Survivor game pushes the bounds of taste
Is 9/11 already suitable game material?
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A new videogame from a small German developer was announced yesterday - not an entirely unusual event in an industry where new videogaming forays are announced daily. Replay Studios' opus is not one of the many that will receive little or no attention however, for the company's new game - Survivor - is based on a most controversial premise that has already got many rather irate. The game pits the player against some of the worst catastrophes in modern history, the aim being to 'survive' these historical events. Of course, the Titanic is in there, as is Hurricane Andrew, but more worryingly so is Hiroshima (can we really expect Replay to deal with this sensitively?) and almost inevitably - September 11th; the World Trade Centre attacks. A cynical ploy to generate media hype and related games sales? We suspect so.
Authentic recreations are promised in Survivor, and a free-roaming approach to gameplay similar to GTA is also touted. Whether leading retailers will want to sell, or indeed any major publisher distribute, is somewhat more ambiguous we feel. Regardless, I'm sure Replay and the mainstream media will be happy to indulge our interest in this title (part of a burgeoning sub-genre which could be dubbed 'train crash gaming') in the near future.
Comments
are they for real?
i think that putting sep. 11 in it is going way to far. i bet a lot of people will get mad.
do you think so?
Why is it Sept 11th's inclusion that seems to particually annoy people with this story?
Thinking about it - its probably because it happened relatively recently compared to the other examples mentioned.
yeah, it is too soon to turn sep. 11 into a game.
It's more the fact that most of the incidents are accidents/natural disasters etc, the portrayal of real events, of people dying - ie historically correct, not some 'nameless goon' from FPSs- IN A GAME is rather senseless. Compared to this 'insensitivity' however, depicting a recent, and hugely devestating terrorist attack in which multitudes of innocent bystanders were killed, as a level in a game goes over the boundary into the insultingly insensitive.
I'm not sure what the developers are thinking here, and while I'm one for putting the past behind and not going 'over the top' in response to these situations as America has, I do think this is pretty frickin slack.
the screen shots look cool, but loads of people will go ape, i think that it is stupid making games that make 9/11 seem fun
I honestly think if its done right this could be an amazing game to play. GTA style with sort of a Hitman type of freedom, dozens of different ways to survive and/or escape, lots of creativity and replayability... I doubt the company could follow through with the type of game fun enough for the sensitivity to be overlooked so probably better to avoid it all together.
9/11 is a bit too far. babies who survived the titanic are mostly gone now so that wouldn't really offend people. the game could be a real success if they cut the controversial levels. i personally think that the titanic level would be really...not fun but in that strange way that it could be "thrilling". touring the ship in freedom as it sinks around you. see if they included famous faces. help to launch boats...or lock gates.
i think it would give people a chance to learn how lucky they are that they dont go through these things. and you could learn skills that you could need, like what to do in a bad situation. i agree that the titanic level would be "fun", as there is only one real game out there about it. but it was made in 1996 and its pretty dated. your a secret agent and you have do a lot of mentally degrading chores for a bossy woman. you trudge through that stage of the game to reach the sinking, AND IT SUCKS. theres no water anywhere. the decks arent tilted. you can only go to half of the few locations on board. you have to collect paintings and antidotes and notebooks. ITS AWFUL. but its all the titanic society out there have got. the company who made it went bankrupt shortly afterwards, suprise suprise.
the ability to become properly involved with the sinking would make it a real journey through time. to interact the captain minutes before YOU know he's going to die. to help free the boats from the davits as the water pours across the deck and over your feet. to witness the dome implosion that ripped the beautiful staircase to pieces. to survive it all.
I actually want to know what it was like on 9/11
I know 9/11 is going o far for some of you, but I think it may be a turing poin for many, to really be there. I REALLY want to try the titanic part of the game though, like maybe going through each class, watching the water come to your feet. Maybe it will have special games to do, like wonder aroud the Titanic and explore without the worry of drowning or saving others, or walking the streets of Hiroshima, or exploring the World Trade Center without the planes crashing from so caled "hijacking" by terrorists. I belive the Goverment was behind these attacks, but that's me. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS TO COME OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!