A UK games-studio whose best-selling game lets you destroy the world with a deadly virus has changed the app so players save the world from a pandemic instead.
Ndemic Creations, based in Bristol, said it’s adding a new mode to Plague Inc. following calls from fans for a more cheerful spin on the morbid mobile game amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Eight years ago, I never imagined the real world would come to resemble a game of Plague Inc. or that so many players would be using Plague Inc. to help them get through an actual pandemic,” James Vaughan, creator of Plague Inc, wrote in a press release.
Ndemic has seen Plague Inc. played by more than 120million gamers since its release in 2012.
The app reached new levels of popularity this year following the recent outbreak of coronavirus, which has now killed more than 22,000 people worldwide.
The game requires players to select a plague type and country of origin.
They then attempt to “bring about the end of human history by evolving a deadly, global plague whilst adapting against everything humanity can do to defend itself”.
Following the rapid spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, players reached out to Ndemic asking for a new mode in which protect humanity from a disease instead.
Ndemic obliged, and is now producing a new mode that will be free to all players during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rather than taking the role of a virus, gamers will instead control world governments and healthcare systems in a bid to stop the spread of a deadly plague.
“Players will have to balance managing disease progression and boosting healthcare systems as well as controlling real-world actions such as triaging, quarantining, social distancing and closing of public services,” James wrote.
“We are developing this game mode with the help of experts from the World Health Organisation, the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and more.”
Plague Inc. has previously been lauded by experts for its accurate depictions of viral outbreaks.
The CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading national public health institute of the United States) has praised the game’s educational value and realistic models of disease spread.
However, not everyone’s keen on the game.
At the height of China’s coronavirus outbreak in February, Plague Inc. was banned from the country’s app stores for including “illegal content”, according to Ndemic.
“It’s not clear to us if this removal is linked to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak that China is facing,” developers said.
In other news, a drama series on Netflix may have predicted the coronavirus pandemic two years ahead of the outbreak.
The UK’s internet capacity could be rationed to prioritise key apps and websites.
And, Facebook has pledged to give $100million to help 30,000 small businesses survive the coronavirus outbreak.
What do you think of the change to Plague Inc? Let us know in the comments!
