Infocult: Uncanny Informatics

One evil computer game

"Lie to the Devil" pushes the boundaries of fearsome computer gaming.  In it "a sinister MacBook... tries to con them into putting a bullet in their head."

First, the computer asks you: “Does the pain of others make you feel good or bad?”

Next, you create an avatar, and a cute little pet. Then, the computer tries to talk you into putting a revolver to your head, in effect holding your virtual creations ransom. The object is to win by deceiving the computer.

 

KillScreen's reviewer offers this splendid analogy: 

I’d describe it as Videodrome meets the Milgram obedience experiment meets a chatterbox

This might cross the border between game and performance art, or just be viewed as an interactive installation.

(thanks to Todd Bryant)

New Sims patch shuts down some Gothic activities

The Sims has an update which wards off some creepy/hilarious behavior.

For instance, 

Sims can no longer “Try for Baby” with the Grim Reaper.

Children and Teens can no longer die from motive failure while on a Time Out.

Sims will no longer receive a wish to “Skinny Dip” with Mummies.

The Grim Reaper will no longer be prevented from reaping souls due to band affiliation.

Fixed a tuning issue so that Sims now vomit at acceptable levels.

We could interpret this as a sad day for Sims players.  Or see it as a spur to new ways of misusing the game, darkly.

(thanks to Todd Bryant; image by Eurritimia)

Anti-gaming snarl of the year

It's early to announce Infocult's award for Best Fearsome Media Comment of 2013, but this is pretty awesome.  Ralph Nader snarls that video games are "electronic child molesters."

Here's the context:

"Video game violence? Unprecedented,” Nader said.

He added: “I’m not saying he [Obama] wants to censor this, I think he should sensitize people that they should protect their children family by family from these kinds of electronic child molesters.”

(thanks to Todd Bryant)

It's time to blame videogames, once again

As people react to the Newton tragedy, they blame many sources: guns, mental health support structures, cultural factors, and... video games, naturally enough.

Donal Trump applied his wisdom over Twitter:

Video game violence & glorification must be stopped—it is creating monsters!  

From the other side of the American political spectrum, Daxid Axelrod broods:

In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot 'em up video game. All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn't we also quit marketing murder as a game? 

The Mass Effect game series came in for special treatment, after an AP wire piece claimed to have determed the killer's identity.  The article was incorrect (it was the murderer's brother), but people had already noticed that the man liked playing that space opera sequence.

a swarm of Facebook users converged on EA's Mass Effect Facebook page, littering it with comments insulting the company and the team behind the game, calling for it to be banned, the page to be taken down, and overall blaming EA and BioWare for the entire situation.

Gaming continues to play a vital role in the fearsome media universe.

(thanks to Hullaballoo for collating these links; image via Mass Effect Wikia)

Time for a spot of Corpse Bludgeon

Looking for something to do on a lonely Saturday night?  Consider a fine time of Corpse Bludgeon, should you be in the Los Angeles area.

Corpse Bludgeon is a Game.

You bludgeon corpses. There are points.

Visual and auditory effects will enhance your Bludgeoning Experience. Can you be the Best? 

We’ll let YOU be the judge of that!

Oh, but Corpse Bludgeon is so much more than a game. Oh yes. Corpse Bludgeon is a Method.

It is a Technology. It is a System. It is a Path.

That is all we know at this point.

(transmitted via Twitter)

Britain and Russia consider internet controls

Two major European nations are working on internet restrictions.

• The British government is considering an anti-porn protocol which is nearly comical:

anyone buying a new computer or signing up with a new internet service provider (ISP) will be asked, when they log on for the first time, whether they have children. If the answer is "yes", the parent will be taken through the process of installing anti-pornography filters, as well as a series of questions on how stringent they wish the restrictions to be...

• Russia is thinking about restricting videogames with violent content.  This is in response to one man's violent rampage.  Perhaps Moscow will crack down on vKontakte as well.

Either of these could be political ploys for short-term political gain.

(thanks to Todd Bryant)

Cities of the dead in World of Warcraft

Hackers hit World of Warcraft, leaving behind cities of the dead.

And

Blizzard repaired the damage.  But just imagine these urban centers turned necropoli, whole legions of the dead...

(via Slashdot)

Election battle over World of Warcraft

An American state political group summoned up anti-gaming hatred to attack an opponent.  The Maine Republican party targeted Colleen Lachowicz' World of Warcraft habit.

Notice what the poster emphasizes:

Violence, a different appearance, the semblance of escapism: as usual with fearsome media, it's a catalog of what the speakers deem to be horrific, wrong, or simply inappropriate.

The GOP tem also launched a campaign site dedicated to her gaming, Colleen's World.  It consists of excerpts from Lachowitz's in-game and public statements:

There's even an animated gif:

This political move can draw on the well-developed gaming-is-evil meme, evoking rather than creating it.  It remains to be seen if this move will success.  Mainers might not be swayed by it.  A pro-gaming backlash could arise.

Troll as gamer

There's a great passage in this account of meeting a troll face-to-face.  

The victim confronts his tormentor, who breaks down and explains his actions:

I put my hand on his shoulder and asked him "Why?"

The Troll sat there for a moment and said "I don't know. I don't know. I'm sorry. It was like a game thing."

A game thing.

So, that's what it was...

This is a good example of the classic game criticism, that games teach bad behavior.  

(thanks to Jesse Walker; troll photo by Losttrekker)

The gnawing, labyrinthine hunger out of time

What horrors lurk within Pacman? "It's like Kafka wrote a Lovecraft story", broods Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.  

It begins: "Pacman is the story of a man who wakes up one day to find he is nothing but a mouth."  Do read the whole thing.

Infocult does indeed want him to speak to Centipede.

(via Grant Potter on Twitter)