Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate Setting

Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate Setting

November 2, 2008

USC grad student John Brennan dropped GamePolitics a line to show us this amazing Half-Life 2 machinima featuring John McCain, Barack Obama, and an authentic HL2 head crab.

By way of explanation, John writes:

I'm an MFA student @ USC's interactive media program.  My thesis project is a series of modifications to Half-Life 2 that will operate in the same space as political cartoons.  I'm playing with format right now, but so far it is Modding and Machinima as self expression and political commentary:)

I have a process for quickly getting 'news-makers' (providing enough photography) into Half-Life 2, access to MoCap data, and some good people helping out.

I'm just launching my first piece now, but it is sizable enough that I'd like to bring it to your attention.  It includes McCain, Obama, a debate stage, and is just in time for the vote.

Posted in

Comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by Brokenscope - November 2, 2008 at 12:14 pm -0500

Very nice usage of source.

 

I love the usage of the intro screen.

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by Vake Xeacons - November 2, 2008 at 5:59 pm -0500

 Vote Freeman and Vance, '08!

"I'm Gordon Freeman, and I approve this message!"

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by C. Aaron Browbowski Jr. - November 2, 2008 at 7:50 pm -0500

uhhh... i thought Freeman was a mute? but anyway LOL!

Jesus Jack Jones Thompson.... is dead... (funeral udruge, followed by Celebrate :D )

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by Austin_Lewis - November 2, 2008 at 7:17 pm -0500

I'd vote a freeman/headcrab ticket.

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by udx - November 2, 2008 at 7:22 pm -0500

Where do I get the Obama and McCain models?  I wanna use them for Garry's Mod.

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by Thomas McKenna - November 2, 2008 at 7:32 pm -0500

"I wanna use them for Garry's Mod."

Oh god...this can't end well.

I can see it now...Obama and McCain in a rocket powered bathtub going through a series of portals with the word "SCIENCE!" in big bold white letters...

Honestly though...I'd probably laugh my ass off if I saw them.

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by udx - November 2, 2008 at 7:38 pm -0500

Actually, I wanted to do a scene of Obama kicking McCain off a cliff.

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by Thomas McKenna - November 2, 2008 at 7:33 pm -0500

I like the head crab at the beginning.  It must not be going after either candidate as it probably knows it'd most likely starve if it did.

Re: Awesome Half-Life 2 Mod Features Obama & McCain in Debate
Submitted by Doomsong - November 3, 2008 at 7:38 am -0500

True

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - Benjamin Franklin

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 02/09/10 at 03:51pm
DarkSaber: I think he just goes round the internet copy+pasting the same bollocks to get attention.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:41pm
Valdearg: @DS: I have to admit, I chuckled when I saw the 4 Feb 2010 on that post.. >.<
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:31pm
DarkSaber: Hm, Bioshock. Not that Zippy likes to beat the dead horse by ranting about it for TWO $&%£ING YEARS!
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:30pm
DarkSaber: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.173063-Bioshock-yet-another-zippy-rant
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:26pm
Valdearg: @DS: Link!! LINK!
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:20pm
DarkSaber: Although, unsurprisingly, he's just being called an idiot alot and criticised for being as illegible as always.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:18pm
DarkSaber: Oh good lord, I just found Zippy on The Escapist.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:14pm
Valdearg: IE: Male body/Female Mind or Female Body/Male Mind.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:13pm
Valdearg: @Zip: TG == Transgendered/Transsexual.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:09pm
DarkSaber: Forget it Zippy, it's an abbreviation of a big word and so would be wasted on you
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:07pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:....TG?
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:02pm
Valdearg: @DS: Im sure that's what they'd do if it wasn't legal to just tell Gays/TG's to "Screw off," just because they're who they are.
Posted 02/09/10 at 02:50pm
DarkSaber: Whoever told him/her/it that is dumb. They should have done like most companies and made-up some bullshit, yet legal, reason for it not getting the job.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:18pm
Valdearg: I do agree that it shouldn't be legal. That's for sure.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:16pm
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:14pm
Valdearg: @AE: Doubtful. Again, it's perfectly legal.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:10pm
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:00pm
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:53pm
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
Login or register to post shouts