Virus: The Game

Virus: The Game is a strategy/action video game developed by Israeli studio Kidum Multimedia and published by Sir-Tech. The game levels take place in the user's hard drive, with files and directories being represented by 3D rooms through which the player navigates. It was developed on the HAYWIRE game engine.

This article is about the 1997 PC game. For other games, see Virus (disambiguation) § Video games.
Virus: The Game
Cover art
Developer(s)Kidum Multimedia Ltd.
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Action/Strategy, Shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Summary

The objective is to battle against 'viruses' that invade the user's directory structure and files. The game and its advertisement included warnings reminding the player that "it's just a game," and that the game is not actually causing harm to the computer's files. The user's graphic files are used as the wall texture and sound files are used as the background music.[2]

Marketing

A quasi-viral advertisement campaign for the game was started. The advertisement, named Russ, was viewed in the form of a downloaded .exe file. When the file was run, a full screen representation of the desktop appeared. The software then began simulating deletion of the Windows folder.[3] When this process was complete, a message was slowly typed on screen saying "Thank god this is only a game..." A screen with the purchase information appeared on screen and then returned to the desktop. No damage is done to the computer during the advertisement. This advertisement was not well received, most likely due to the scareware tactic involved. Thus, most anti-virus programs detected and deleted it.

Reception

The critical reception was generally negative to overwhelming dislike. GameSpot claimed that "Virus has all the appearances of a game that underwent numerous design changes but never really came together."[8] Next Generation called it "an interesting concept, and one that makes it somewhat ironic the game has the problems it does."[10]

GameSpot named the game as the runner-up for the 1997 "Worst Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to Conquest Earth.[14]

References
  1. PC Gamer staff (November 13, 1997). "Now Shipping". PC Gamer. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on February 18, 1998. Retrieved November 15, 2021. Sirtech Software announced the release of Virus: The Game. The company also reports that the Post Office was alarmed about the packages, labeled "Virus", and called to inquire about their contents.
  2. danooct1 (November 27, 2014). "VIRUS: The Game - Introduction, Installation, and Level 1 (50,000 Subscriber Special)". YouTube. Google. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  3. ChillingPichu123 (January 18, 2021). "The Russ Joke Program (Joke.Win32.Russ/Joke.Win32.Jep)". YouTube. Google. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  4. Chick, Tom (January 16, 1998). "Virus: the Game". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 29, 2003. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  5. May, Scott A. (May 1998). "Don't Catch This Virus (Virus: The Game Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 166. Ziff Davis. p. 162. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  6. Huhtala, Alex (November 1997). "Virus [The Game]". Computer and Video Games. No. 192. EMAP. p. 89. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  7. Clint (December 1997). "Virus: The Game Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  8. Sengstack, Jeff (December 23, 1997). "Virus: The Game Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  9. "Virus: The Game". GameStar (in German). Webedia. November 1997.
  10. "Virus [The Game]". Next Generation. No. 40. Imagine Media. April 1998. pp. 108–9. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  11. Wolf, Michael (May 1998). "Virus [The Game]". PC Gamer. Vol. 5, no. 5. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on December 9, 1999. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  12. "Virus: The Game". PC Games (in German). Computec. November 1997.
  13. Mallinson, Paul (December 1997). "Virus [The Game]". PC Zone. No. 57. Dennis Publishing. p. 134. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  14. GameSpot staff (1998). "GameSpot's Best & Worst Awards for 1997 (Worst Game of the Year)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 13, 1998. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
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