Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

October 16, 2009

Showcasing incredible turnaround time, a browser-based game based on the exploits of Balloon Boy has already hit the Internet, a mere day after the tale of an apparent soaring child dominated network airwaves and Twitter hashtags.

The game was developed by three 25-year olds— Immad Akhund, Jude Gomila, James Smith—inspired by the events that unfolded in Colorado yesterday. A counter at the top of the website asks “How Many $$$ of Tax Payer Money Can You Waste?” and tracks scores. Players dodge seagulls and gather rainbows while floating through the sky in their dirigible.

No word yet if the developers are working on a follow up game entitled Attic Boy.


Comments

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

Bet the people at the airport that this little stunt shut down were pissed off.

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

I'm not even entirely clear on what the story IS exactly...I see some pics of that thing on 4chan, then turn on the tv and see something about the kid being *thought* to be in there...then apparently he was in the attic? And this is somehow a big deal?

-If an apple a day keeps the doctor away....what happens when a doctor eats an apple?-

-Optimum est pati quod emendare non possis-It is best to endure what you cannot change-

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

Apparently the parents thought the kid went up in the balloon, but then they found him hiding in the attic because he had a fight with his brother.  But then, when being interviewed on CNN, the kid let it slip that the parents had instructed him to do that "for the show", leading lots of people to question whether the whole thing was a hoax to garner publicity.

It's not real news, but that hasn't stopped every media outlet from obsessing over it.

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

But why use a BLACK HAWK helicopter to find a kid?


Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

Because you got to do it the awesome way.

 

"God, is that you?"

"No! It's a me, Mario!"

"God, is that you?" "No! It's a me, Mario!"

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

Considering they had the news media and search and rescue opperations all tied up for 10+ hours for reasons that turned out to be less than 100% legit, I would say it was a pretty big deal.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

...Meh. Seems like a big waste of time/money to me. On something that isn't a big deal. The only big deal is the big waste of money that it is, heh.

-If an apple a day keeps the doctor away....what happens when a doctor eats an apple?-

-Optimum est pati quod emendare non possis-It is best to endure what you cannot change-

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

As impressed as I am with their swiftness, I still can't bring myself to give a shit about this balloon-boy story in any aspect.

Re: Balloon Boy: Meme to Game in a Day

I would have to agree with you on this. I really don't much care for the story as it begs to question what the parents were doing and where the hell are they.

The whole thing also sounds like it came straight out of a tabloid. Like OmegaWarrior, I just can't give a shit.

"God, is that you?"                                                                                                                                            "No! It's a me, Mario!"

"God, is that you?" "No! It's a me, Mario!"
 
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james_fudgeit sounds like if you have an HD reciever you'll be able to use it with a pass-through cable... not 100 percent sure yet05/21/2013 - 2:41pm
james_fudgehappening now http://majornelson.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-architecture-panel/05/21/2013 - 2:20pm
E. Zachary KnightSome reading material for Microsoft on its used games blocks. That will hurt the console more than helping. http://ezknight.net/?page_id=20505/21/2013 - 2:18pm
james_fudgeyeah good luck with over the air TV05/21/2013 - 2:12pm
E. Zachary KnightBut what if I want to only watch over the air tv? I don't subscribe to pay tv. I never will. If that is a requirement, then MS wasted 45 minutes telling me how great TV will be.05/21/2013 - 2:08pm
james_fudgeEZK it will depend on your provider, just like HBO Go i'd imagine.05/21/2013 - 2:05pm
PHX Corp@IanC there's also a chance that those titles might be Xbox one exclusive, but it's too early to tell afaik05/21/2013 - 2:03pm
IanC@E. Zachary Knight - MS certainly got the checkbook out for EA, so no surprise on how negative they are over the Wii U.05/21/2013 - 1:54pm
MaskedPixelanteSo now I have to wonder, how many of EA's games are skipping the PS4 because of their pro-used stance?05/21/2013 - 1:53pm
E. Zachary KnightOn the TV front, does the XBox One require a cable/satellite subscription or will I be able to use my over the air channels?05/21/2013 - 1:48pm
E. Zachary KnightAlso, that name was not one of the options on our poll.05/21/2013 - 1:42pm
E. Zachary KnightThis presentation also shows why EA has been so negative about the Wii U. They have had a massive hardon for the XBox One forever.05/21/2013 - 1:42pm
james_fudgetwo female presenters05/21/2013 - 1:40pm
E. Zachary KnightQuote: Are developers forced to create games that have these online features, and are thus not playable offline? They are not, Xbox exec Whitten said to Wired — but “I hope they do.”05/21/2013 - 1:40pm
E. Zachary KnightThe Wired article I linked to earlier has a different story. While it will be possible to play offline, that is a game to game thing, not standard. http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/05/xbox-one-analysis/05/21/2013 - 1:39pm
Andrew EisenAccording to Geoff Keighley, Don Mattrick says Xbox One is not always on. https://twitter.com/geoffkeighley/status/33690727595023155305/21/2013 - 1:35pm
Andrew EisenJust like how Sim City needs the cloud for various computations. (Note to anyone unaware: Sim City does not need the cloud for various computations. That was a barefaced lie by EA Maxis.)05/21/2013 - 1:24pm
MaskedPixelanteSo all in all, more of the same, with the possibility of used game restrictions and always on DRM disguised as "cloud computing".05/21/2013 - 1:20pm
Andrew EisenAbsolutly zero gameplay footage. Doesn't look like there are going to be a lot of games ready to launch by the end of the year.05/21/2013 - 1:12pm
E. Zachary KnightThey didn't talk about any of the other exclusives. I guess they are saving that for E3.05/21/2013 - 1:06pm
 

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