Video games require time and devotion, and when enough time is spent with a particular game it can begin to appear in thoughts, mental images and dreams.
It”s called the “Tetris Effect.”
Recently, I have found myself experiencing the Tetris Effect with a game called Plague Inc., primarily while reading or watching news regarding the recent Ebola outbreak.
The goal of Plague Inc. is to wipe out humanity with an illness. The only graphics involved are a world map that progressively turns red as more people get infected with the disease of your making, as well as planes and boats moving from country to country.
Reports out of Guinea, West Africa began in February and in five months the Ebola virus has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and possibly the Philippines. There have been 1,604 cases of the virus, with 887 of them being fatal. That is a 55-percent fatality ratio.
All I picture is a map with those countries growing red.
When it was reported that patients with the virus were coming to America for treatment, all I see is a red plane flying.
Gotcha.
I”m not fearful of a pandemic. Outbreaks are nothing new, nor are the sensationalized headlines that accompany them. In the ”80s it was HIV/AIDS, in 1998 it was the Swine Flu, in 2005 it was Mad Cow Disease and West Nile Virus. The list goes on and on.
But humanity is still alive and kicking.
Despite my knowing this, I can”t help but think “what if?”
So I attempted to recreate the current pandemic hype in Plague Inc.
As with the real world outbreak, my simulation started in West Africa and quickly took over the continent. Asia, Australia, North and South America soon followed.
New Guinea was the only country not to get infected.
My virtual Ebola virus killed off most of humanity in a little more than 11 minutes, or less than two-and-a-half years. Only a little less than 7 million people survived.
On a second attempt, Greenland proved to be immune. In the same amount of time, little more than 56,000 people survived.
So for those fearful enough and willing to take advice from someone who”s only credentials in this field are a video game, now is the time to flee to an island country. New Guinea, Greenland, Iceland, Madagascar or New Zealand.
However, in the real world, seven workers from the Philippines who returned from Sierra Leone are being monitored after showing symptoms similar to Ebola.
It”s natural to be cautious, but paranoia will help no one.
For those interested, Plague Inc. is available on the Apple Appstore, the Google Play store for Android and Steam for PC.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
