Students take on videogame marathon to raise money for charity

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Students from Bournemouth University aim to raise £2,000 for charity by playing video games continuously for a week.

The group of around 20 students will take it in turns to play the Zelda computer games in The Atrium, on BU’s Talbot Campus.

They started at 1pm on Monday and will finish on Sunday April 14, with the games being played 24 hours a day.

They are holding the event to raise money for GamesAid, which supports various children’s charities, including improving access to gaming and technology.

“They help disabled people who can’t use controls to play games by adapting them especially for them,” said Mike Warner, a second year BSc (Hons) Software Engineering student, who has organised the fundraiser.

“It’s about making them accessible for everyone.”

The group are playing the games on a number of large screens on The Atrium, and people can also watch a live stream of the players on a website created by Mike.

They aim to complete all 12 Zelda titles in the 212 hours they will be playing.

“Lots of people have come around to see what is going on,” said Mike, 26, of Wimborne.

“I was up late before we started because I was finishing off the website, so I’m already behind on my sleep, but I’m not worried about getting bored of it as each game is really different.”

He added: “We probably won’t have time to finish them all, but it is worth a go.”

Mike attempted the challenge with friends in 2011, and raised £1,312 for GamesAid.

He said: “When I raised money for them last time, I met the people behind GamesAid and it was really impressive seeing first-hand what they have done.

“This year, we want to raise £2,000.”

To watch the live stream of the Zelda marathon and donate visit: www.zeldagamesaid.co.uk.