There are truly some odd games out there today, pushing the boundaries of both taste and decency. You have games based around torture, sex, assassination simulations, rape, and worse. Most are the creations of individuals, and (with certain exceptions) are often relinquished to the dark corners of the internet, never to make their way to major consoles.
Games centered around crime are nothing new, especially with the popularity of Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row, Mafia Wars, the list goes on and on. But it's rare, if ever at all, that the criminals are caught, and even if they are, find themselves back out on the streets with little more than a fine, or some loss of equipment or money.
Confined to a cell, prison time is monotonous time, and not exactly suited for gameplay. And of course, there's the whole "don't drop the soap" thing. However, that isn't stopping Chinese developer Fei Hui from making a game about life behind bars.
According to a press release, PRISONHOOD is "built on the global fascination of the prison theme in popular culture," introducing "colorful characters, endless dramatizations and exaggerations of prison life. The PRISONHOOD brand will initially comprise of interactive games and applications."
I thought "Oz" was a pretty entertaining show and all, but it's not the best type of source material for a game. Fei Hui seems to disagree.
"Prison is a universal concept, recognized for the harshness and severity of life on the inside. You can even argue prison is in some ways a brand as consumer expectations and perceptions are largely aligned. With the PRISONHOOD brand we have the right ingredients to create a truly unique interactive experience for a global audience," says Robert Hayes. "Our goal at Fei Hu Interactive is to demonstrate to the world that a Chinese company can create relevant intellectual property with global appeal."
Yep, nothing like turning a toothbrush into a shank, cigarette smuggling, and prison gangs divided across racial lines that would make for a fantastic iPad game.
PRISONHOOD is planned to release this month (possibly November) on iOS and Android devices, as well as Facebook.