The Pacific Islands are defined by the deep connection between the land, sea, and the people who call it home. The ocean isn’t just a backdrop; it’s central to the identity, culture, and spiritual life of Pacific Islander communities. However, with rising sea levels threatening these islands, this vital connection is at risk. Coastal erosion, infrastructure damage, and the loss of cultural heritage sites are just a few of the challenges these communities face. 

Through gaming, we have a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in these cultures, raise awareness, and foster a collective commitment to preserving them. 

Games like Ecco the Dolphin provide a way to engage players with environmental themes, teaching the importance of ocean conservation. Released in 1992, Ecco allowed players to experience the wonders of the ocean, while also highlighting the need to protect marine ecosystems. This month, we’re thrilled to share an exclusive interview with Ed Annunziata, where he announces a brand new Ecco the Dolphin game in development and reflects on the inspiration behind Ecco and the game’s lasting impact on environmental storytelling in gaming.

For creator Ed Annunziata, the goal was simple: “I wanted to create a game that sparked curiosity and respect for the ocean.” 

Today, games like Tchia, inspired by the creators’ childhood in New Caledonia, carry on that message. The game lets players explore a beautiful island world filled with vibrant landscapes and cultural heritage, offering a unique window into the richness of Pacific Islander life hoping to inspire a deeper understanding of Pacific Islander culture and the need to protect these environments. 

Xbox is proud to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by highlighting games that we hope inspire the next generation to take global action. Together, we can raise awareness and work to preserve these vital cultures and communities for future generations. Join us in creating A Wave of Change. 

Play  

Discover Games Shaped by the Asian and Pacific Islander Community 

This May, immerse yourself in a curated collection of games that highlight the incredible creativity and storytelling from API developers and creators. These games offer a window into the vibrant cultures of the Pacific Islands and Asian communities, showcasing how their unique perspectives have enriched the gaming world. 

Check out a few highlights from our full Xbox Game Collections celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: 

Tchia  – Join Tchia on her tropical open-world adventure as she sets off to rescue her father from the cruel tyrant, Meavora, ruler of the archipelago. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around beautiful islands as you explore a physics-driven sandbox. Face the fabric soldiers created by Meavora in open encounters where your creativity gives you the edge. Take control of any animal or object you can find, make new friends and jam on your fully playable Ukulele. A poetic coming-of-age story inspired by New Caledonia.
 
Play Tchia Today

Windbound – Shipwrecked on an uncharted island, explore, adapt and navigate the land and seas to stay alive. You are a warrior, caught at sea and tossed on to the shores of a mysterious paradise. With no boat, food or tools, just the will to survive, craft tools and weapons to hunt and defend yourself against nature itself. Explore and secrets of the past are revealed.

Play Windbound Today

Coral Island – Coral Island is a vibrant, laid-back reimagining of farm sims. Be who you want and experience enchanting island living at your own pace. Live off the land, tend animals, build relationships with a diverse cast of townsfolk, and make the world a more harmonious place.

Play Coral Island Today

Summer in Mara – Take care of your own island and explore the ocean in this farming adventure. Summer in Mara mixes farming, crafting and exploring mechanics in a tropical archipelago with a colorful style and strong narrative. Unravel the mystery and find your way home.

Play Summer in Mara Today

Discover Movies highlighting Asian and Pacific Islander Cultures on Xbox:

Moana 2 – Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated musical reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After hearing from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey into long-lost waters for an adventure. Warning: Some flashing-lights scenes in this film may affect photosensitive viewers. 

Watch Moana 2 Today

Raya and the Last Dragon – Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Raya and the Last Dragon” travels to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together in harmony long ago. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. 

Watch Raya and the Last Dragon Today

Lilo & Stitch – On the lush and tropical Hawaiian Islands, an independent little girl named Lilo adopts what she thinks is an innocent puppy, completely unaware that he is a mischievous creature who has escaped from a faraway planet. 

Watch Lilo & Stitch Today

Big Hero 6 – From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes an action-packed comedy adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada and his personal companion robot Baymax, who team up with a band of unlikely heroes to save the city of San Fransokyo from a criminal plot. 

