In remembrance of North Korea's nuclear test a couple days ago, I downloaded and played Defcon, which was developed by Introversion Software.
Introversion has made a few very interesting games, and I definitely think that they are THE pc game developer to watch. They previously made Uplink, which lets gamers take on the role of a hacker, to steal money fron banks, and destroy precious information. It was done in a very innovative manner, and should be on anyone playlist. The innovative thing about the game is how the entire interface mimicks a desktop GUI, and players run hacking programs the way they would open MS Word.
Defcon is the latest game from this company, and it's one that I feel is another instant classic. In the game, each player (maximum of 6) take on the role of a superpower. They are each given a set number of radar sites, missile silos, airfields and fleets; There's no other way to gain more units. Played on a world map, players place their units on homeground, and use units to attempt to destroy each others' cities. The game counts down from Defcon 5 to 1, and the use of nuclear arms will be authorised once it reaches Defcon 1. Prior to that, players can also send bombers and submarines on missions to take out each others' facilities.
This game is really quite good, and really does make players realise the terrible cost of potential nuclear war. As each city is hit, the game shows how many millions of people were killed. And the winning player is the one that kills more people (ie bomb more major cities) than any other.
With the game presentation done is a cold blue tinge, with slightly eerie music, and distant screams of people with each bomb hit, it really hit me how cold and impersonal the launching of this devastating weapon can be. It's not about how many of my people they kill, it's about how much more I can kill. And it really makes me realise how much power one person can hold, through control of this horrible device... Deus Ex Machina, maybe?
North Korea having the ability to create nuclear weapons is a scary thought, only because it seems more than willing to use it as a bargaining chip. For it, this weapon is merely a tool, nothing more, and one that can be used with the same disdain as one would treat any other tool. And that does frighten me. We could be facing another Cold War, or even worse, a nuclear arms race here in Asia.
Our parents lived under the shadow of nuclear destruction. Don't think, for a moment, that it couldn't have happened. We could have very easily destroyed ourselves, and it could become a very real possibility. And it only takes a click of a button.
Introversion has made a few very interesting games, and I definitely think that they are THE pc game developer to watch. They previously made Uplink, which lets gamers take on the role of a hacker, to steal money fron banks, and destroy precious information. It was done in a very innovative manner, and should be on anyone playlist. The innovative thing about the game is how the entire interface mimicks a desktop GUI, and players run hacking programs the way they would open MS Word.
Defcon is the latest game from this company, and it's one that I feel is another instant classic. In the game, each player (maximum of 6) take on the role of a superpower. They are each given a set number of radar sites, missile silos, airfields and fleets; There's no other way to gain more units. Played on a world map, players place their units on homeground, and use units to attempt to destroy each others' cities. The game counts down from Defcon 5 to 1, and the use of nuclear arms will be authorised once it reaches Defcon 1. Prior to that, players can also send bombers and submarines on missions to take out each others' facilities.
This game is really quite good, and really does make players realise the terrible cost of potential nuclear war. As each city is hit, the game shows how many millions of people were killed. And the winning player is the one that kills more people (ie bomb more major cities) than any other.
With the game presentation done is a cold blue tinge, with slightly eerie music, and distant screams of people with each bomb hit, it really hit me how cold and impersonal the launching of this devastating weapon can be. It's not about how many of my people they kill, it's about how much more I can kill. And it really makes me realise how much power one person can hold, through control of this horrible device... Deus Ex Machina, maybe?
North Korea having the ability to create nuclear weapons is a scary thought, only because it seems more than willing to use it as a bargaining chip. For it, this weapon is merely a tool, nothing more, and one that can be used with the same disdain as one would treat any other tool. And that does frighten me. We could be facing another Cold War, or even worse, a nuclear arms race here in Asia.
Our parents lived under the shadow of nuclear destruction. Don't think, for a moment, that it couldn't have happened. We could have very easily destroyed ourselves, and it could become a very real possibility. And it only takes a click of a button.
1 comment:
Of course, I do know that I'm being a bit of an alarmist and I have been a little over-dramatic.
But it's important to keep in mind how close we are to the edge, and that we can't get comfortable with our everyday lives.
And also to always remember that are many bigger things out there, and they all have an impact on our lives, whether we acknowledge them or not.
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