Coming Month


San Francisco / Tokyo – Mar 17, 2011 - Japanese game design legend Masaya Matsuura and OneBigGame (http://onebiggame.com), the non-profit publisher of videogames, today announce that for the following four weeks beginning March 17th, net earnings from their latest iPhone and iPad music game WINtA will directly benefit the Save the Children charity teams active in Japan, helping children affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in the country.

Matsuura-san calls for iPhone and iPad game consumers around the world to help his country and download the free WINtA game (http://itunes.com/app/winta) and start purchasing songs.  The net amount received from each track by NanaOn-Sha will be distributed via OneBigGame to directly support Save the Children in setting up a network of child friendly spaces for children in the worst affected areas of Japan. Staffed by trained volunteers and furnished with toys and games, these spaces are safe havens for children to play and socialise with peers their own age, helping them recover from the trauma of the disaster they have just experienced.

Save the Children is a leading expert in this field, operating child friendly spaces in major disaster zones around the world, including the 2010 earthquakes in Haiti, Italy and the floods in Pakistan.

OneBigGame already has a long term partnership with Save the Children and normally redirects 80 per cent of all its net earnings towards Starlight Children’s Foundation and Save the Children to support their global on-going campaigns.  However in light of the recent events in Japan, OneBigGame are proud to make a special case by re-routing donated funds generated by WINtA to support Save the Children’s relief efforts in the affected regions, with immediate effect.

Tomonori Watanabe, Director of Communications at Save the Children Japan: “I profoundly appreciate this new effort through the game WINtA by which people all over the world are able to join in the charity. We are determined to send your heartfelt messages to children affected in the disaster. Thank you so much!”

Douglas Rouse, Save the Children, said: “We are extremely thankful for One Big Game and Masaya Matsuura’s inventive offer to help us in our appeal to raise £1 million for children in Japan. We hope that this game may offer a new digital way for people to donate to help our aid relief and bring back a bit of normality for families suffering from the disaster.”