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Water Cooler Games served as the web's primary forum for "videogames with an agenda" — coverage of the uses of video games in advertising, politics, education, and other everyday activities, outside the sphere of entertainment.

The site was maintained at watercoolergames.org from 2003-2009, where it was edited by myself and Gonzalo Frasca. It is now archived here in full.
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Croc Hunter Newsgame
by Gonzalo Frasca September 7, 2006
categories: Newsgames

Yesterday we were chatting with Ian and we brainstormed about what a "Death of a Crocodile Hunter" would look like. Not that we were considering doing such a game -actually, we discarded the idea as disrespectful and moved on. But ever since I worked at CNN, everytime that a major news event grasps the world attention, I like to think about what a game about such thing would look like.

Well, the world is wide indeed and somebody actually made a newsgame about the death of Steve Irwin. You play the role of his wife and you must kill the stingrays in order to avenge your dead husband. My first thought was: OMG! But on a second look, I don't feel bad about the game. Certainly, it is not going to be funny to a lot of people, particularly Irwin's family. However, the game itself is kind of cute and the revenge theme is definitively more appropriate than a game where Irwin fighted against the stingrays by himself. I wonder how this is that different from people who tell jokes during funerals? The game has a comedy tone but it is not mean-spirited (at least not to me) I am glad that somebody out there proved me wrong on my initial thought about the "don't-go-there" feeling about a croc hunter obituary game. Needless to say, I'm sure a lot of people will disagree...

Comments (9)

The idea is problematic because the Irwin's were champion conservationists.

Croc Hunter Newsgame

The Croc Hunter Game actually does pay tribute to the famed and beloved Aussie, Steve Irwin. His parents, renowned naturalists allowed him to develop his love for animals while he was still sporting the diapers. His father, Bob Irwin taught him everything there is to know about reptiles - by the time Steve hit age nine he was already jumping and catching the crocs of the North Queenslands rivers. It's all in his blood. That's what he's been doing, it's all he probably ever wanted to do. Isn't that every person's ideal way to leave this world - doing something he/she loves to do. In the Adam Sandler movie, Blake, Mr. Deed's uncle, died on top of Mt. Everest with a goofy grin on his face. That's how he froze with a smile loud enough to show everyone that he died doing something that he truly loves. He accomplished the mountain, something he dreamed of doing for years. So with our dear Croc Hunter here, Steve died doing something he loves. There was probably no where else he would have rather been. At least it wasn't the crocs who killed him, because to them he's probably their hero, a legend in the croc world. His wife, Terri, is a magnificent one of a kind woman who dropped everything she worked for throughout her life before meeting her lovely Steve at the *animal hang out to travel the world with him and live up their dreams. Terri probably wouldn't mind a tasteful game dedicated to the dynamic duo illustrating her "revenge" on the stingrays in honor of her husband. It's harmless. Why not a cute videogame to show just how much the Croc Hunter affected and inspired the world. Crikey, that's a good one.

Melissa Estacio on September 15, 2006 6:28 PM

Croc Hunter Newsgame

The Croc Hunter Game actually does pay tribute to the famed and beloved Aussie, Steve Irwin. His parents, renowned naturalists allowed him to develop his love for animals while he was still sporting the diapers. His father, Bob Irwin taught him everything there is to know about reptiles - by the time Steve hit age nine he was already jumping and catching the crocs of the North Queenslands rivers. It's all in his blood. That's what he's been doing, it's all he probably ever wanted to do. Isn't that every person's ideal way to leave this world - doing something he/she loves to do. In the Adam Sandler movie, Blake, Mr. Deed's uncle, died on top of Mt. Everest with a goofy grin on his face. That's how he froze with a smile loud enough to show everyone that he died doing something that he truly loves. He accomplished the mountain, something he dreamed of doing for years. So with our dear Croc Hunter here, Steve died doing something he loves. There was probably no where else he would have rather been. At least it wasn't the crocs who killed him, because to them he's probably their hero, a legend in the croc world. His wife, Terri, is a magnificent one of a kind woman who dropped everything she worked for throughout her life before meeting her lovely Steve at the *animal hang out to travel the world with him and live up their dreams. Terri probably wouldn't mind a tasteful game dedicated to the dynamic duo illustrating her "revenge" on the stingrays in honor of her husband. It's harmless. Why not a cute videogame to show just how much the Croc Hunter affected and inspired the world. Crikey, that's a good one.

