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posted by Fnord666 on Monday May 14 2018, @07:48AM   Printer-friendly
from the this-is-gaming-on-Linux dept.

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

Yup, this seems to be a very real game. Bum Simulator [Steam] is a game that's going to turn a few heads, with it [showing] off life as a homeless person. It could end up being a little controversial too, I'm sure a few people will have some interesting opinions on this one.

I'm not sure what to make of it, as it looks mildly amusing, but it makes me feel a little weird. Can't be much worse than the thousands of other violent games we have I suppose and highlights the issues some people have to go through. A modern-life survival sim? Could be interesting.

In a sane forum it should be entirely possible to have an interesting and rational discussion on the sociological statement and implications of this game. That just wouldn't be our style though, would it?

Source: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/bum-simulator-will-simulate-life-as-a-homeless-person.11751


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @08:15AM (27 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @08:15AM (#679477)

    Implication of this game? None. Video games have no implication and if they did, first and foremost violent games will get banned.

    Sociological statement? Depends on what you want to say, really. As a society 'homeless' is just a pc word for people left to die. We couldn't care (less) about them, that's why they are homeless. I am seriously suspecting there is a real statement that can be made that will have any... implication.

  • (Score: 2) by coolgopher on Monday May 14 2018, @08:32AM (18 children)

    by coolgopher (1157) on Monday May 14 2018, @08:32AM (#679487)

    first and foremost violent games will get banned.

    Uhm... you are aware that it's sex (and also drug use) that's first against the wall in this medium as well as others. Especially when combined with violence, but violence alone is typically Fine(tm). See the umpteen different FPS games available. Why portrayal and simulation of violence is okay and sex is not strikes me as very odd, but that's the world we're in.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Bot on Monday May 14 2018, @09:32AM (2 children)

      by Bot (3902) on Monday May 14 2018, @09:32AM (#679498) Journal

      The FPS gamers who spend more time on them usually disable gore (distracting) ragdoll effects and the like (distracting) and fancy GFX (distracting, slowing down things). Some go as far as eliminating textures.

      This does not necessarily mean violent games are harmless. It means that for many people the violence in the game is only functional to the score.

      Back in the 80s where everything was more free, there were sex themed games circulating. The problem, they were boring. You gotta be as fast as possible with killing and violent games. Survival instinct also kicks in when defending. Sex games? Do I need to go into details?

      --
      Account abandoned.
      • (Score: 3, Funny) by edIII on Monday May 14 2018, @06:12PM (1 child)

        by edIII (791) on Monday May 14 2018, @06:12PM (#679687)

        Sex games? Do I need to go into details?

        Yes.

        --
        Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
        • (Score: 2) by Bot on Monday May 14 2018, @09:51PM

          by Bot (3902) on Monday May 14 2018, @09:51PM (#679792) Journal

          OK
          in fps, if you're lightning fast, hit many just once, and go for headshots, you are a champ. In sex you gitta do the opposite, so it is boring ... and not only literally. Additional tutoring is available at a discount rate for needy soylentils.

          --
          Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 2) by stretch611 on Monday May 14 2018, @09:53AM (12 children)

      by stretch611 (6199) on Monday May 14 2018, @09:53AM (#679501)

      Why portrayal and simulation of violence is okay and sex is not strikes me as very odd, but that's the world we're in.

      Because the religious right sees any type of sex outside of a church sanctioned marriage as immoral... while removing guns from video games is impeding on the 2nd amendment.

      If guns are removed from video games, people may start thinking that they should be removed from other places... including reality.

      Not to mention, violent video games makes a wonderful [bbc.com] scapegoat [nydailynews.com].

      --
      Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @11:35AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @11:35AM (#679525)

        "while removing guns from video games is impeding on the 2nd amendment".
        Not really, seems like more of a freedom of speech issue, that is the first amendment.

      • (Score: 2) by Bot on Monday May 14 2018, @12:38PM

        by Bot (3902) on Monday May 14 2018, @12:38PM (#679545) Journal

        But Japan end EU develop videogames too and have no puritans dictating anything.

