Article of the Week 10/10/16 Read directions at bottom of article.
Zombies on the Attack: This Game Simulates Real Life and the Undead
By Glenda Kwek, Agence France-Presse, adapted by Newsela staff, 10.07.16
A "zombie witch" in a dirty, white dress runs down a street at a university in Sydney, Australia. Her hair whips around as she chases a group desperately trying to flee from her.
Welcome to "Zedtown," where competitors play out a zombie apocalypse. People race to reach an evacuation point in order to survive. They must also avoid being caught and turned by the "undead."
"Zedtown" has been described as both a giant game of zombie-themed tag and a "live-action" video game. The events take advantage of an emerging legion of gamers who have grown up battling animated enemies on computer screens. Now, they want to experience such fantasies in real life.
The Fear Seems Real
"It's a great feeling having hundreds of fully grown men and women running away in legitimate fear from you. It's really exhilarating," the woman who plays the zombie witch, Katerina Halkeas, says.
"Video games themselves are becoming so much more immersive. And then when you have something like this, it's really the next step," adds Halkeas. She based her role on a character in the "Left 4 Dead" video game.
Unlike computer games, though, in real life the players cannot hit pause or pull the plug. They cannot even head to the bathroom without risking their "lives." They have to keep running to escape the threats in the game, adding to the heightened energy.
The event kicks off with humans, dubbed "survivors," outnumbering zombies. All that is required to turn someone into the undead is to tag or touch them.
Beware Of Secret Zombies
Both sides are in an assortment of costumes and in high spirits. The organizers add danger at the start of the game by appointing a small group, who appear to be survivors, as secret zombies. This, players say, sows doubt and quickly swells the number of those hunting against those being hunted.
"You find yourself talking to people you wouldn't have otherwise spoken to and relying on those people for your life and you form intense relationships quickly," says "Zedtown" creator David Harmon. He has plans to roll out the event in other cities.
Tasks and challenges are set for people to progress through the event space. They also try to make sure people do not simply stay hidden.
As darkness falls, tensions rise, and the ranks of the undead thicken. Sometimes the zombies chant "one of us" in large groups to scare the few remaining survivors.
"Emotionally, it's an absolute rush," says player Ian Kilburn. His long, tattered black-hooded cloak "Death" costume, which includes a sickle tossed over his shoulders, is well-known among "Zedtown" participants. He said during a "Zedtown" game that he has always been impressed by the costumes and that everyone works hard to make the experience fun.
Tickets Sell Out Fast
The demand to play is very high. Tickets for the most recent event at the University of New South Wales, which cost Aus $45 (U.S. $34), sold out within minutes.
Shooting games such as laser tag or paintball have been around for some time. "Zedtown," however, taps into a trend blending old video game ideas with reality.
One such example is "Pokemon Go." The game is based on software first launched in 1996 for Nintendo's Game Boy system. It uses players' smartphone cameras and satellite location to enable them to see cartoon monsters and to capture in real-world settings.
Video games where players have to solve riddles and puzzles to reach the next level and ultimately leave have spawned physical adventures. One such physical adventure is called "Escape Room." Participants are locked in a room and have to solve problems to get out.
Playing In The Physical World
The next generation of games, though, according to industry experts, will have consumers playing in the physical world. At the same time, though, they are immersing themselves in settings and against foes in the video game world.
Oculus Rift is a virtual reality system and headset owned by Facebook. It was released in the United States in March and the United Kingdom in late September to favorable consumer responses. The headset surrounds the consumer with images, making the person feel that they are in a real place.
Tim Ruse is the chief executive of startup "Zero Latency," a virtual reality game. He says he has seen huge interest in his company's virtual reality system.
Ready For Battle
In "Zero Latency," competitors sport headsets and carry backpacks with a computer as well as fake guns. They enter a large warehouse and explore different simulated settings. These include battling zombies, an arcade-style game where you defend a fort, and an outer-space exploration scenario.
"Zero Latency" launched just over a year ago in Melbourne, Australia. Now, they are expanding their model to the United States, Spain and Japan at Sega's amusement park in Tokyo.
"I guess humans have always — from storytelling to cinema to gaming — sought to remove themselves from reality," Ruse says. "I think this next generation of fully immersive experiences is that next level of entertainment or escapism."
Task 1: Circle vocabulary words, find definitions, add to your vocab list in your binder.
Task 2: Annotate for BIG IDEAS. Each section is making one point. The title of the section gives a hint about what the big ideas in the section are. Highlight statements that make points or provide details supporting the MAIN IDEA of that section.
Task 3: For each section, write one or two sentences that are very clear statements describing the main idea of that section.
(DO NOT WRITE A PARAGRAPH THIS WEEK.