The gaming world now has it’s very own “ The Interview .” A 2D parody action game starring Kim Jon Un called Glorious Leader! has unfortunately been hacked and as a result it’s Kickstarter campaign has been canceled.
“The hackers destroyed data pertaining to Glorious Leader! and other projects we had in development and locked us out of our own computers and website,” developer Moneyhorse said in a Kickstarter update. “The timing couldn’t have been worse as it hampered our ability to attend to the Kickstarter project.”
That being said, Moneyhorse said that the hackers probably weren’t related to GOP, the hacker group that is supposedly responsible for the hack of Sony Pictures, which lead up to the digital exclusive release of The Interview . They also said that this hack was not the first threat that they have received over the course of creating their project. In addition, they had only raised $16,816 out of $55,000 when they canceled the project, so it was unlikely that they were going to end up reaching their goal anyway.
“Between the hacking and other threats, we think it is time to reevaluate our commitment to Glorious Leader! ” Moneyhorse said. “We thank our fans and supporters, and we are sorry to let you down.”
The game allowed you to play in a 2D side scrolling Contra style shooter as Kim Jon Un and Dennis Rodman. It was going to be an absurdest title with a lot of light hearted humor.
This brings up a question, is there anything too sacred to make a game about? Many of you may remember the game Hatred , which is an actual mass murder simulator that has been the subject of quite a bit of controversy. That game is still being made, despite several scares of it being taken off Steam Greenlight. This 2D parody shooter, however, is now canceled. Perhaps the only reason one could have triumphed over the other, is the fact that one had more backing than the other.
Which brings up an interesting point. Are indie games at the whims of small bands of hackers who may disagree with their message? Many small developers are looking to Kickstarter for their revenue, and barely have any money to devote to recovering from the damage of a cyber-attack. Without some indication that releasing the game will end up making the studio enough money to warrant a hefty investment in anti-hacking security, many small projects can just be put out of commission with a devastating enough hack.
We are entering a strange and peculiar age where the threat of cyber attacks is becoming more and more present. Doxxing, swatting, DDOS attacks, and other sorts of cyber terrorism are making news headlines every day. More and more it is seeming like a small ground of opinionated individuals can control the decisions of huge corporations and development teams through hacking. A useful subversion of power, or a dangerous state that puts too much power into the hands of too few? Have we reached the bleak cyperpunk apocalypse? If so I want my damn robot arm!