Though some would have you believe that games are nothing but a breeding ground for murderers, one of the current console contenders is hoping that some of the industry's up-and-comers can convince us that games can change the world. In association with Games for Change - a movement that strives to use games as a means for social change - Microsoft is hosting a competition called the "Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge" that will seek out new talent for the purposes of creating a game based on the current socio-political climate of the world today.

The contest, which begins this coming August, charges college students interested in game design with the task of creating a game based on a specific world issue: in this case, global warming. The games must be made using the indie-friendly development platform XNA Game Studio Express.

Three cash prizes will be awarded to the best team or individual entries, with the first place team winning the opportunity to intern at Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. Moreover, the top three games may wind up on the Xbox Live Arcade.

The previous intern project-turned-XBLA-release came out pretty well, so I'm hopeful that some unknown talent will be able to pull off some good games. I'm really not all that creative, so I don't know how well the theme of global warming will work out for a game, but I'm sure there will be some interesting interpretations. A platformer starring a polar bear being chased by the melting ice caps, perhaps?