Depending on which part of the United States you live in, it’s either early afternoon or early morning. Whether you’re a New Yorker or a Californian, however, I can almost certainly guarantee it’s too early for this particular discovery. It seems that due for an App Store release tomorrow is an Infinity Blade clone called VOTE!!! starring cartoon caricatures of President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Made by the actual makers of Infinity Blade!
Depending on which part of the United States you live in, it’s either early afternoon or early morning. Whether you’re a New Yorker or a Californian, however, I can almost certainly guarantee it’s too early for this particular discovery. It seems that due for an App Store release tomorrow is an Infinity Blade clone called VOTE!!! starring cartoon caricatures of President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Made by the actual makers of Infinity Blade!
Discovered thanks to a (totally understandably) shocked tweet from Touch Arcade Editor-in-Chief Eli Hodapp, Chair’s latest game (I actively cannot believe I’m typing this) appears to be an over-the-top reskinning of their wildly popular on-rails adventure series. The theme? America’s upcoming Presidential election. Playing as either current and campaigning President Barack Obama, or Republican challenger Mitt Romney, gamers will engage in a “slapstick battle for the White House.” Seriously, I wish I was making this up.
Selecting your fighter, you will wield an array of sword substitutes like a light saber, a foam hand, the constitution, and more while engaging in Infinity Blade‘s trademark style of action-button combat – rolling from side to side, shielding, and presumably doing a lot of swiping. Venues for battle include the White House lawn, the Oval Office, and I still cannot believe I am not describing an April Fools joke to you. In addition, players will be able to supplement the free game with costumes, accessories, and weapons unlocked through points earned (presumably) in battle. The whole while, player stats will display on the opening screen to give gamers a (wildly inaccurate) view of who is more popular in the 2012 American federal election.
All jokes aside (is that possible here?), reading the app description and looking at screens seems to indicate that this is a partnership with Chair Entertainment and Rock the Vote, an organization dedicated to “building political power for young people” through voter information, registration, and election resources. Using a button on the game’s home screen, US citizens of age will seemingly be able to register to vote. So while VOTE!!! may be out of left field, it definitely gets my stamp of approval as a gamification of something everyone should be doing if able.
What do you think? Will you be downloading VOTE!!! when it proliferates from the New Zealand App Store to the rest fo the world tomorrow? Interested in battling it out with your favorite presidential hopeful? Americans, do you think this is a tool that will encourage more people to vote? And in the spirit of combat, who do you think’s coming out on top? In the game that is! Let’s not get political or anything.
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