Japanese developer Shinji Mikami is allowing the world to decapitate him in an effort to promote his new studio.
Creator of Resident Evil Shinji Mikami is supposedly hard at work on third-person shooter Vanquish at Platinum Games, but recently announced the formation of a new studio called Tango. As a way to drum up interest in the new project he’s currently recruiting for, Mikami has created a flash game that requires players to help him commit suicide.
Back in the days of the samurai, a friend would often help commit seppuku or harakiri (suicide) when a warrior felt it was necessary to die with honor. As the usual technique of cutting into one’s own abdomen wasn’t the most enjoyable, the helper would stand by and cut off the head to speed up the process. This was the samurai’s way to “help a brother out.”
Mikami’s flash game is pretty simple. Players take on the role of the helper samurai that must cut off Mikami’s head. However, the goal is not just to cut off the head, but to cut it off so powerfully that it flies as far as possible. As the head is flying through the air, the background is littered with celebrities from the game development community. I was able to spy Metal Gear‘s Hideo Kojima hiding behind a crate, though sadly he wasn’t sitting atop a duck. Believe it or not, this harakiri game really is meant as a recruiting device, as a link takes users to a page listing positions needed for Tango.
What better way to spend your April Fools day than by cutting off the head of a Japanese developer? That is, if you can figure out exactly how to click properly, as I really couldn’t because the instructions are in Japanese, but then again maybe my laptop isn’t made to decapitate people. The game isn’t terribly graphic, but does have some blood, so the super sensitive might want to skip it, unless they really, really hate Shinji Mikami. Check it out here.
Source: Andriasang
