lose lose

stoobar · 2 Oct 2009 at 15:55

Not sure if this was posted before but done a search and couldnt see it. It was linked to me by another person. Not played it yet but sounds interesting.

Lose/Lose is a video-game with real life consequences. Each alien in the game is created based on a random file on the players computer. If the player kills the alien, the file it is based on is deleted. If the players ship is destroyed, the application itself is deleted.

Although touching aliens will cause the player to lose the game, and killing aliens awards points, the aliens will never actually fire at the player. This calls into question the player's mission, which is never explicitly stated, only hinted at through classic game mechanics. Is the player supposed to be an aggressor? Or merely an observer, traversing through a dangerous land?

Why do we assume that because we are given a weapon an awarded for using it, that doing so is right?

By way of exploring what it means to kill in a video-game, Lose/Lose broaches bigger questions. As technology grows, our understanding of it diminishes, yet, at the same time, it becomes increasingly important in our lives. At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data? What implications does trusting something so important to something we understand so poorly have?

KILLING ALIENS IN LOSE/LOSE WILL DELETE FILES ON YOUR HARDDRIVE PERMANANTLY

http://www.stfj.net/art/2009/loselose/

mjt · 2 Oct 2009 at 15:58

well that sounds ****.
i don't really feel like formatting my computer, no matter how badly it needs one

antijoke · 2 Oct 2009 at 15:58

Say what now? :confused:

Oh Ed not again. · 2 Oct 2009 at 15:58

arvernus slaughtered 4912 alien(s)

/Arvernus reaches for his reinstallation discs and prays that he backed up the baby photos.

stoobar · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:00

someone has to try it...

antijoke · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:01

So what happens when your ship gets attacked and the app is deleted?

platypus · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:03

Sounds terrible.

DampCat · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:04

So.. what is the point?

Le_Petit_Lapin · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:06

Hmm, I'm at work and bored....might have a blast on the fileserver.

Edit Wait a sec, I'll just run it in a VM.

Fenris · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:08

I suppose it's a look into the minds of gamers, will they simply kill anything just because they can regardless of the cost?

Saying that though it sounds a bit silly.

Crizzy · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:08

At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data

Already has been for a long time, namely my photo and music collection

Mat · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:13

Sounds like tree hugger material to me ¬.¬

The Halk · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:27

Mat said:
Sounds like tree hugger material to me ¬.¬

I agree.

Dark_Angel · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:31

What an odd concept...

MasterPlan1 · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:31

Install it on someone you dislike at works PC, and say "dude, great new game I found!" he's sitting there happily playing along, whilst his work is getting nuked. Awesomes.

Dark_Angel · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:36

MasterPlan1 said:
Install it on someone you dislike at works PC, and say "dude, great new game I found!" he's sitting there happily playing along, whilst his work is getting nuked. Awesomes.

I can see this happening now.

I wonder if it nukes OS files rather than just say word document files? :confused:

mac1st3 · 2 Oct 2009 at 17:50

next time you format your pc, give this a try first, and just go nuts!

interesting take on morality, but personally I play games so I can do things that have no concequence, as do most gamers,there's a few games that reward real life actions in game, such as games connected to pedometers (step counters) the more you walk, the more moves you get etc, but obviously there's no point in this "game" except to screw with people

twist3d0n3 · 2 Oct 2009 at 18:00

erm just no, this game loses by not getting anyone to play it tbh...

Clum · 2 Oct 2009 at 18:49

OP, interesting post but......

Thats an uber fail. What next....a game where if you kill an oak tree then the app sends you cpu clock through the roof causing it to fry. Ye that'll blow our minds wide open.

Anksy · 2 Oct 2009 at 19:01

how do you tell what files were deleted ? i have to many to notice

im gonna try it on my laptop, its got nothing on it