McDonald's Video Game

McDonald's Video Game is a Flash online game published and developed by the Italy-based group Molleindustria in 2006.[1] It is described as an "anti-advergame", meaning a satire of various companies and its business practices.[2]

For video games produced under license from McDonald's, see Global Gladiators, McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure, and M.C. Kids.
McDonald's Video Game
Screenshot from McDonald's Video Game
Developer(s)Molleindustria
Publisher(s)Molleindustria
Designer(s)Molleindustria
EngineMacromedia Flash 7
Platform(s)Web, Flash download
Release2006
Genre(s)Tycoon simulation, parody
Mode(s)Single-player
Screenshot

McDonald's Video Game is a parody of the business practices of the corporate giant McDonald's, taking the guise of a tycoon-style business-simulation game. The game presents the player with four views: The farmland, the slaughterhouse, the restaurant and the corporate HQ.[2] Through each of these views, decisions can be made which will affect the fate of the player's company. In the game, the player takes on the role of a McDonald's CEO by choosing whether or not to feed the player's cows genetically altered grain,[3] plow over rainforests or feed the player's cattle to other cattle (a practice known to spread mad cow disease). The player can also choose advertising strategies and public official corruption to counteract opponents of the player's actions.

Some choices within the game, such as the opportunity to demolish villages or bribe public officials, paint the corporation in a negative light. These aspects of the game are unflattering to McDonald's, who issued a statement saying that the game "has no association with McDonald's and is therefore a complete misrepresentation of our people and our values."[1]

On some websites (such as Kongregate), Molleindustria released a version of the game called Burger Tycoon which is exactly the same except that it eliminates all mention of McDonald's such as the franchise logo and a bear replacing the Ronald McDonald mascot. This was done in order to avoid copyright sanctions.

The game has been translated into nine languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Finnish, Danish, Turkish, Portuguese, French and German.[4]

References
  1. Bluestien, Greg. "Creators Put Politics Into Video Games", The Associated Press, published January 21, 2007, accessed April 20, 2007.
  2. Tiwari, Neha. "Cow slaughtering with Ronald McDonald", CNET News, published July 5, 2006, accessed April 20, 2007.
  3. Gerson, Jeff. "Bully beats back game critics", The Toronto Star, published November 15, 2006, accessed April 20, 2007.
  4. McDonald's Videogame splash page, accessed April 7, 2015.
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