In honor of World Maritime Day on Sept 25, international news agency Al Jazeera has launched an interactive web game that allows users to "learn how to expose the multi-million dollar illegal fishing trade affecting West Africa’s poorest people."
While the turnaround time of Flash games based on popular news events is generally rather amazing, one such game based on the recent hostage tragedy that occurred on a bus in the Philippines earlier this week is drawing criticism.
A disgruntled ex-policeman named Rolando Mendoza boarded a bus of tourists in Manila in a misguided attempt to win his job back. After a long standoff, which the consensus says was mismanaged, police finally stormed the bus and killed Mendoza, but not before he murdered eight of the tourists, all of whom were from Hong Kong.
The game based on this event is named Bus Hostage by Policeman and appears on the Newgrounds site, where it has received scathing reviews (0.95 out of 5.00) and comments, for both its subject matter and buggy, awful gameplay. The game itself has players attempting to shoot Mendoza through the windows of the bus, asking participants “Can you stop him and blow his brain?”
Among the comments:
A just-released online news game allows player to try their hand at saving the economy.
As reported by the New York Daily News, Addicting Games exec Kate Connally describes Trillion Dollar Bailout:
With this game we're giving game players the chance to experience what it's like to make a decision about who to bailout and who not to. Games can help people experience news events by putting them in the shoes of the people in the action.
News events are something that really unite our culture, everyone experiences it together, so adding games into the mix of how people are experiencing major national events is just part of what we do. They're not just a silly pass time. It's a form social commentary.
In Trillion Dollar Bailout players are presented with cash requests from corporate executives and average homeowners. It's up to the player to decide how to dole out the bailout bucks.
GP: We initially embedded the game with this story, but - rather obnoxiously - it starts running when the GP page loads. You can, however, click the link to check the game out.
Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am
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Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm
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Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm
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Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm
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Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm
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Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm
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Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm
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Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm
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Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm
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ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm
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MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm
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Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm
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MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am
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Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am
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quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
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quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
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quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm
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Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm
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Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm
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Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm
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