Originally Published: January 19, 2010, on Examiner.com

Video games for many of us are an escape, a means to pass the time, or for a lucky few, a profession. Bungie though is allowing those of us who may not be of the more fortunate variety to also give back to those in need and could probably use an escape right now instead of facing their harsh reality.

I’m more than sure many of you are aware of the earthquake that rocked Haiti and has killed thousands and left thousands more in desperate need of assistance. People all over the world are donating whatever they can, but unfortunately, not all of us can give as much as we would like.

In order to help out gamers who might not have the disposable income to donate, Bungie announced over the weekend that from 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM EST) this coming Wednesday, January 20th, 2010, to 11:59 PM PT (2:59 AM EST Friday) on Thursday, January 21st, 2010, they are going to make a monetary donation in relation to the amount of people who they can get to play Halo 3’s multiplayer and Halo 3: ODST’s firefight mode. For every thousand gamers who play during the eligible time, Bungie will donate $100 with a maximum donation of $77,000 planned. With over 22 million people having Xbox Live accounts, Bungie hopes to easily reach their expected mark.

In order to be eligible to be counted as a gamer trying to get Bungie to shell out a few bucks, you have to make sure your character is wearing the “Red Heart” emblem while you play during the designated time. If you are unsure how to do this, here is a quick breakdown taken straight from Bungie’s site:

a. Press START
b. Select “SETTINGS” / “APPEARANCE”
c. Select “EMBLEM”
d. Select “Hearts” ICON, “Circle” BACKGROUND
e. Back out to the APPEARANCES menu and select “COLORS”
f. Set “EMBLEM PRIMARY” to RED (or MAROON / BRICK / ROSE depending on which game you’re playing!)
g. Set “EMBLEM SECONDARY” to WHITE

Along with this, from now until March 1, 2010, Bungie will donate all profits from the sale of their accessories, apparel, and merchandise at http://www.bungiestore.com/ straight to Haiti relief. Let’s show the world how much the gaming community can care!