When most people think about video games, they usually think of sitting back, relaxing, and just having fun. They think of "gamers" as laid back without a care in the world, and that the industry is one that never takes anything seriously. That couldn't be any further from the truth. Gamers, both fans and professionals, are just like anyone else. A lot of them want to do whatever they can to help make the world a better place, and a lot of them are working hard to do just that.

One of the biggest natural disasters in recent history has been the earthquakes that have ravaged Haiti in recent weeks. The small country has been hit hard by the devastation, and lacks the proper resources to best aid in its time of need. A massive call has gone out for help with relief efforts. People are pulling together from all walks of life to help out however and wherever they can ... and those in the video game community is no exception.

PopCap Games, the folks behind such hits as Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies, raised more than $75,000 earlier this month when it donated a full day's online game sales to Haiti relief efforts. Sony Online Entertainment offered players of its EverQuest, EverQuest II, and Free Realms MMO games a chance to help out by purchasing a special in-game item. For every $5 item purchased, SOE donated $10 to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development fund, raising $25,000 in just three days. Bungie, the developer behind Microsoft's immensely popular Halo franchise is selling a t-shirt to raise money for Haiti relief, and committed to donate $100 per participating online player (up to $77,000) on special game nights. Even indie developers have gotten in on the action, with Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid HD dev The Behemoth, donating all the proceeds from the purchase of downloadable content to the Red Cross Haiti Relief fund.

It's not just the publishers and developers working to help out where needed either. Other members of the video game community have stepped up to the plate as well. Media outlet IGN Entertainment held a special charity auction on eBay to raise money for relief efforts, with all sorts of donated items including exclusive swag, signed games and books, and other rare memorabilia. The outlet all hosted an all-day "webathon" with special guests, editors, and other surprise goodies. The Geek Girls Network and Geeky Clean! have teamed up in a effort to raise $2500 for Mercy Corps relief efforts.

While the current focus of efforts are on Haiti, this isn't the only time the game community has come together for amazing causes. Just this week, OneBigGame is set to release its first game, Chime. Developed by Zoë Mode, Chime is the first project from OneBigGame, whose purpose is to publish games created through the donations of developers, raising money for a variety of different children's charities. Meanwhile, the guys over at Penny Arcade raise money every year for children's hospitals through their Child's Play charity. Child's Play is dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in over sixty hospitals worldwide. Last year alone, thanks to contributions from video game professionals, publishers, and fans, Child's Play was able to raise a grand total of $1,780,870.40.

Stories like these might slip under the radar a lot of times, but they help to show that gamers are more than willing to rally together behind a good cause. For gamers, it's not just a matter of shooting things, matching gems, or jumping around on a screen. We're capable of much more than saving some random princess held captive in a strange castle, or surviving the inevitable zombie apocalypse. The video game community can and does make a real difference in the real world. When called to action, we are more than willing to rise up and answer that call.