Swine Flu Game Appears OnlineThursday April 30, 2009, CityNews.ca Staff
There are a lot of differences between this near-flu pandemic and the last few the world has undergone. There have been big advancements in medicine. We know more about how diseases spread and the way to contain them. And we didn't have the Internet back then.
And while officials have worked hard to contain the strain, the web has exploded with sites tracking the ailment, offering ways to avoid it, adding maps that show affected countries and more.
Into this mix it would seem almost inevitable that someone would come up with a swine flu game and sure enough, someone has. A company known as Heyzapdot.com has launched a silly online competition designed to poke fun at the hysteria over the illness and find a fun way to virtually fight back.
Welcome to Swine Flu Fighter, a not so challenging contest that asks players to take a needle and wipe out as many infected pigs as possible in a short time frame. Contestants take on the role of a mask wearing health crusader, holding a large syringe and attempting to inoculate the flying green swine before anyone else is infected.
It's bound to perpetuate the stereotype that pigs are dangerous and are responsible for transmitting the virus, a misconception that has led Egypt to order the slaughter of some 300,000 of the animals.
The game is the first to hit the web. You can bet if the spread continues, it won't be the last.
You can play it for free here