        --
        Account abandoned.
      • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @01:17PM (9 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @01:17PM (#679552)

        Extra marital sex is ok with the religious right if you live in a white house.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @03:10PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @03:10PM (#679593)

          yep, they've always been good at hypocrisy. Just look at all the bible thumpers who have been exposed for cheating on spouses.

          • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday May 14 2018, @05:08PM

            by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 14 2018, @05:08PM (#679645) Journal

            Just look at all the bible thumpers who have been exposed for cheating on spouses. hiking the Appalachian trail [wikipedia.org]

            FTFY p

            --
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @03:31PM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @03:31PM (#679596)

          Extra marital sex is ok with the religious right if you live in a white house.

          Exactly, that is why they had given Bill Clinton a free pass.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @04:47PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @04:47PM (#679634)

            The one constant in life: if you have power, whatever you do is ok.

            • (Score: 2) by Bot on Monday May 14 2018, @09:59PM

              by Bot (3902) on Monday May 14 2018, @09:59PM (#679793) Journal

              as long as the voltage is proper.

              --
              Account abandoned.
        • (Score: 1) by Sulla on Monday May 14 2018, @04:58PM (3 children)

          by Sulla (5173) on Monday May 14 2018, @04:58PM (#679639) Journal

          Trumps actions are not okay to the majority of the right. The problem is that what other option did those people have? Either they vote for Trump and his sins will send him to hell, or they vote for Hillary and her support of the voter paying for abortion will send the voters to hell. Right now, correct or incorrect their opinions may be, the religious right is backed into a wall in regards to abortion. They either get to pay for abortion through their tax dollars and go to hell for it, or vote for someone who they find disgusting but won't affect their personal path to the afterlife.

          --
          Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
          • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday May 14 2018, @07:54PM (2 children)

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday May 14 2018, @07:54PM (#679744) Journal

            The solution is to get out of that ridiculous religion, but as it took even someone like me over a decade of study and learning bits of three other languages, it's not likely they're going to be able to do it, so...

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
            • (Score: 1) by Sulla on Monday May 14 2018, @08:14PM (1 child)

              by Sulla (5173) on Monday May 14 2018, @08:14PM (#679752) Journal

              How smart does someone have to be to lift themselves out of those kind of beliefs if they want to exit them? There seems to be this weird "we have to life with Islam and support Islam and then we can all get along" but this is absent with the more historically western religions. I think it might be a good idea how to find common ground with Catholics/etc that appear to be non-violent currently and see if this can extend to other religious sects later on. If we don't agree to disagree and establish boundaries than the only option is for self segregation or for the various groups to burn eachother out. When it comes to issues like this, at least in regards to the American religious, is an expansion of the separation of church and state to include some levels of morality. You can still do something about murder/theft/rape if you want in regards to property rights if you don't want to legislate on moral principles and handle abortion/gay rights with full legality but zero government funding. When thinking about this another issue will be that tax exempt non-profits are taxpayer supported, so maybe you need companies that fund abortions to be taxed corporations to maintain the separation. On the other hand it would mean various gun lobbies that are non-profits would also have to deal with the same restrictions. Eliminate the opposition of religious people to gay marriage by abolishing the institution of marriage and instead have people file taxes as business partnerships, this allows the religious to maintain the integrity of their marriages at the church level and enables gay folks to get married by any group willing to perform a ceremony.

              --
              Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
              • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday May 14 2018, @08:32PM

                by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday May 14 2018, @08:32PM (#679767) Journal

                Sometimes I think it's not a matter of intelligence so much as a matter of humility. It's probably some of both.

                Your ideas are basically how I'd go about doing this. I'd actually be fine with the idea of religious types getting a monopoly on the word "marriage" so long as my girlfriend and I could get "civilly unionized" and have all the *secular* benefits of marriage, as visitation rights, taxation brackets, etc.

                Thing is, for the real religions nuts, that is *not* on the table. They don't hold with the civil authority being free from the religious one; separation of church and state is blasphemous to them because, after all, it's all God's property, isn't it? They'll stop at nothing less than theocracy, and they don't care who or what has to be sacrificed for it, including the very nation itself ("either God rules this country or there isn't a country to rule"). We're seeing this now, even, with Pence as VP and Bolton and Pompeo in such positions of foreign-policy power. Aren't you following what's going on with the embassy in Jerusalem?

