The local technology and marketing guru behind Frisco-based Resolve Networks has launched a new prototype gaming platform built with two games available on iOS and Android. But, there’s more to a download than just fun: When playing Comeback League and 0Trace, players can do good deeds and raise money for charity. 

As part of its Operation Comeback campaign, which invites players, crowdfund investors, and developers to provide support for “gamifying good,” Resolve Networks recently released the platform for download. The hope is that players will put more time into improving their communities, money for shares will be invested, and more expertise will be contributed to the platform and its games.

Two charities are part of the initial proof of concept, one that combats veteran suicide and the other dedicated to improving the environment.

Resolve Networks Founder and CEO Mario Blandini started the operation to prove that a diverse group Americans can come together to create real-world social impact for “brothers in arms” or the communities they live in. The idea is that when united by purpose, affinity groups can drive significant progress in resolving challenges related to important causes. 

During Operation Comeback, every time a mission or activity reaches 50,000 coins, it converts to $5,000 in the name of a sponsor to charity.

“I believe that purpose can outrank profit as a motive in both business and our lives,” Blandini said in a statement. “Rather than following an orthodox path to using accredited investors and building full game titles to bring this idea to life, Resolve Networks believes that everyday people who value purpose represent the only fitting path to develop this beautiful idea.” 

Comeback League and 0Trace, the initial two games launched on the platform, are both currently proof-of-concept. Both focus on a single mission: community cleanup.

When Blandini was paper prototyping, the volunteer force was in the hundreds. That sparked the creator to launch his app to the entire Dallas-Fort Worth audience, with the goal to engage 10,000 users by the end of this year, 50,000 by the end of Q1 2021, and 1 million by 2022.

Comeback League is initially benefiting 22Kill, a nonprofit that works to raise awareness and combat suicide among veterans, first responders, and their families through traditional and non-traditional therapies. Coins earned by players in Comeback League will be converted to currency for 22Kill.

The game is essentially a challenge to do good for the environment: Players can choose to collect trash in specific areas of their community, and the Resolve Network platform will track progress and award game coins for the work. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps himself, Blandini holds firm to the idea that people, intrinsically, desire to do good and make a difference in the world. 

“With their first game titles, Resolve Networks is proving that it is possible (and profitable) to create real-world benefits for gamers, their communities and the non-profits they support,” Alex Chompff, a Marine Corps veteran and the executive director of the Evolution Accelerator, said in a statement. “Best of all, the virtuous circle is funded by impact-conscious companies who choose to redirect current marketing dollars to enjoy even more brand awareness and social impact than was possible before.”

0Trace works in a similar fashion, but it benefits the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, a nonprofit that teaches and inspires people to responsibly enjoy the environment.

Future games are expected to be inspired by a brand or nonprofit that licenses the technology, according to Resolve Networks. Blandini told Dallas Innovates that activities could support well-being and opportunity—any business can sponsor a game, develop their own mission, and choose their own beneficiary.

Currently, the founder is in talks with a handful of big brands across the North Texas region, and is gathering data to advance more conversations. He and Ted Darr, Resolve Network’s head of data, make up a two-person team that has vast experience in the tech industry and serving the U.S.

They told us the platform is expected to begin generating revenue by spring, if not sooner.

“Every person who ventures outside can protect and enjoy our world responsibly and contribute to restoring natural areas,” said Dana Watts, the executive director of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, said in a statement. “By encouraging people to get outside and do their part by picking up trash, the 0Trace game by Resolve Networks amplifies the Leave No Trace mission to empower people to take care of our beloved outdoor spaces.”

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