The anti-McDonald's video game
by Conrad Quilty-Harper 
{ Feb 2nd 2006 at 1:00PM }
With mainstream adver-gaming peeking over the horizon, it's encouraging to see that there's still a few people out there creating games with a distinct anti-corporate streak. The other week we showed you a game that demonstrated the boredom of working in a Kinkos photocopying shop, and now comes a game tackling the fast food mega-corporation McDonald's.
The game features a very long disclaimer, but it's pretty clear from the start that this is a strongly anti-McD video game. As part of your daily duties you'll plant GM-crops, feed your cows hormones and bribe local officials so you can grab more land. The game has a sarcastic Sims-like feel that makes it all the more entertaining. And yes, we did just use "entertaining" in the context of a political game. Progress!
[Via we make money not art]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Catherine @ Jul 12th 2006 5:14PM
McDonald's is not just gross food, its also destroying our f**king rainforests!!! How can you people dont care about that? Did I also mantion that McDonalds are responsible for a great number of death : hundreds of animals are dying everyday because of the destruction of natural habithat... Also, HUMANS are exploited and used as slaves.
Those who knows that and just don't care and think McDonald's is good and continues to eat their sh*t... are complete idiots.
some guy @ Aug 7th 2006 2:17AM
what is that music in the background of the title called and what is it singing
Bubs @ Nov 24th 2007 5:05AM
I personally hate Mcdonalds and will admit i have been in many protests and campaigns to shut it down. I think that putting on fun spin on it Via a game ( whether it be rip off or not) is clever and hopefully it makes people realise just what shit they are pumping into their systems everytime they eat this junk.
I have personally played the game and discovered it to be very truthful if not totally truthfull. The city of San Jose was bribed for land...and this game shows you that they did this, It shows you just how much the land is worth and that after the land is useless they move on and fell million year old forest...and for what?? A Big Mac? A quarter pounder?? Come on guys ...get real!!
McGarbage is also destroying our earth. 8/10 times you see rubbish you can count on the golden arches being in there some where...and don't deny it coz you know its true whether your anti maccas or not. MCGARBBAGE DESTROYS THE ENVIRONMENT ! and i don't care that i didnt make up that sentance..that i got it from an image...an image i display proudly on my door, in my locker and that i even have with a t-shirt. IT IS TRUE!!
WAKE UP AND FACE THE FACTS.
Bubs.
Edgar @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:14PM
I McDonalds for the record.
Edgar @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:17PM
*I have no idea how that comment ended up like that, but I meant.
Yes! I McDonalds for the record.
ad @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:28PM
i love mcdonalds!
why make a hater game! booo! hiss!
Chip @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:32PM
So it's a crappy rip-off of Harvest Moon with a political spin. Yeah, that sounds like a ton of fun...
leojsoap @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:47PM
"i love mcdonalds!"
you just made me sad…
Thomas Crymes @ Feb 2nd 2006 1:59PM
I think this is generally a good thing, but I wonder how far you can go without being sued for slander?
As long as the developers are basing their accusations on fact instead of conjecture, I have no problem. Corporate or Anit-corporate, I don't like misinformation being spread. And because the game developers are inherently biased, I am assuming that some of their "facts" are skewed to fit their belief system.
But in general, I don't like being bombarded with a message while I game. I don't want to play a Christ Saves game any more than I want to play Ethnic Cleansing, or a Pro Choice, or an anti microsoft game.
CapAmerica @ Feb 2nd 2006 2:03PM
*plays game as he eats a BigMac and fries.*
It's kind of funny. I love the Evil Ronald when you bankrupt the company =P
ill trooper @ Feb 2nd 2006 2:23PM
It's responsible to at least be aware of what you are supporting, so I don't mind when somebody makes a game like this.
Hey, I ate at McDonald's last night, but I definitely have to accept that McD's and other large chains are having negative impact on several levels. It's not 'politically correct mumbo jumbo' to be told about when these companies go all-out and damage the enviroment to meet the demand for french fries they attach on to every 'meal deal' you can order (http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/potatoes.html) and that hormone-enriched beef and genetically modified vegetables are becoming common, even though it's not entirely sure how that's going to affect us as humans.
Bummer. But I do love those little bleached-meat McNuggets, so I'm hooked in I guess.
An excellent read on this whole thing is Eric Sclosser's 2001 book, "Fast Food Nation."
Jesse @ Feb 2nd 2006 2:56PM
Why the hell is everyone so down on genetically modified food? If anything genetically modified food is one of the best things that has happened to 3rd world hunger in a long time. Now plants can grow in less fertile ground, in hotter areas with less water and can produce more food faster.
MrTroy @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:03PM
Even if it is full of lies. It might not want to be taken seriously. I gotta give this game a whirl.
