Hail to the Chimp

I'm a producer at Wideload Games, an independent game developer in Chicago, IL, founded by Halo game legend, Alex Seropian. We're currently hard at work on "Hail to the Chimp," a politically-charged party game set to release on the Xbox360 and PlayStation 3 in the Spring of '08. I'll be providing insight into what it takes to create a AAA video game all the way from concept to completion.

First, let me put the rumors to rest: no, I am not that Michael Mann. I was only seven when Miami Vice was all the rage, so I didn't get to rock the white loafers/no-socks combo, but I do own a Crockett and Tubbs lunch box.

Now to your other question: what is "Hail to the Chimp" all about? Well, in a nutshell, it's a video game that offers a comic look at politics through the eyes of a motley crew of animal candidates all vying to become the leader of the free animal world. The game is set in a lush, interactive environment and filled with non-stop action. While we aim to be non-partisan, it's all there -- the flawed election process, the political alliances and back-stabbing, the self-possessed newscasters and pundits, fundraising with the fat cats and the inane political ads.

The inspiration behind "Hail to the Chimp" was to create a different kind of game, one that, allows you and your friends and family to take a break from the political nonsense of the 2008 election with a politically nonsensical game. The premise of the game is that the lion, sovereign ruler of all animals since time immemorial, has been ousted from office in a scandal that shook the very foundations of the animal kingdom. With the monarchy in ruins, the animals decide to embrace democracy and hold a series of elections to decide who will take power.

Players choose their character from a pool of qualified animals ranging from the crafty octopus, Toshiro, to the health-conscious sloth, Bean. Every region from the ocean to the desert has sent forth their nominated candidate. The election process will feel very familiar to people who follow politics; candidates run around like crazy and team up to trounce the competition, sling mud while trying to avoid the stench of corruption, and basically beat the tar out of each other. At the end, the candidate with the most clams wins. It's a lot like politics as you know it, but with cuter contenders.

In the coming weeks I'll cover everything from the delicate nature of politics in video games to the armadillo candidate's war on road-kill.

Next time I'll introduce all of the candidates...stay tuned!

Comments

[dist0rtedwave]

Great first post... a bit of insight as to why the game is not on the Wii: I believe that HttC runs on the unreal engine, which unfortunately doesn't get along so well with the Wii. Not 100 percent sure on that, a little closer to 98.

[DietrichMoody]

excerpt from Peggy Noonan's recent article " that captures so much of what is happening in society right now:

"the rising generation of American professionals in the arts, journalism, academia and business. They have had good lives, happy lives, but there is a sense with some of them that they didn't so much live it as view it. That they learned too much from media and not enough from life's difficulties. That they saw much of what they know in a film or play and picked up all the memes and themes."

You my friend are an example if this disconnect between real life and entertainment. Unfortunately so many that play video games are NOT SO YOUNG, and that is the sad part of our culture. WE ARE LIVING TOO VICAROUSLY.

[politicull08]

DietrichMoody, your response seems more like a condemnation of imagination and original thought than it does about video games. The news media, a.k.a. the messengers of "real life", have successfully converted you to the dark side, where "authorities" like Jack Thompson blame video games for everything from murder to school drop out rates.

Is it a bad thing that a video game has political undertones, possibly teaching children something about the electoral process while they have fun? From what I've seen over the last 8 years, adults will benefit a bit from this as well.

[thesimulacra]

As an industry outsider, I'm genuinely curious why you wouldn't put this party game out on the Wii? Is there a better market for politically charged games on the 360 and PS3? Is it going to be too high-powered for the Wii's last-generation technology to handle? Or are you nervous about the possible oversaturation of the genre on Nintendo's platform?

[wakeupAmerica]

Good idea. If the Army can use a first person shooter style game in the tradition of Halo and Call of Duty and Rainbow 6 as a recruiting tool, then someone ought to make a game that's semi informative of the political process of how our leaders are picked and chosen for the ballot. I wonder if this satirical yet educational game will get Congressional hearings and outrage from Joe Liberman and other phony outrage pundits that the game is teaching children to be radical-liberal-cynical citizens in the way that we have to get rid of GTA as an "urban warfare simulator" that de sensitizes and leads to violent behavior.

[EnderCraig]

So you can see I have a PC, right? I want more console games to be on PC also.

I have Halo 2 for vista. It's a blast. Surely my computer can keep up. So whats the deal?