By Matt Bachl
ninemsn
Internet denizens are going wild over a gory Australian-made video game where players slaughter whales with explosive harpoons.
Harpooned invites players to kill the mammals and turn their meat into burgers while avoiding protest ships and icebergs in the oceans around Antarctica.
Despite the violence, fans say the game — which jokingly refers to the fishermen as "Japanese scientists" — carries a powerful anti-whaling message.
"I love sarcasm to expose human stupidity," one fan wrote.
"Fantastic way to highlight/take the p*** out of the Japanese whaling policy — I applaud you!" said another.
The game's creator Conor O'Kane told ninemsn he wanted to make people more aware of the current whaling situation.
"If people [are] offended by the game they should be even more offended by real whaling," he said.
"I hope people make the next logical step and realise that reality is much worse than a video game.
"The more people tell their friends about how disgusting it is, the better … it puts more pressures on the whalers."
As the game begins, players are reminded of their target: 'Perform research on the whales by shooting them with your explosive weapons.'
Extra money is given to the player who can kill whales who are 'cross species', but, if the player's vessel hits an iceberg or a marauding protest ship, dollars are taken away.
At the end of a level, the meat captured by the player is packaged into SPAM-like cans of meat and whale burgers.
"I have no regrets about making the game," Mr O'Kane said.
"Ninety per cent of the response has been positive — whenever there's a negative response online, others explain it very quickly.
"I don't have to defend the game — others are doing it for me."
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