New Mac Game Permanently Deletes Your Files... Like It's Supposed To

[Michael Essany]

If you like living life on the edge and treasure the personal files living on your Mac, you're going to love the potential adrenaline rush of a new game that, while incredibly stupid to some, will infuse a tangible element of pain to losing at a video game.

MacWorld is profiling the game called "Lose/Lose" this week on its website. In what seems to be more of a psychological experiment than an actual game, "Lose/Lose" is clearly designed to satisfy the thirst for danger possessed by so many Mac Users. So how does this "Russian Roulette for your Mac" work?

It’s reminiscent of classic arcade games like Space Invaders, but with a sobering twist: Each time you destroy an alien, the game deletes a file from your Mac. Forever.

In what has to be one of the truly most bizarre games to ever turn up on the Mac, the seemingly retro, simple to use and enjoy video game carries with it a hefty penalty for losing. Apart from permanently deleting files when an alien encounter goes wrong, if your "ship" is destroyed, the actual game subsequently deletes itself from your Mac's hard drive.

Zach Gage, the game's maker, issues a stark warning above he download link for this game: Lose/Lose permanently deletes files from your hard drive. It’s not meant for hardcore gamers.

“By way of exploring what it means to kill in a video-game, Lose/Lose broaches bigger questions,” Gage writes on his site. Gage himself doesn’t seem entirely clear on what those bigger questions are. He meanders through a few ideas, including the value of data versus the value of real objects and the question of what the real point of the game is.

Typically, I like to experience first hand any device, game, or software that I'm writing about before I actually publish any related comments. This time, however, I need to come clean. I'm staying clear of this one. But if you've given it a try, I'd love to hear of your experience.


Image via MacWorld

[alien mars18]

Isn't that what the guest account is for?

[hitman10]

sounds interesting.. im going to add to it my sister computer.

[ginc]

There must be some kind of huge bug in Mac OS that apple wants to hide by the name of a game!! A bug that deleted user files on Mac OS Snow leopord some days back!!

Who knows!!

[bbillh77]

I need a couple of these to give to the inlaws for Christmas

[hancoma]

This is awesome! IF only it was windows compatible, there are a few work frenemies I would definitely like to share this with!!!

[Chase817]

Why would it delete files if you destroy aliens? Why make punishment for playing correctly? I thought it would only delete files when you die or something...

[ohcrapitscurtis]

That sounds terrible, who would ever want to play a game like that?

[CZroe]

Configure the game to work within a certain directory and have fun blasting away your temporary Internet files and cookies. "Good bye... MMi forum auto-logon cookie!" *bzzzat*

[xwinger]

as i read this, I plug in my external drive and back up my computer!

lol

[rwin84]

Absolutely retarded but it will be funny to see how many idiots F-up their whole life playing it...

[The Maestro]

I'm selling my mini to get the new one so after I back up my iTunes music and a couple files I wouldn't mind taking a go at this, does anyone know what I can use to back up my music to several discs? Carbon copy cloner good?

[sungod661]

absolute non sense

[CaptainChaos]

Wow. That's all I got. Wow.

[[AnubiS]]

From the author's homepage:
"Although touching aliens will cause the player to lose the game, and killing aliens awards points, the aliens will never actually fire at the player. This calls into question the player's mission, which is never explicitly stated, only hinted at through classic game mechanics. Is the player supposed to be an aggressor? Or merely an observer, traversing through a dangerous land?

Why do we assume that because we are given a weapon an awarded for using it, that doing so is right?"

If I understand correctly the idea of the game is not killing alien because you have a weapon, but just see them living or something like that...

[nighthawk283]

Thats Funny poor old mac

[Ximpostrxx]

i want to play... but i love my files wayyy more

[robbpell]

From the author's homepage:
"Although touching aliens will cause the player to lose the game, and killing aliens awards points, the aliens will never actually fire at the player. This calls into question the player's mission, which is never explicitly stated, only hinted at through classic game mechanics. Is the player supposed to be an aggressor? Or merely an observer, traversing through a dangerous land?

Why do we assume that because we are given a weapon an awarded for using it, that doing so is right?"

If I understand correctly the idea of the game is not killing alien because you have a weapon, but just see them living or something like that...

talk about a psychological twist dont do what every game before me has thought you or you will lose your files hahaha this is some truly deep/evil stuff i like it ooo the temptation.

[ultimatexpka]

another pointless innovation

[khaoticsquirrel]

So this is a worthless game? Why would anyone knowingly use this??