TheMonkofDestiny: That's the knee-jerk reaction. And it would be the most solid one to rely on if this game's entire mantra from the jump was to treat something as serious as the current event as little more than a mockery. Of the few people who have mentioned playing it for any amount of time, the impressions they've given don't suggest that was the intent.

Arundir: If you want to play a game where you play the virus and not the saviors like in the Pandemic game, play Plague Inc.

This is just tasteless and trying to make a buck on current world issues. Even more despicable because they try to pitch it with a "good" cause.

Dean478: Help me understand this, a game that allows you to create a pandemic and wipe out humanity is okay, but a game where you're supposed to try and mitigate it is not?

GameRager: It's still likely a cash grab....the title and it's release period(during the pandemic)...imo it's more than coincidence.

Arundir: There is a difference, Plague Inc was created in 2012. While I do not debate your point that it is a macabre topic, I think there is difference between making a game with a mechanic and vision in mind(which was obviously inspired by the Pandemic board game) and making a game to bank upon a current crisis. Which is in my opinion quite obvious here, especially with virtue signaling the good cause if you buy the game.

Dean478: But even in 2012 we had thousands dying from outbreaks of specific diseases around the world, bird flu and ebola had some notable outbreaks. Not pandemics of course, but still emergencies. It seems the key factors here are publication and and an arbitrarily determined time factor.

Should Plague cease all advertising for the duration of the pandemic?

Arundir: A lot of people die because of viruses every year, yes. As I said, I do not debate your point of the macabre topic, but I've not seen a Ebola or Flu simulation game , although I am sure some nutjob made a game about that..

A lot of people die of guns to, is every fps shooter a despicable game? Do you want a Minneapolis choking simulator or save the guy shootout simulator? With 20 % of the proceedings going to some charity? I think you get my

TheMonkofDestiny: Plenty of things have had similar titles, often with the intention to raise awareness and under motivation of charity. To call it more than coincidence is like saying any AIDS benefit, MDMA telethon or cancer marathon was opportunistic.

TheMonkofDestiny: So far it's a lot of outrage and accusation - if it turns out that the developer did all this just to seize the opportunity, I'll be chomping down on my own foot for even daring to believe otherwise.

Dean478: The aim of this game is to combat the disease, be the protagonist. Your examples assume you're in the role of the antagonist.

Dean478: If this game was just "Outbreak" instead of "Covid Outbreak" and featured any other novel disease it'd be okay?

Dean478: Well I don't let myself get offended by such things, so I'd judge those examples on their merits. But they are so specific I wonder if they'd offer any meaningful gameplay, immersion, experience or even value for money quite honestly...

There are a lot of games that don't use such specific or explicit titles, but it's obvious what issue, contemporary or otherwise, that they are capitalising, referring, or otherwise replicating. We've got conflicts still ongoing in parts of the world and games like Close Combat and Command (which isn't on GOG), that are based on them for people's amusement. Why don't they face the same scrutiny? Is it because of the abstraction? Some are a little less obvious than others.

This abstraction goes back to "calling a spade a spade". We must use 'gentle' or 'correct' words to describe harsh things. Isn't that just a form of censorship? If this game was just "Outbreak" instead of "Covid Outbreak" and featured any other novel disease it'd be okay?

GameRager: That's not the point some are making here.....it's the likely cash grab by the devs(with the specific name likely meant to garner attention and buzz, the likely appeal to emotion charity donation period, etc) that is one of the biggest points of contention for some of us.

Arundir: It is called decency. I know that you can tear it down with arguments in a blink of an eye, but be aware that you will also tear down a big part of what we call being civilized and I also assure you, you do not want that.

toxicTom: I kind of think the release of this game is kind of a social experiment...

I'm on the fence myself... it seems rushed, and inappropiate. On the other hand I see games as art, and art can of course comment, play with, reflect on contemporary events.

What I do think is - the game should have been released for free - with a "pay/donate what you want" attached that has a fair split between the devs and some really independent health organization, or maybe the WHO to make it more independent from big $$$.

Maybe the should have gone more metaphor - not use the COVID name (which should be SARS-COV2 anyway, since COVID is not the infection, but the resulting lung disease). They could have called it "the pandemic", or something else. Maybe have it take place on an alien planet with alien life forms. The educational effect would be the same.

Lastly the game claims "the game provides the players with information on how to behave in the event of an epidemic, what actions to take, and how to protect themselves and their loved ones in the most effective way. The game is based on the data published by WHO and on the information acquired from experts and consultants."
The problem with that is that none of this is set in stone. Experts (I mean real experts, not YT- "experts") are still very much in disagreement about which measures were/are effective. The "truth" changes daily. Mouth protection is everything between useless or the ultimate salvation, depending on who you ask. Opening schools and businesses is fine or doom. Certain medications are the salvation or pure poison. A rushed, barely tested vaccine will save us all, or kill us all. Those are all standpoint from people with serious medical and scientific degrees, some even with Nobel prize fames.
And now a game that tries to educate "right behaviour"? Will it get daily updates?

I do think the devs and GOG mean well, so please cut down on the hate.But I'd rather have Plague Inc. finally on GOG, and I think it'd be more educational on how pandemics work.

revo_emag: Sad. What's next "SIMRiot: Minneapolis, MN Edition"?

iscagog: Without sounding histrionic, in the health and medical world, it is not enough to give information that is correct and legitimate - health professionals can also face litigation for what they 'don't' say or do.