Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Bias in video games

I have a bone to pick with the creators of Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, the new amusment park simulator. As you grow and manage your park, assorted VIPs occasionaly visit and wander the grounds. One, named Clint Bushton, is descibed in the manual as "a presidential candidate who likes to be the center of attention and really has an eye for the ladies." His name aside, the charactar looks like Bill Clinton, moves like Bill Clinton, and has the unfortunate habit of saying, "Your name is Monica?!" when he meets female park visitors. Droll. Very droll.

In the interest of fairplay, I propose the gamemakers distribute a patch introducing another presidential candidate "who likes to be the center of attention. " If you want realism, let this one meander aimlessly around the park in a monkey suit, speechifying about evil-doers, while the world around him turns to crud. Or let us have a VIP named Libby or Karl who goes around pulling down the pants of parkgoers who insult the flag or the president.