by Catriona Mills

I Think I'm Being Emotionally Blackmailed By My Computer Game

Posted 7 March 2009 in by Catriona

The game, you see, has a splash screen by which you navigate to one of the several different play modes or out of the game altogether.

On the basic splash screen, you see this:

Slightly freaky, perhaps—especially to those of us who don’t really trust unicorns any more than we trust dolphins, and we don’t trust dolphins at all, because, really, who could trust marine mammals that not only have a strong propensity, apparently, for flying through highly coloured space scenes in which planets are often in dangerously close proximity to one another, but also appear to have callously sold the rights to their image to the makers of just some of the most disturbing home furnishings ever, including dolphin lamps and dolphin kitchenware.

But essentially benign, right?

But when you hit the “quit” button, you get this:

The big sad eyes!

The solitary tear drop!

Is it wrong for the game to work by telling me that if I quit, I’ll make a mythical creature cry?

Share your thoughts [6]

1

Drew wrote at Mar 7, 03:45 am

lol, the space dolphins have a rippled light effect on their skin, from light passing through water – in space.

2

Catriona wrote at Mar 7, 03:50 am

Yes! I said to Nick, “How did they manage that effect?”

He, Photoshop hero that he is, started telling me how you do that in a digital image.

But I interrupted him to say, “No, how did they manage that in space?”

I also want to know how those planets aren’t being pulled inexorably towards one another. Maybe they are, but you can’t tell in a static image.

3

Drew wrote at Mar 7, 03:57 am

so actually, despite attempting to portray a scene of universal harmony, it’s really a brief snapshot of peace before total chaos, planets colliding, massive destruction and possible death (if the planets have life present). Did the space dolphins cause this I wonder. Are they, despite their friendly, smiling faces, actually the agents of Chaos? Heralds of Galactus perhaps?

4

Catriona wrote at Mar 7, 04:06 am

Dolphins of the Apocalypse!

5

John wrote at Mar 8, 09:51 am

A Dolphin of the Apocalypse! I wonder whether Tim would let me roll one of them up?

6

Catriona wrote at Mar 8, 10:27 am

Are wizards allowed to have pets? Could you have an apocalyptic dolphin steed, maybe?

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