Watch Big Hero 6 Today

Discover

Spotlighting Ecco the Dolphin Creator Ed Annunziata

Q: Ecco the Dolphin has been praised for raising awareness about ocean conservation. What inspired you to use a video game to communicate such an important environmental message, and what do you hope players take away from their experience in the ocean world you created? 
 
A: Long ago, back in the 8-bit days, I used to make educational games for the Apple II. I knew even then the potential of games to enlighten. I made a bunch of games in 6502 Assembler, or my favorite, Machine Language.

Eventually, I got to work on ‘Voyage of the Mimi’, a TV show about a young boy (Ben Affleck at 12) and his grandfather, who studied whale migration on his boat, Mimi. It was a great show, and I got to work on the Apple II science games that went along with it.

Once I started learning about whales (and making games about them), I became obsessed with the subject matter.

I read everything I could get my hands on. No internet, only libraries and books that I purchased from bookstores. Like the novel, ‘The Sounding’, by Hank Searls. This story was from the point of view of a sperm whale. I was enthralled by the notion that not only were these creatures sentient but probably as smart as we are! 

My heart was always in video games, even though I made learning games for a living at the time. I started to dream about a game where you experience life as a dolphin. I chose a dolphin because I figured it’s as close to a person as all the whales. But when I considered the actual play mechanics, I had to prototype it. 

Q: The Pacific Islander community holds a deep spiritual and practical connection to the ocean, which is central to their culture. How do you think games like Ecco the Dolphin can help players understand the significance of ocean preservation and the cultures that rely on it?

A: Imagine a culture connected directly to the ocean’s ecosystems over generations. Growing and evolving together, humans contribute to the ecosystem rather than taxing it. Over time, they would learn about all the ocean cycles and how to get into sync with them. Anything that fosters a connection between humans and the ocean should be enthusiastically embraced. 

Q: As a pioneer in the gaming industry, what role do you think the gaming community plays in raising awareness about global issues like environmental sustainability, particularly when it comes to protecting ocean ecosystems? 

A: If I may be forthright with my bias about gamers. I feel gamers possess a higher than average IQ than the average human. Not only because they are frequently fully engaged and challenged mentally with real-time systems and information technology, but they are highly socially connected as well. Like the ocean, a gaming community is an ecosystem – games like Ecco can and should be a conduit to join these realms.

A big part of the game is understanding the ocean as a singular biological system that is made up of systems that interact with each other. This is a complex biological dance that humans can be a part of.  

I have high expectations of gamers for all the above-stated reasons. But there is something else gamers possess that can make the difference, and that is love. A universal love of games and gaming gives us all something we all share, when games like Ecco reach the hearts of gaming communities, that love can really make things happen in the real world.  

Q: What does the future hold for gaming’s favorite Dolphin?  

A: Me and the entire original team are going to Remaster the original Ecco the Dolphin and Tides of Time games. Then we will make a new, third game with contemporary play and GPU sensibilities. Stay tuned to eccothedolphin.com

Give 

Gaming with Impact  

Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to organizations supporting Asian and Pacific Islander communities with Xbox. The organizations below will be available on the Rewards hub: 

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC – AAJC works through strategic policy advocacy, active community education, and impactful litigation to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. 

• AAPI Equity Alliance – AAPI Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity) is dedicated to improving the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through civic engagement, capacity building, and policy advocacy. 

• Stop AAPI Hate – Stop AAPI Hate advances equity & justice by dismantling systemic racism & building a multiracial movement to end anti-Asian American & Pacific Islander hate through community empowerment, solidarity & advocacy for comprehensive solutions. 

Xbox players 18 and older can earn Rewards points in various ways, such as playing games, completing Game Pass Quests (terms apply), and purchasing games and other eligible items at the Microsoft Store (exclusions apply). Start earning for impact today and redeem your points for great rewards. Donate your points on the Rewards hub or on the Rewards redeem page. 

Wallpapers and Dynamic Backgrounds 

The Xbox Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month design is available today as an Xbox wallpaper and dynamic background on console – follow these steps to apply the dynamic background:  

• Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.  

• Select Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalization > My background > Dynamic backgrounds.  

You can choose between Games, Xbox, or Abstract dynamic backgrounds. Choose the background art that you want with the A button.