Video game Plague Inc. has had a surge of popularity in light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak,Western Archives which has infected over 4,000 people and killed over 100with no signs of slowing. You play as a deadly pathogen in the distressingly relevant game, spreading across the globe to wipe out humanity.
Now, developer Ndemic Creations has issued a friendly reminder that while entertaining, Plague Inc. is not a scientific tool for modelling the spread of disease. It may be fun, but it won’t save you.
“We specifically designed the game to be realistic and informative, while not sensationalising serious real-world issues,” read Ndemic Creations’ statement, published Jan. 23.
“However, please remember that Plague Inc.is a game, not a scientific model and that the current coronavirus outbreak is a very real situation which is impacting a huge number of people. We would always recommend that players get their information directly from local and global health authorities."
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Though Plague Inc. was first released in 2012, Ndemic Creations said it sees an increase in players whenever there is a real outbreak of disease. The spike in interest has been so significant this time that Plague Inc.'s website was overloaded with traffic and its servers strained.
Abacusreports Plague Inc.recently became China’s top paid iOS download, and the fifth overall when free apps are included. According to SensorTower, the game reached the top of the chart on Jan. 21 and hasn’t dipped since.
China isn't the only country turning to the game either, with Plague Inc.holding steady as the U.S.' top paid iOS download since Jan. 23. Player numbers for PC version Plague Inc: Evolvedhave also been trending upward as the coronavirus spreads, SteamCharts recording an 169 percent increase in players globally over the last 30 days. Many players' recent reviews make reference to the coronavirus.
Speaking to Polygon in 2014, Ndemic Creations’ founder James Vaughan said the first time he saw a real world outbreak impact Plague Inc.’s sales was during the West African Ebola outbreak that year. Downloads of Plague Inc.’s free version increased by 50 percent during the epidemic.
“People are curious about it and want to know more about infectious diseases,” said Vaughn. “Plague Inc. can play a role because it's an intelligent look at how infectious diseases can spread.”
SEE ALSO: Ebola Author Says Outbreak Is 'Part of a Pattern' of Emerging, Deadly DiseasesVaughan doesn't have a medical background, having relied on online research to give the game an element of realism. Even if he did, taking medical information from a game designed to entertain is questionable at best.
However, Plague Inc.isn't entirely useless as an educational tool. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s Ali S. Khan noted in 2013 that the game provides a compelling method for raising awareness and teaching the public and about the spread of disease.
“An interesting fact is that it has also become an educational tool — teachers and professors often get in touch to let me know how they used Plague Inc.to illustrate biological and economical concepts to their students,” Vaughan told Khan.
Just don't trust it for practical pointers on how to stay safe from the coronavirus, or from any other outbreak. Go to official sources for that.
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