In France, a newly released videogame is making headlines for the negative depiction of the homeless. While in most other games the homeless are depicted as smelly, violent criminals, in this one, you’re still smelly and violent, but you play as a homeless person, and work your way up.
Titled Clodogame, literally Trampgame, the object of your character is to rise penniless in the streets to being a tramp at the palace of Versailles. You do this by buying dogs to increase your begging abilities, fighting off other hobos, and stealing from people, most likely American tourists. Also, playing an instrument. I haven’t got a PC, but I kinda want to see what the instrument selection would be like for street performers. I’ve seen some weird shiz. The game is made by a German company, Farbflut, perhaps trying to stoke the rivalry between countries? They claim that it has raised awareness to the plight of the homeless to the young. Organizations like the French Red Cross are up in arms, saying the game derides the homeless and their plight. No word from the homeless. Chances are, they’ll never get to play the game enough to be enraged about it.
Interestingly enough, the game is free to play. So you won’t wind up on the street paying subscription fees. If anybody can understand French, and reads this, we should get a review up.
Comments
The Monkey
October 15th, 2009 - 10:24:14 AM
There is an English version of this game here: http://dossergame.co.uk/
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kyle
October 15th, 2009 - 10:57:39 AM
must say, I kind of like these types of games. you know, where you play some loser-type character and work your way up, whether it means you play as a bully, a drug dealer, or a homeless dude. and you know, it kind of does humanize the characters. plus you get to do badass stuff. all in the name of the game dudez
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