Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Owlchemy Labs To Debute Smuggle Truck With Illegal Immigrant Border Crossing Apps For IPhones

Image: Game Zone

Game Apps for IPhones depicting undocumented immigrants getting killed while riding and bouncing in a truck bed set to debute by March.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 8, 2011

Boston, MA - The Super Ramen Bros. developer Owlchemy Labs is expected to release the controversial Smuggle Truck: Immigration Operation Apps for IOS by March. Critics have labeled it an anti-immigrant Apps game, which is based on illegal border crossings by undocumented characters behind a truck bed allowing IPhones users the thrill to earn medals without true value. Makes sense, to immigrant rights groups in the U.S., it doesn't. The developers lack common sense and seems they're still kids at heart trying to amuse themselves without actually thinking about the consequences a racially charged game can cause while the immigration reform issue is still unresolved, some activists argue. Others say for example, what would stop these game developers from creating another Apps depicting other minorities such as Palestinians in a bed truck bouncing up and down trying to cross over the Israel border and being shot at by border guards. Characterizing an ethnic group in a circumstance that they are facing in real life and making it into a game for others to get a cheap thrill and motivating their racist conscienceness is just not appreciated, in poor taste and not taken to likely by those affected, explained a critic, who didn't want his name released.
The Smuggle Truck Apps has the users trying to race accross a simulated border crossing in a truck full of undocumented immigrants in the cargo bed visible to the eye. The immigrants bounce up and down and are holding for their dear life, according to Game Zone dot com.
Alex Schwartz, the actual developer has the immigrants falling off the truck bed while it goes over dead animals, cliffs, mountains other terrain and then wiping out killing all, resulting in deduction of points for medals. To Schwartz it's a way to deal with the current broken immigration system citing that it's easier to get across the border illegally then legally. The game has been tested around Boston by staff who take laptops with the game to coffee shops and other public settings to get feedback from on lookers, according to Schwartz' interview with AP.
The introduction of the Smuggling Apps in March has been drawing condemnation by national immigration rights groups and activists. Activists say, the game will only help promote racism and hate towards immigrants as other anti-immigrant rhetoric and proposed state laws are intended to do.
For Schwartz it's only a game, which could be very profitable by the expected sales. For the extreme conservative anti-immigrant loyalists, the racially induced game will no doubt trigger discriminatory and hatred behavior by passive racists towards Latinos. The game provides a chance for extreme racists to play out their true feelings about immigrants while playing it. But to the 13 million of tax paying undocumented immigrants in the U.S., it's another way to promote hate against them, their children and ensuring further division in the country, an immigration rights activist said.

Video of Smuggling Truck Apps by Owlchemy Labs at http://bit.ly/hELo8t

For high resolution screenshots, video and contact Owlchemy Labs to express your opinion at: http://owlchemylabs.com/press

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