Chapter 24 - The Gothic Holo-Programs: Dead Space (Patreon)
Content
My first attempt was partially reproducing a hit from my time, Dead Space. That had not exactly been my smartest decision. Thankfully, I had released a beta teaser of a few hours of gameplay before fully committing to the project, in order to gauge the market. That holo program, to my shock and surprise, had been banned from sale everywhere other than the Klingon Empire! Supposedly I had traumatized a lot of folks. Fucking pansies. Those fuckers needed to toughen up. It was supposed to be a little freaking scary, it was a survival horror action story, after all!
The Klingons, thankfully, found it amazing fun and their money was just as good as anyone else’s. At least one race was enjoying the game, so it didn’t bother me too much, but it did give me a better sense for what my wider audience would and would not accept (and buy). It wasn’t even like it was too anachronistic for people to understand and get in on the fun or too based on human history and culture to find enjoyment in. It was set on a freaking mining spaceship in the future!! How 24th century could you get??
Yes, it was overrun by monsters called necromorphs, but the player’s character was an engineer…who is forced to struggle for their survival by cautiously navigating the spaceship, fighting monsters, struggling with increasing psychosis, solving environmental puzzles and finding ammunition and equipment to survive the horrors. What’s not to like?! I’d hired a few lawyers on Earth to appeal the decision, but it could be quite a while before I got a ruling.