Over the past year in the United States, an increase in the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) has given rise to a social movement that is sweeping the nation. Companies large and small, including Humble Bundle, Twitch, and Bandai Namco, have spoken out in support of these ethnic groups and called for action against this behavior. Earlier in March, even PlayStation made a donation to the nonprofit organization Stop AAPI Hate.
The current offering from Humble Bundle, called the Humble Burn Rubber Bundle, features up to 15 racing games worth an estimated $254. The offered games include Codemasters’ DiRt Rally 2.0, Monster Truck Championship, NASCAR Heat 5, and many more, all with a “Mostly Positive” or “Very Positive” rating on Steam. The perk is that all purchases will also support the Stop AAPI Hate organization through the PayPal Giving Fund.
Stop AAPI Hate is a national coalition that works to address anti-Asian racism and hate crimes across the United States. In the past year, from March 2020 to February 2021, the organization has received 3,795 firsthand reports of racism or discrimination targeting Asian Americans. These attacks run the gamut from being cursed out on the street, spat on, physically assaulted, and even murdered.
Humble Bundle is a unique way to not only contribute to a variety of charities throughout the year, but to acquire a large number of video games at greatly reduced prices. Players are able to choose the amount they want to pay for some games. For example, Absolute Drift, the first game in the Humble Burn Rubber Bundle, has a minimum price tag of $1, but gamers can pay however much they want. If they surpass the current average paid by other members, they will gain access to three additional games, and offering more than $12 will unlock the entire bundle of 15 titles.
Because many of the proceeds from purchasing a Humble Bundle go to charity, a lot of people choose to pay much more than the minimum asking price. As of this writing, nearly 9000 gamers have contributed close to $95,000 for the Humble Burn Rubber Bundle. Since 2010, the Humble community has contributed over $194 million to charities and causes around the world.
However, buyers are not obligated to donate to the selected charity, in this case Stop AAPI Hate. When purchasing a Humble Bundle, gamers can select how much of their donation to allocate to the game’s publisher, to the chosen charity, or as a tip to Humble the company.
Source: Humble Bundle, Stop AAPI Hate