The ZeroCorpse @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:05PM
Why is this necessarily anti-McDonald's? Maybe some of us LIKE giving cows hormone shots, and think that those damn cows deserve what they get!
The ZeroCorpse @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:23PM
Vegans are insane. They tell us how we're eating slaughtered animals so they can scare/guilt us out of eating meat or drinking milk, and I don't care. They tell us we're eating cockroaches in our burgers. I don't care. They tell us we're eating genetically modified meat that will harm us, but I know they're misrepresenting the technology.
I've known a few radical vegans, and as far as I'm concerned, they're not very different from fundamentalist Christians or radical Islamists or any other radical religious nutcase. Insisting that THEIR lifestyle is the only way to live is what makes people like this such a waste of time.
I'm a proud omnivorous primate. If vegans want to use wheat-soap, eat tree bark, and drink soy juice, that's fine with me- But don't expect I'm gonna drop this hamburger and give up milk because you think it's morally wrong.
There is no such thing as a universal moral absolute. Your morals dictate that you to eat hay and carrots, my morals dictate that it's time for another Wendy's Big Bacon Classic with Cheese.
Now come here, hippie girl, and give me some sugar, baby!
bd @ Feb 2nd 2006 3:27PM
GM Crops are great things, but it's easy to say it's bad when, you know, you have food.
Marco @ Feb 2nd 2006 4:10PM
what I'M worried about are the other games on the site. what...the...fuck.
BlackYoshi @ Feb 2nd 2006 5:13PM
Genetically modified vegetables are overblown. We've been genetically modifying vegetables (and animals) for thousands of years. Maybe in less efficient ways such as cross-breeding and selective breeding, but its still genetic modification.
MrTroy @ Feb 2nd 2006 5:41PM
The game is pretty cute... in a weird kill cows and feed people the meat of the sick cow kinda way. But damned if they didn't say "Parody" in the first 3 seconds of loading.
alan lol @ Feb 3rd 2006 4:21AM
ZeroCorpse, I find your ignorace and stupidity quite amusing. I happen to be vegan, and your illogical rant about vegans being insane crusaders for animal justice is laughable at best and idiotic at worst (let's go with the latter on that one). Not all vegans are "radical". I for one have never preached to anyone else about their "lifestyle" or diet and never will, because quite frankly I don't give a damn whatsoever what you or anyone else eats. A lot people I know aren't even aware that I'm vegan because it's not doesn't matter one way or another.
You presume to pigeonhole me and everyone else who doesn't follow the same eating ethos as yourself into some rabidly radical stereotype. According to your interesting logic and point of view, we vegans are "not very different from fundamentalist Christians or radical Islamists or any other radical religious nutcase". So now you're comparing me to evangelical Christians or even better. Islamic extremists. What, am I a terrorist now, douche? Am I gonna swoop in on that Wendy's burger you're munching on and poison it with anthrax? Grow up man, or better yet, read a book. Was that just a little "nugget" from that rapier wit and intellect of yours, or are you seriously that retarded? Bravo, dude.
Aside from the fact that I choose not to eat meat or animal products, I'm just a regular guy like you (well maybe not you, you seem one card short of a full deck, wink wink) or anybody else. I drink beer, I play sports, and when I'm not xweating my ass of at work or in college, I hang out with my girlfriend, and like everyone else here, I'm a gamer. (And by the way my girlfriend isn't even vegetarian, and I'm completely fine with it, as she is with me being vegan). Does that compute?
Of course there are going to be people who are a bit on the extreme side, but that's true of all people, not just us craaaazy vegans. You claim to be fine with vegans but you're obviously not or else you wouldn't have felt the need to rant about them in your comment. For the record, I don't give a sh*t that you eat Wendy's or whatever as most of my friends eat meat as well. I'm not posting this in defense of veganism, I just don't want morons like you to ignorantly group me in with other douchebags who actually care what you think enough to chastise you for being a "proud omnivorous primate".
Even responding to your nonsensical, steamy turd of a comment was a huge waste of time as I think I'm dumber now for reading it. I'm gonna go make myself a veggie burger, have a beer and play some WoW. Good luck with being an idiot.
Rocketboy @ Feb 4th 2006 4:41PM
Alan LOL -
Well, then it looks like Zero's comments were not actually about YOU, but some of the people that are associated with the things that you believe in. You're the freakin idiot for taking it as a personal slant. I know EXACTALLY the type of dolt that Zero was talking about. You are the idiot who does not. Your intolerance of my intolerance makes you a hypocrite.
KirbyMeister @ Feb 5th 2006 8:08PM
My biggest pet peeve with GMO crops is that they are PATENTED. There should be a rule that all seed sold should not have a patent on it's growth or development. That and make sure the pesticides you use on these plants dont go around killing people who eat these foods.