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A new action adventure game, The Buttered Walrus is a game that plays you. In the tradition of a point-and-click adventure game, The Buttered Walrus actually reverses roles putting you in the thick of things as the game literally forces you to investigate your immediate surroundings and beyond, searching for clues in order to solve the bizarre mystery behind the Buttered Walrus. Utilizing the latest in Blue Tooth and GPS technology, The Buttered Walrus utilizes existing electronic devices that most gamers are likely to own, including a TV, PC, webcam, and a cell phone. A program in the game “talks” to these devices and uses them to control you through a series of commands. First of all, a detailed scan of the layout and contents of your home is taken with the webcam. The CPU will use this as a map, creating different levels and hotspots where clues will be located. You’ll receive messages on your email account as well voiceovers on your cell phone, giving you clues and instructions through various conversations. A variety of TV programs including sitcoms, commercials, and news broadcasts will be played over the TV for the duration of the game which can last up to a week. All TV programming will directly relate to the storyline of the game, immersing the player into a new and unique virtual environment. Beginning with a series of bizarre newscasts that setup the premise, the game kicks things in gear with various communications, including email and your cell phone. These commands are issued by the CPU, forcing you to explore your surroundings and solve the mystery of the Buttered Walrus before you wind up dead. Using your cell phone in much the same way that you would use the cursor in an adventure game, your cell will indicate when you are close to a special object. You’ll receive text messages about each object you pick up. “We really want this game to literally give you the runaround,” says developer Lerfly Hurley, “Except for the occasional interruptions from your mom or imaginary girlfriend, you’ll really think you’re inside a computer game. I don’t want to give too much away, but I can tell you that there is an amazing climax to the game where you will actually leave your house or apartment to complete the game. In every city and town in North America, we have chosen a landmark, which you’ll have to locate in order to get the last clue to beat the game. You won’t have to actually enter the landmark as it will be another hotspot which will correspond to the GPS in your cell phone,” Herley adds. “We got the idea for this game in the back of an Oprah magazine,” admits Herley, “I have no idea how that magazine got in our lab, but we are all pretty sure that it was because of Lance. The next game that we are coming out with is called Cure for Bowling. It’s a radical concept in negative reinforcement conditioning. A bowler will receive a severe shock through an external device whenever he or she is within proximity of a bowling alley. Ultimately they will learn to associate bowling with pain, and they may even be taught to learn that bowling is not cool. We feel that after a few weeks of this treatment, their bowling days will be over for good. That’s just good news for everyone,” concludes Hurley. Look for The Buttered Walrus later this year – but just don’t look in the basement… *This article is presented as an exclusive Cheat Code Central feature titled “Are you dumb enough to believe this?” Please check back each Friday for the newest edition. |