Bullet Through the Head...

Just "played" the Richard Corey Interactive Adventure, based on a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson. The object of the Interactive Adventure is to take your character, Richard Corey home and end his life by gun shot to the head. The "prize" to "winning" this game is the image of a person, it appears to be an actual photograph, who has shot himself in the face.

Perhaps this is an argument for gun control? No, it seems too... tongue in cheek for that. What I gather is that this is a "game" with a rather dark sense of humor to it. (I have always felt that the poem was also darkly humorous as well.)

The reason I keep putting "game" in quotes is because the adventure consists of only about 10 steps total between starting the game and "winning," if you don't repeat segments. I suppose, if you don't want Richard to die, you could just keep going back to town instead of having him pull the trigger. But, eventually, you are drawn towards the choices that you haven't yet made, despite the knowledge that the character is doomed. (The poem, which ends with the lines "And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,Went home and put a bullet through his head," is provided at the beginning of the game for those who are not already familiar with the work.)

Interesting. Somewhat ill, mentally, I believe, but I also think the creators have every right to do what they've done... (As long as they aren't in copyright violation for using the poem...)

OK, then...