I'm O.K – A Murder Simulator

I'm O.K – A Murder Simulator is a freeware video game developed by Derek Yu and his "three friends"; Chris Hanson, Phillip Jones and Alec Holowka.[1] It was created as a satirical response[2] to a challenge by anti-video game-violence activist and former attorney Jack Thompson.

I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator
Developer(s)Thompsonsoft
Publisher(s)Thompsonsoft
Designer(s)Derek Yu
EngineMultimedia Fusion
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release2006
Genre(s)Run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player

Background

This game was created and released in response to the "modest video game proposal" issued in late 2005 by activist attorney Jack Thompson, known for his opposition to sex and violence in entertainment, including computer and video games. This challenge dared computer game producers to release a game following a "script" he outlined, in which the grieving father of a child killed by a computer gamer takes vengeance by murdering many people connected with the gaming industry in a brutal manner.[3] Thompson promised to contribute a $10,000 donation to the charity of choice of Paul Eibeler (then-chairman of Take-Two Interactive, one of the game companies most heavily criticized by Thompson) if such a game were released. However, he has since claimed that the proposal was only a joke, and currently, no charity has been designated by Eibeler. The makers of the gaming-related webcomic Penny Arcade have, however, made a $10,000 donation in Thompson's name to the Entertainment Software Association Foundation,[4][5] a philanthropic, grant-giving body run by the Entertainment Software Association.

The "O.K" in the title refers to the initials of the protagonist, Osaki Kim, but together with the first part of the game's name is also a play on the accusation that video game violence is being considered normal by manufacturers and gamers. The reference to a "Murder Simulator" refers to what Thompson regularly proclaims all violent computer games to be.[6]

I'm O.K is a side-scrolling game with 16-bit era low-resolution graphics that shares (to a degree) the basic gameplay (and somewhat lowbrow humor) of the Metal Slug series.

The game also mentions one of Thompson's biggest cases—the Hot Coffee mod in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. When the Konami Code is entered at the start-up screen followed by Enter, it shows a parody of the Hot Coffee mod.

The title screen is a reference to the Mega Man 2 title screen.

At the end of the game, the main character confronts the four designers of the game, which is a reference to Thompson's criterion of being able to kill the designers of a violent game.

References and notes
  1. Yu, Derek. "Games". Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  2. "Game information from author website"
  3. The Freeloader (2007-02-01). "101 Free Games; The best games that money can't buy". Computer Gaming World. Ziff Davis Media Inc.: Vol. 3.
  4. "You Lose", Penny Arcade, October 17, 2005
  5. "Penny Arcade donates in Thompson's stead", GameSpot, October 17, 2005
  6. Janice Crompton (2007-02-04). "Vexation Finds Voice in Debate Over Video Violence". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. Washington Edition. W–1.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.