                --
                I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @11:08AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @11:08AM (#679521)

      but that's the world we're in.

      Apparently Japan has quite a number of sex video games.

      But Japan also has raw horse meat ice cream and Apple Vinegar Kit Kat. So maybe they're in a different world.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @01:33PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @01:33PM (#679557)

        Peter Griffin said it right: "Those people are a circus."

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Monday May 14 2018, @08:37AM (1 child)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 14 2018, @08:37AM (#679488) Journal

    implication

    You keep using that word...
    and it doesn't bring any sense to the phrases you use it into

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @12:42PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @12:42PM (#679546)

      RTFS. "In a sane forum it should be entirely possible to have an interesting and rational discussion on the sociological statement and implications of this game."

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by looorg on Monday May 14 2018, @09:04AM (5 children)

    by looorg (578) on Monday May 14 2018, @09:04AM (#679494)

    I'm not really sure it's supposed to be a serious game -- probably going more for amusing. But I guess we'll just have to wait until October to find out.

    About This Game
    Get a job or get revenge!
    You lost everything and ended up on the streets. What will you do? Adapt and survive? Take revenge on those responsible? Become an urban legend? Get a job and start over? Countless possibilities await!
    Apart from your day-to-day survival you can enjoy many unique activities:
      Discover your inner bum powers
      Tame the infamous city pigeons
      Solve the mystery of sewer rat people
      Learn the secrets of Alcohol Alchemy
      ...and much more!
    Dirty alleys, city streets, pawn shops, central park, subway and rat infested sewers. You can go wherever you want and whenever you like. Enjoy the open, crazy, urban sandbox. There are many secrets to uncover and achievements to unlock. Each location houses interesting characters with personal story lines and quests. There's no place for boredom in bum's life!

    This does not scream "serious sociological statement" to me. Not more then say Redneck Rampage or any of the games made by Running with Scissors such as the Postal series of games.

    https://www.postalgames.com/ [postalgames.com]
    https://www.gog.com/game/redneck_rampage_collection [gog.com]

    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @10:45AM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @10:45AM (#679517)

      Homeless people are wusses. If you really want to loose everything, get cancer. Do it when you're 14. And have it re-occur ever ten years or so. Become invisibly disabled with multiple suicide inducing comorbidities, but not so much as that you cannot keep a job - for awhile until you are struck down again as long as you keep it a secret, because honestly, who wants to invest a million dollars in someone with a high probability of dying at any time. Show up on a people of Walmart website because you decided that you are feeling well enough to go out for an hour without puking all over yourself, but not well enough to get dressed up. Have people all around you with the only thing you ever wanted in life, throw it away and tell you life isn't fair. That's the best part.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @02:33PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @02:33PM (#679575)

        Have people all around you with the only thing you ever wanted in life, throw it away and tell you life isn't fair. That's the best part.

        At least you're blessed with an appreciation for the good things in life. Lots of people don't even have that.

        Homeless people are wusses.

        There, but for the grace of God, go I.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @03:01PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @03:01PM (#679588)

          There, but for the grace of God, go I.

          I'd take it in a heartbeat over being a triple amputee like a friend in college.

      • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @05:23PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @05:23PM (#679651)

        That ordeal sounds pretty terrible, but just because you experience something worse than another person isn't a good reason to call them names. For perspective while the situation you describe sounds really rough it doesn't quite compare to kids with progeria who can expect to die before even being able to work while also dealing with a difficult visual appearance.

        Just because you were dealt a bad hand doesn't mean people can't complain about their own. Maybe work on your compassion instead of your anger, save the anger for someone who is intentionally a dick and not unwittingly one.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @06:20PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @06:20PM (#679696)

          When you have a hard life (invisibly so) and are surrounded by people who cry about being in a position that you only wish you could have, it is incredibly hurtful and offensive. Where is the compassion there? Not only is there lack of compassion, but there is active hurting going on.