I'm O.K – A Murder Simulator

I'm O.K – A Murder Simulator is a 2006 freeware video game developed by Derek Yu, Chris Hanson, Philippe Jones, Alec Holowka and Christopher Howard Wolf.[3] It was created as a satirical response[4] to a challenge by anti-video game-violence activist and former attorney Jack Thompson.

I'm O.K – A Murder Simulator
Title screen
Developer(s)Thompsonsoft
Publisher(s)Thompsonsoft
Designer(s)Derek Yu
Programmer(s)Chris Hanson
Artist(s)Derek Yu
Philippe Jones
Christopher Howard Wolf
Composer(s)Alec Holowka
EngineMultimedia Fusion[1]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseFebruary 2006[2]
Genre(s)Run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player

Background

This game was created and released in response to "A 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.[5] 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,[6][7] 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.[8]

I'm O.K is a side-scrolling video 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.[4]

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
  1. Yu, Derek. "Games". derekyu.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  2. Yu, Derek (February 4, 2006). "DUDE, I'M O.K." derekyu.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2006.
  3. "The Team". imokgame.com. Thompsonsoft. Archived from the original on February 9, 2006.
  4. Callaham, John (February 13, 2006). "I'm OK Interview". Gamecloud. Archived from the original on June 30, 2006.
  5. The Freeloader (February 2007). "101 Free Games; The best games that money can't buy". Games for Windows: The Official Magazine. No. 3. p. 55. Retrieved July 10, 2020 – via 1Up.com.
  6. Holkins, Jerry (October 17, 2005). "You Lose". Penny Arcade. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  7. Score, Avery (October 17, 2005). "Penny Arcade donates in Thompson's stead". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  8. Crompton, Janice (February 4, 2007). "Vexation finds voice in debate over video violence". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
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