Melissa Estacio on September 15, 2006 6:28 PM

Croc Hunter Newsgame

The Croc Hunter Game actually does pay tribute to the famed and beloved Aussie, Steve Irwin. His parents, renowned naturalists allowed him to develop his love for animals while he was still sporting the diapers. His father, Bob Irwin taught him everything there is to know about reptiles - by the time Steve hit age nine he was already jumping and catching the crocs of the North Queenslands rivers. It's all in his blood. That's what he's been doing, it's all he probably ever wanted to do. Isn't that every person's ideal way to leave this world - doing something he/she loves to do. In the Adam Sandler movie, Blake, Mr. Deed's uncle, died on top of Mt. Everest with a goofy grin on his face. That's how he froze with a smile loud enough to show everyone that he died doing something that he truly loves. He accomplished the mountain, something he dreamed of doing for years. So with our dear Croc Hunter here, Steve died doing something he loves. There was probably no where else he would have rather been. At least it wasn't the crocs who killed him, because to them he's probably their hero, a legend in the croc world. His wife, Terri, is a magnificent one of a kind woman who dropped everything she worked for throughout her life before meeting her lovely Steve at the *animal hang out to travel the world with him and live up their dreams. Terri probably wouldn't mind a tasteful game dedicated to the dynamic duo illustrating her "revenge" on the stingrays in honor of her husband. It's harmless. Why not a cute videogame to show just how much the Croc Hunter affected and inspired the world. Crikey, that's a good one.

Melissa Estacio on September 15, 2006 6:28 PM

As innocent as this game may seem, it is still disrespectful. Steve Irwin may have been a comedian, but there is a time for comedy and this is not it. It is one matter to make a few jokes to lighten the darkness of tragedy, but this game barely considers the feelings of those affected. Steve Irwin can稚 raise protest anymore (though he likely would not have done so), but those for whom we should be concerned are his wife and family預nd how does this game portray them? Mrs. Irwin is depicted as a vengeful maniac, armed with a shotgun and killer crocs, slaughtering hordes of stingrays. The depiction of Mrs. Irwin is hardly comforting, and the endorsed hatred of stingrays goes against the family痴 love for animals.

If the makers of this game want to claim it is comparable to a song or a poem in memory of the crocodile hunter, they should have made the game respect the things Steve Irwin respected, which includes his wife, as well as the creatures of the wild. By perverting those things, his memory is only insulted. The only 杜emorial� of Steve Irwin is the game over screen (a gravestone) and a little phrase on the title screen that says �9-4-06, never forget.� Yet, these things are hardly adequate, and almost seem 鍍agged on� to appease those who would inevitably have problems with the game. The game is a parody, and its intent is shock value. If the creators had thought it would not be controversial, they would not have made it.

I found the "Croc Hunter Newsgame" post on September 07, 2006 by Gonzalo Frasca to be somewhat disturbing.

I first began to disagree with what he was saying when he said, "My first thought was: OMG! But on a second look, I don't feel bad about the game."

I admire Frasca for his willingless to look deeper into WHY he believes WHAT he believes, but in this situation I believe his first "impulse" was the better one. To make light of the death of someone is NEVER funny in my opinion. Of course, we値l never have the chance to ask Steve if he would approve of such a game or not, but does that give us the right to make it?

I'm sure that, in your own opinion, you believe that you are not making light of Steve Irwin's death by endorsing this game. Indeed, on some level, I知 sure you probably feel bad for him and his family. Yet don't you say yourself that "Certainly, it [the game] is not going to be funny to a lot of people?"..Don't you think you should take into account the negative effects that this game could have on other people? Even if you yourself aren't bothered by it, wouldn稚 it be better if the game didn稚 exist on the internet at all?

I think you should follow your 電on稚-go-there feeling.� No, I知 not a psychiatrist, but I just think that in a situation like this, 澱etter safe than sorry� is the way to go幼easing the production of the Steve Irwin game altogether would prevent even the possibility of hurt feelings. Thanks for you time.

I don't think it is disrespectful (in the traditional sense) but I do wonder what Steve Irwin himself would think about the game... or his wife. I don't think that they would approve of the idea that you have to take 'revenge' on the stingray(s) and kill them. From what I have read, the stingray 'attack' is an involuntary response. In that sense, it was an accident and Irwin would have probably known this. Perhaps a more interesting game would not be about killing but a virtual exploration game where you get to swim with the stingrays and watch (and learn about) them in their natural habitat... which is what Irwin was doing.

David Clearwater on September 20, 2006 5:48 AM

HAS ANYONE THOUGHT HOW THIS MAKES TERRI FEEL AND HER KIDS??? Oh my gosh, THIS IS SO TOTALLY DISRESPECTFUL....How is this going to affect bob and bingy when they get older........??.Try another game like pacman or something. This is just awful. You cant do this, it is SO WRONG!!!!!!!

ANYONE READING THIS, PLEASE HELP STOP THIS GAME!!!!!!!!VOICE YOUR OPINION FOR STEVE!!!!!!

HAS ANYONE THOUGHT HOW THIS MAKES TERRI FEEL AND HER KIDS??? Oh my gosh, THIS IS SO TOTALLY DISRESPECTFUL....How is this going to affect bob and bingy when they get older........??.Try another game like pacman or something. This is just awful. You cant do this, it is SO WRONG!!!!!!!

ANYONE READING THIS, PLEASE HELP STOP THIS GAME!!!!!!!!VOICE YOUR OPINION FOR STEVE!!!!!!